Stories by: Ed Scannell

IBM next month will ship new versions of its WebSphere Commerce Express server aimed at both large and small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs). The versions will come with a search-engine optimization feature that enables spidering technology within popular search engines, such as Google and Yahoo.

Hewlett-Packard beefed up its OpenView identity management suite of applications on Wednesday with a number of federation and compliance features, and also announced it has agreed to extend its existing technical agreement with Citrix Systems.

Hoping it will persuade Oracle database users to migrate over to DB2, IBM will add range partitioning to the next version of the product, code-named Viper, expected to go into widespread beta in August or September.

Microsoft has announced its intention to fully support the RSS Web publishing standard in its next generation version of Windows, code-named Longhorn, along with plans to help application developers more easily create RSS-enabled applications for Windows.

Hoping to strengthen its position in the clustering market, IBM on Wednesday rolled out a new version of its eServer Cluster 1350 powered by AMD's dual-core Opteron chip. Company officials contend the offering will give users access to a broader range of higher-end applications.

Macrovision on Monday delivered software that helps IT administrators simplify the process of automating the simultaneous installation and configuration of multiple software products that are part of a complex environment.

In a move that could bring a chorus of both cheers and jeers, Microsoft has announced its commitment to adopt XML technology as the default file format in the next version of Office, code-named Office 12, due to enter beta later this year.

Claiming a technology breakthrough in privacy and security, IBM on Tuesday introduced software that allows corporate users to share information with each other and government agencies without having to reveal private personal details.

IBM has detailed an initiative intended to accelerate the business benefits of a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The Business Integration Adoption Model - accompanied by new tools, workshops, and services - helps corporate users gain more flexibility by better aligning their business goals, and directly ties their business processes to underlying applications.

Describing it as a "Lego-like" approach to building on-demand IT systems, IBM on Tuesday unveiled a product that combines the company's blade servers bundled with its Express line of applications.

Microsoft has delivered its first 64-bit server and desktop versions of Windows, and immediately set out to encourage hardware developers to deliver systems that will make 64-bit computing common across the industry.