Microsoft slates Windows 8 beta for late February 2012

	25 top network and IT industry news stories of 2011 | Microsoft unveils the Windows Store for apps
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	Microsoft slates Windows 8 beta for late February 2012 Microsoft confirmed that it will release a public beta of Windows 8 in late February, 2012. Read More WHITE PAPER: BMC One Size Does Not Fit All: The Case for the Custom Cloud When it comes to cloud services, "semi-custom" goes a long way. "The Case for the Custom Cloud," shows you how users can configure their own customized cloud services from choices you dictate – and how you can deliver the resulting cloud services quickly and affordably. Read More! In this Issue 25 top network and IT industry news stories of 2011 Microsoft unveils the Windows Store for apps Sprint calls on Microsoft Lync, saves big with UC CNET accused of wrapping malware in Windows installer for Nmap security tool 8 reasons why CIOs shouldn't race to Windows 8 Can Microsoft Xbox's voice as a remote control win the hearts of Siri lovers? Quiz: Are you ready for IPv6? Windows 8 will be 'largely irrelevant' on PCs, predicts IDC IDC on 2012: Prep for cloud wars, mobile explosion, higher IT spending WHITE PAPER: Citrix Investment Protection and Elasticity for your Network NetScaler Pay-as-You-Grow. 5x capacity on-demand. No new hardware. Investment protection and elasticity for your network. Read more 25 top network and IT industry news stories of 2011 2011 will be remembered for Jobs' death, Cisco's refocusing, IPv6's coming out party and more. Read More Microsoft unveils the Windows Store for apps Microsoft held an event in San Francisco to formally introduce the Windows Store, its online app store for Metro-style Windows 8 applications, and provided details that should make DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! happy. Read More Sprint calls on Microsoft Lync, saves big with UC Sprint may still be a phone company, but you won't see many desk phones in house these days. In fact, Sprint's IT group has spent the last few years eliminating its PBX systems in favor of headsets plugged into laptops. Read More WHITE PAPER: Dell The Value of Threat Intelligence Having timely information on emerging threats and vulnerabilities lets organizations detect attacks sooner and mitigate earlier. This white paper reviews how IT allows earlier detection and faster response to info security threats. Read more CNET accused of wrapping malware in Windows installer for Nmap security tool Some in the security community are currently ticked, at least disgusted, in regard to the pen-testing network mapping tool Nmap after Gordon Lyon, better known as Fyodor, announced on Seclists that C|Net Download.Com is now bundling Nmap with malware. Read More 8 reasons why CIOs shouldn't race to Windows 8 Windows 8 touts many new features, but there are a number of things such as cost, testing, compatibility, and training that CIOs need to consider before racing to migrate. Read More Can Microsoft Xbox's voice as a remote control win the hearts of Siri lovers? The big news today is the Xbox 360 update being pushed out to birth an amazing user experience; now your voice is the controller to navigate TV shows, movies, games, music and a plethora of content providers on Xbox Live. Read More WHITE PAPER: AMD Business at the Speed of Virtualization Enterprises increasingly rely on technology to serve as the enablers and accelerators of the business—not just to reduce costs but also to empower new business initiatives and increase the top line. Learn More! Quiz: Are you ready for IPv6? How do you keep your IPv4 Web site connected to the entire Internet as IPv6 sites pop up? Read More Windows 8 will be 'largely irrelevant' on PCs, predicts IDC Microsoft faces a tough sell with Windows 8, IDC said, because it tries to 'offer the best of both worlds' with a single OS suitable for both desktops and tablets. Read More IDC on 2012: Prep for cloud wars, mobile explosion, higher IT spending Researchers at International Data Corp. say some big battles will be brewing in 2012 in the cloud, mobile and Big Data arenas, so much so that "companies like Microsoft, HP, SAP, RIM, and others -- including Apple -- will face 'crossroads moments' in 2012. By the end of the year, we should have a good idea which vendors will -- and won't -- be among the industry's leaders at the end of the decade," said Frank Gens, senior vice president and chief analyst at IDC in a statement. Read More
	SLIDESHOWS 25 free open source projects IT pros will love We asked SourceForge's new community manager and longtime open source coder, Rich Bowen, to sniff out a few of the cool, lesser-known projects he thinks IT folks will love. What follows are his picks, along with a few of our own. GOODIES FROM MICROSOFT SUBNET Everyone who enters will win free training from Webucator. Grand prize: a SharePoint training class worth $2,375. All who enter will be awarded a self-paced class of their choosing. Enter here: http://www.networkworld.com/community/contests. Enter here. MOST-READ STORIES CNET accused of wrapping malware in Windows installer for Nmap security tool 10 most powerful cloud companies New Cisco cloud computing framework pushes management, collaboration Naked truth: Dell Streak discontinued Verizon cites security issues for nixing Google Wallet Cloud computing disrupts the vendor landscape Tablet priced under $100 with Android 4.0 surfaces RSA security lapse led to March hack, says researcher Gartner predictions for 2012 iPad 3 rumor rollup for the week of Nov. 28
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