In addition to Microsoft’s Windows Vista, other giants like SAP, Oracle, Red Hat, and BEA are also promising significant software releases in 2006…
Microsoft Products
Microsoft plans for Windows Vista to be a strategic asset in its software industry in the coming year. Windows Vista is expected to launch in the latter half of 2006, five years after Windows XP.
Microsoft promises users that this operating system will offer better file management and security. However, the reality of these claims remains to be seen, as the beta version still faces much controversy. The Vista generation of Windows Server is set to debut in 2007.
Another highly anticipated product is Internet Explorer 7, which is expected to implement tighter security measures. Microsoft Exchange 2003 will support 64-bit computing and multi-core processors. Microsoft Office 12 is currently under development and is slated for release in the latter half of 2006.
Particular attention is being paid to enterprise-oriented software. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 will be Microsoft’s tool to aggressively penetrate the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software market. This software will be made available to Microsoft’s partners in January, with two versions targeting large businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises.
For smaller businesses, there is a new product called Small Business Server 2003 R3, which combines Microsoft’s Server operating system and Exchange, along with several other management software tools.
BEA Merges Its Product Line
BEA is merging its recently acquired software, Plumtree Portal, with its well-established product, WebLogic Portal. By the end of Q2 2006, their product will be launched targeting end-users with features such as building web applications with added search and analytics tools.
SAP & Oracle in a Prolonged Battle
The CRM market remains SAP’s target for the upcoming year. SAP had planned to launch its product during the recent Christmas season, but it seems they believe the new year will be a better time.
Oracle promises to deliver the best features for each product they offer. Project Fusion represents the next generation of their enterprise product line in the battle against SAP, especially with their data transfer support modules expected to debut next year.
IBM, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems… Making New Advances
IBM Workplace Managed Client, the next generation of the network office application running on Big Blue’s platform, will soon support the OpenDocument format. IBM’s choice will significantly impact the battle over file format standards between Microsoft and its competitors…
Leading the Linux market, Red Hat introduces three high-level software collections that support web browsing on the Java Server platform. This is a significant advancement for Red Hat against competitors such as SourceLabs, JBoss, IBM, and Oracle in this field.
Sun aims to offer numerous applications in its Java Enterprise System for free. Products such as Sun Ray, Tarentella, and SeeBeyond will be offered at no cost to customers.
