New mission for Microsoft

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told the company's 50,000 odd employees that honesty, integrity and accountability must be the focus of its new mission to 'enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. In a long internal email, a copy of which was seen by the Wall Street Journal, Ballmer revealed the outcome of a meeting of Microsoft's top executives held in March, where they held what he called 'some breakthrough discussions about the company's mission and what we value'. 'Customers must see that we take our commitments seriously,' he wrote. ...more

HP goes B2B against Dell online

In a bid to challenge Dell as the undisputed champion in direct sales over the internet, HP has launched its "Business to Business" web site. The company claims that the new site offers an end-to-end purchase, delivery and billing system that will make it easier for companies to manage their IT budgets. The site, confusingly at customeradvantage. ...more

Vodafone and Microsoft go mobile

Vodafone is on the verge of trialling mobile handsets running Microsoft Mobile Explorer. Vodafone and Microsoft have announced that they are collaborating on a project that will bring Microsoft's Outlook to businesses using mobile intranet services. Vodafone is to select which handsets will be used for the trial, and only WAP-enabled units will be supported. ...more

And also today (1-May-2001), for the record...

Here, in brief, are some of the day's other stories. "Whistler" becomes Windows 2002 Microsoft has announced that the server software formerly code-named "Whistler" will be launched under the "Windows 2002" title. The blue-shirted ones have decided, rather confusingly, to revert to the traditional date-based nomenclature. ...more

Intel unwraps value chips

Celeron chips clocked at 900Mhz and a mobile version at 850Mhz are now available, hard on the heels of the 1.8Ghz and 1.6Ghz P4 releases. ...more