Software : Eighty percent of organizations work with independent application developers |
- Eighty percent of organizations work with independent application developers
- China probes Microsoft's Windows over antitrust concerns
- Microsoft cuts price of Surface 2 - is it making way for something else?
| Eighty percent of organizations work with independent application developers Posted:  Eighty percent of businesses work with private developers to create applications, according to an IBM report. These developers work independently, outside of the scope of enterprise IT, and help to close the skills gap that currently exists in most organizations, the survey states. Forty percent of organizations say they have moderate-to-major skills gaps across cloud, analytics, mobile and social technologies. The same number of organizations say the aforementioned technologies are driving their company's business innovation. In order to ensure applications are developed, respondents say enterprises turn to private developers as well as start-ups and academics. Seventy percent of respondents say they are likely to engage with start-ups for application development. Why it's necessaryIn addition to developing consumer-facing applications, organizations would like to develop applications that simplify business processes, take better advantage of company data and improve employee productivity. However, working with third-party developers can be costly, and can expose company data. By working with independent developers, organizations can save money and gain control of the app-making process. The IBM report is based on responses from more than 1,400 IT and business decision makers in 15 industries across five continents. |
| China probes Microsoft's Windows over antitrust concerns Posted:  The Chinese government is zeroing in on Microsoft as its State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), headed by Zhang Mao, confirmed that it is probing the company over its web browser, Internet Explorer, and Windows Media Player. Both applications are tightly integrated with the operating system and were also the target of antitrust cases in the US and Europe in the 1990s and early 2000s. Microsoft was ordered to pay billions of dollars worth of fines as a result and required to offer a choice of browsers on its Windows operating system. A few weeks ago, the SAIC raided Microsoft's offices in China as part of the antitrust investigation but didn't provide any further details; at the time, it was posited that the move was to find out about any illegal tie-in between Office and Windows. Earlier this year, the Chinese government banned Windows 8 on public sector computers and some wondered back then whether that was linked to the Windows XP end-of-life deadline. But it looks like it might have something to do with China's decision to develop its own OS instead. |
| Microsoft cuts price of Surface 2 - is it making way for something else? Posted:  Long before Amazon, New Yorkers purchased their deeply discounted electronics from personalities like Crazy Eddie, who would certainly have enjoyed shouting over television commercials about Microsoft's insane new pricing on last-generation tablets. Microsoft put on its bargain bin hat this weekend as US-based online and retail stores rolled out deep discounts on Surface 2 models for the next month, with prices starting as low as $349 (about £211, AU$376) for the 32GB model. Beginning August 24 and ending September 27, or "while supplies last," Microsoft Store shoppers can grab up to five Surface 2 tablets for $100 (about £60, AU$108) off last week's price, including a 64GB model with AT&T 4G LTE for only $579 (about £349, AU$623). As a refresher, Surface 2 models are powered by Nvidia Tegra 4 processors and run Windows RT as opposed to full Windows. The tablet also features 2GB RAM, a 10.6-inch 1080p display and the requisite front and rear cameras. Our prices are insane!The timing of the sale is probably no accident given students have already started heading back to school over the last few weeks; Microsoft offered a similar $100 discount on the more expensive Surface Pro in early August of last year. Thus far, Redmond has yet to produce a third-generatoin RT-powered tablet, instead focusing its energy on the MacBook Air-busting power of its latest Surface Pro 3. With rumors of Windows 9 making its debut September 30, the sale could also be Microsoft's effort to clear warehouse shelves of unsold inventory ahead of a new RT model announced on the same day. As Microsoft works to unify its desktop, tablet and smartphone worlds, the latest deal smells like a fire sale as Redmond prepares for something (or somethings) else.
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