software behemoth

Microsoft is giving startup software companies an early holiday gift by offering access to Microsoft software and development tools, marketing and technical support, and industry experts.

Microsoft launched its BizSpark program to help early-stage companies that need software and server products -- such as Windows Server 2008 or SQL Server Enterprise -- but don't yet have the capital to purchase it. Microsoft also launched BizSpark DB, a Web site where it will promote startups working on innovative software, the company announced at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

It's all in the name -- or maybe not, in Microsoft's case. The software behemoth announced Monday that it will share a pre-beta, developer-only release of Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista, at the Product Developers Conference on Oct. 25 and at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference on Nov. 7.

The anticipated rollout of Microsoft's latest operating system isn't what's creating the buzz, but the name Microsoft has given it.

The software behemoth has had enough. Microsoft has teamed up with Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna to stop companies and individuals from fooling consumers.

Jerry Seinfeld is signing off again, this time from Microsoft's television commercial series with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. The popular comedian's work for the software behemoth is complete, and the next phase of the multiyear, $300 million Windows marketing campaign to reconnect with customers is beginning.

According to Microsoft, the next ads will celebrate the diversity and passion of consumers around the world who use Windows to stay in touch with people, information and ideas that they care about.

The old debate over HTML versus Flash has become stale. A new debate, however, has surfaced.

Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) like Adobe Flash are feeling the heat as competitors move in and are expected to gain wide adoption among developers.

Adobe Flash, initially developed by Macromedia, has had widespread adoption and can be used by developers to stream audio and video and create rich-media advertisements, presentations, games and a slew of other functions.