Microsoft releases fix for Internet Explorer flaw

Sep 20, 2012 09:19 am | CSO

by Antone Gonsalves

Microsoft on Wednesday released a temporary fix for an Internet Explorer vulnerability affecting most versions of Windows, as security vendors debated the risk of infection by exploits found on the web.

Microsoft said the "one-click" fix would have to be installed manually, but would not require a system reboot or affect a person's ability to brows the Web. On Sept. 21, Microsoft planned to push out a permanent patch to Windows users through the operating system's automatic update feature.

The patch will fix the latest publicly disclosed vulnerability, as well as four other critical flaws, said Yunsun Wee, director of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing unit.

Security vendors disagree on the threat level of the known vulnerability discovered over the weekend. Sophos raised the level to "high," one notch below "critical." The flaw, in IE versions 6 through 9, enables a hacker to install software capable of commandeering a computer.

Sophos chose high for now, because an exploit for the vulnerability, known as CVE-2012-4969, had not been added to Blackhole and other popular underground tools used by hackers. "If the prevalence increases, we will likely move to critical," said Chester Wisniewski, a senior security adviser for Sophos.

Rather than wait for more exploits of the flaw, Rapid7 and FireEye rated the vulnerability as critical and highly critical, respectively. The highest ratings were warranted because the number of exploits on the Web was growing and IE accounts for a third to more than half of the browser market. The share varies by tracking firm.

[Toolbox: 10 ways to secure browsing in the enterprise]

"There are many users at risk, so it's definitely highly critical," said Atif Mushtaq, a security researcher at FireEye.

AlienVault reported on Tuesday that it had found three booby-trapped websites capable of installing malware in visitors' systems. The malware-carrying sites included nod32XX.com, led-professional-symposium.org, a fake domain of a professional site aimed at manufacturers of LED (light-emitting diode) lighting, and defensenews.in, the main defense news portal in India. Malware being used included the PlugX remote access Trojan program.

"It seems the guys behind this zero-day [exploit] were targeting specific industries," Jaime Blasco, an AlienVault researcher, said in a blog post. "We've seen that they compromised a news site related to the defense industry and they created a fake domain related to LED technologies that can be used to perform spear-phishing campaigns to those industries."

The targeted nature of many of the attacks led to nCircle rating the vulnerability between medium and high. "We are not seeing full-on, drive-by attacks with this," Storms said. "What we're still seeing is more targeted, very specific attacks." A drive-by attack is when simply going to a site can infect a computer.

Nevertheless, the vulnerability was serious enough for Germany's Federal Office for Information Security to issue an alert Monday, warning people against using IE until Microsoft releases a fix. Sophos was also recommending that people use another browser.

Microsoft was given high marks for the speed of its response to the vulnerability. "Generally, they are moving really quick, and they are communicating with the public," Storms said.

Microsoft released a workaround on Monday and said the next day that it would release a temporary fix in a "few days."

Because consumers are usually slow to install manual fixes, a much larger number of Windows users will be protected once the automatic update is released. "They need to prioritize an official patch that is deployed using Windows Update to truly provide protection to most IE users," Wisniewski said.

Read more about malware/cybercrime in CSOonline's Malware/Cybercrime section.

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Sony Game Chief: Third-party PlayStation consoles a possibility

Sep 20, 2012 08:40 am | IDG News Service

A handful of phones at the company's sprawling booth at the Tokyo Game Show mark the start of its PlayStation Mobile endeavor

by Jay Alabaster

Tucked in a quiet corner of Sony's sprawling booth at the Tokyo Game Show this week are several phones that are unique among the hundreds of game consoles on display -- they are running PlayStation games, but they weren't built by Sony.

The phones, from Sharp and HTC, will be part of the launch of an online store next month that will sell PlayStation-branded titles for use on approved third-party products. These will not be the full-fledged games that appear on its consoles, rather a separate set developed for mobile devices that generally cost less than US$10 -- Sony says they have "PlayStation-like content." But the new platform, PlayStation Mobile, is still a sharp departure from the traditional console business in which Sony owns all the hardware, and the question looms: Will this one day lead to PlayStation clones, consoles made by outside manufacturers?

"That's a really interesting question, and I don't know that I would rule it out," Andrew House, the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, told IDG News Service in an interview.

"But I think that the key focus for the strategy right now is to be multi-device, and particularly if you're a developer, you're looking to access the broadest possible audience."

House emphasized the company's own PlayStation hardware, which includes a new line of slimmed-down PS 3 consoles to go on sale this year and the handheld Vita released last year, is still a focus and has plenty of room for growth. But he said PlayStation Mobile is an appeal to smaller game developers, who are looking to build software for the growing mass of Android phones but want guarantees that the phones will be up to a certain specification.

"We're also trying to say to developers, 'you can deliver a superior gaming experience, but across a whole range of smartphones.' And that to me is really about multi-device and multi-manufacturer strategy," he said.

The Tokyo-based electronics firm is the only major manufacturer that displays its hardware at the Tokyo Game Show. Nintendo says it isn't worth the cost, and Microsoft, which has a small market share in Japan, sits the show out, though both companies participate in the E3 show in the U.S.

Sony still draws the crowds. Thursday was the opening day of the Tokyo Game Show, with only press and industry insiders were allowed in, but hundreds still lined up, some waiting over an hour, for a chance to play "Soul Sacrifice," its new title for the Vita that allows group play, and dozens of other titles.

Sony also gave a hint of how its Vita will interact with the PS 3 at its booth, with a version of its "PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale" that users of the two consoles to engage in direct combat with each other.

The company showed its new PS 3 consoles behind glass, but gamers played on the current version, many using Sony's head-mounted displays and large stereo headphones, quietly locked in their own gaming worlds.

Sony's new PS 3 will compete with Nintendo's Wii U, to be released globally in time for the holiday season at a similar price point. The game console is now six years old, the typical time between previous PS upgrades, and some media have reported Sony is working on a successor, but House declined to comment.

Advanced, newly created hardware like the PlayStation typically incurs steep losses at a launch, and Sony's game division struggled for years to make the PS 3 profitable despite strong sales. The platform is now generating returns and is a major pillar overall for Sony as it looks to resurrect its ailing electronics business.

"It's definitely in the harvest period, now, of its life cycle," House said.

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Unity's development platform will support Nintendo Wii U

Sep 20, 2012 08:04 am | IDG News Service

Developers will be able to write games for the new console as well as other devices at the same time

by Mikael Ricknäs

Unity Technologies has joined forces with Nintendo to provide development tools which can be used to produce games for the upcoming Wii U console.

Unity's cross-platform development tools can be used to develop games for a multitude of different platforms, including smartphones, PCs and game consoles at the same time.

The agreement between the two companies will allow Nintendo to distribute Unity's development platform to its in-house, external, and third party licensee developers. Unity Technologies and Nintendo will also collaborate to create a Wii U add-on for Unity's standard tools

The two companies aren't new acquaintances: Unity's platform can already be used to develop games for the current Nintendo Wii.

The Unity development platform is available in a free standard version and a $1,500 Pro version, both of which users can expand with add-ons that port their games to iOS and Android, for example.

For now, Unity isn't saying what the Wii U add-on will cost, and isn't providing a more exact arrival date than 2013. Currently, add-ons cost $400 for a standard version and $1,500 for a Pro version.

The Wii U will go on sale in the U.S. on Nov. 18, and then in Europe on Nov. 30, Nintendo said at an event last week.

The most important addition to the new system is the Wii U GamePad. Along with buttons, the new controller also has a 6.2-inch touch screen, which can be used to add more information to the gameplay. The unit has a built-in accelerometer a gyro and NFC, as well.

The console will come in a basic version with 8GB of internal memory that will cost US$299.99, and a premium version with 32GB of memory for $349.99.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

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Microsoft: Patch for critical IE zero-day bug coming Friday

Sep 20, 2012 06:50 am | Computerworld

In the meantime, releases stopgap measure 

by Gregg Keizer

Microsoft on Wednesday released a stopgap defense that protects Internet Explorer (IE) against attacks until the company issues a patch on Friday.

The update will fix five flaws, including one revealed by a security researcher last weekend that hackers have been exploiting to hijack Windows PCs and infect them with malware.

The so-called "zero-day" vulnerability -- meaning it was leveraged by attackers before Microsoft was aware of the bug, much less able to patch it -- has been analyzed and discussed by security experts with increasing intensity since Monday.

Wednesday, for example, U.K.-based Sophos raised its threat level to "high," following moves earlier in the week by rivals like Symantec, which boosted its Internet barometer to "ThreatCon 2."

On Monday, Germany's cybersecurity agency urged IE users to stop running the browser and switch to another, such as Google's Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox, until Microsoft patched the vulnerability.

On Wednesday, Microsoft published a "Fixit" -- one of its automated configuration tools -- that blocks the known exploits. The Fixit has been posted in a support document on Microsoft's website.

The tool is only a temporary measure.

"This Friday, Sept. 21, we will release a cumulative update for Internet Explorer through Windows Update and our other standard distribution channels," said Yunsun Wee, director of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group, in a blog post. "We recommend that you install this update as soon as it is available."

Wee said that the update, tagged as MS12-063, will patch the zero-day bug as well as four other critical vulnerabilities.

Friday's "out-of-band" update will be the first emergency patch that Microsoft has released this year and only the second since September 2010. It will also be the first emergency patch of an IE zero-day vulnerability since one in January 2010 that fixed a flaw exploited by the "Aurora" Trojan horse.

Hackers infected Windows PCs at Google and other Western companies with Aurora in late 2009 and early 2010 by exploiting a then-unpatched bug in IE6. Google accused Chinese hackers of breaking into its network, a charge that prompted the search giant to threaten a shutdown of its Chinese operations.

While Wee continued Wednesday to say that Microsoft was aware of only a "small number of customers" victimized by the newest IE zero-day, the company typically unleashes an emergency update only when it believes the threat is substantial and when the volume of attacks is quickly increasing.

IE6, IE7, IE8 and IE9 all are vulnerable to attack, Microsoft confirmed in an advance notice of the impending patch. Only IE10, the version bundled with Windows 8, does not contain the bug.

Those browsers, which collectively run on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, accounted for 53% of those used last month worldwide, according to metrics company Net Applications.

One security researcher predicted at least part of Microsoft's news several hours before the Redmond, Wash., software maker announced its next move.

"I think we'll see the Fixit today and [a] patch tomorrow," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Security, during a Wednesday instant message conversation. "They've been communicating something every day so far this week," Storms said.

On Tuesday, Microsoft said it would issue a Fixit tool "in the next few days."

Microsoft will release the emergency update at approximately 1 p.m. ET Friday via the Microsoft Update and Windows Update services, as well as through WSUS (Windows Server Update Services), the de facto corporate patch deployment tool.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed. His email address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.

See more by Gregg Keizer on Computerworld.com.

Read more about malware and vulnerabilities in Computerworld's Malware and Vulnerabilities Topic Center.

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In new twist, actress sues YouTube to remove anti-Islam video

Sep 20, 2012 12:49 am | IDG News Service

The actress Cindy Lee Garcia said she was deceived as to the true nature of the film project

by John Ribeiro

In a new twist over the controversy surrounding an anti-Islam movie trailer on YouTube, an actress shown in the trailer has filed a lawsuit demanding that YouTube and its owner Google take down the video.

Google has maintained so far that the video, which sparked off protests in many countries, is clearly within its guidelines and so will stay on YouTube.

Actress Cindy Lee Garcia in a complaint filed Wednesday before the Superior Court of the State of California for the county of Los Angeles stated that "the lawsuit is not an attack on the First Amendment (to the U.S. Constitution) nor on the right for Americans to say what they think, but does request that the offending content be removed from the Internet."

Garcia, who claims invasion of privacy, misappropriation of her likeness, fraud, and unfair business practices, alleged in her complaint that she was cast in a film titled "Desert Warrior" and that defendant Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, also known as Sam Bacile, a resident of Los Angeles county, told her that it was an adventure film about ancient Egyptians.

On July 2, Bacile is alleged to have published on YouTube a video entitled "The Innocence of Muslims" which had its soundtrack manipulated to make it appear that Garcia was slandering Islam and Muslim beliefs, according to the complaint which names Nakoula, Google and YouTube as defendants.

The plaintiff was unaware of the vile content contained in the film as the content and overall purpose of the film was concealed from them at all times by defendant Bacile and other as yet unnamed defendants, according to the complaint.

Garcia said that after the film was published on YouTube she had received death threats, was fired from her job, and was not permitted by her family to see her grandchildren, fearing for their safety.

YouTube informed her in writing that it has declined to remove the content despite her privacy concerns, according to the complaint.

Garcia will seek an emergency temporary restraining order against Nakoula and YouTube on Thursday in the court, according to a statement by attorneys The Armenta Law Firm. She seeks an order that the content be removed permanently from YouTube, it added.

Google did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

The trailer which mocks the Prophet has led to protests at U.S. embassies and consulates in various countries including Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

So far, Google has blocked the trailer in six countries: Egypt, Libya, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Although the company finds that the trailer is clearly within its guidelines and so will stay on YouTube, it has restricted access to it in countries where it is illegal such as India and Indonesia, it said.

The trailer was also blocked in Libya and Egypt given the very sensitive situations in these two countries, Google said last week. Four Americans including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens were killed last week when a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was stormed by gunmen. (

Pakistan and Bangladesh have blocked the entire YouTube website after Google declined to remove access to the video.

White House press secretary, Jay Carney, said last week that the U.S. does not and cannot stop individual citizens from expressing their views. He however criticized the video as "disgusting and reprehensible."

The decision to block the video in Egypt and Libya was determined solely by a company in the U.S. with presumably no local expertise, and without consulting local civil liberties groups in either country, Internet rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation said in a blog post on Thursday. "Given the freedoms that Egyptians and Libyans risked their lives for during the uprisings of 2011, it is a shame that a Western company would serve as arbiter of what they are and are not capable of viewing online," it added.

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Tablets driving DRAM growth, but PCs still reign supreme

Sep 17, 2012 06:52 pm | PC World

by Caitlin McGarry

A Friday report on how mobile devices are now consuming the majority of the DRAM market sparked bloggy commentary declaring the decline of the PC. The report included provocative numbers, but the statistics deserve a reality check: IHS analyst Clifford Leimbach said DRAM shipments for PCs are in fact still growing--just at a slower pace than in years past.

IHS iSuppli's DRAM market report indicated that PCs' share of DRAM shipments had dropped from 50.2 percent in the first quarter of this year to 49 percent in the second quarter. The decrease is noteworthy, representing the first time PCs have dropped below 50 percent of DRAM market share since the 1980s.

The overall market, however, is expanding, led by the growing popularity of tablets and smartphones. More DRAM units are also shipping for PCs, just not at the clip they once did.

"The PC is no longer the central hub. You have a lot more options now," Leimbach told PCWorld. "You still have a lot of need for PCs, and you're going to [in the future]. Even though looking at it through the DRAM lens, it's not as dominating as it once was, PCs are still very pivotal in DRAM."

Leimbach said the world is entering a "post-PC era," but that doesn't mean the PC is no longer a leader in computing. It just has to share the spotlight.

Mobile devices still demand just a small fraction of the DRAM market. For example, Leimbach said 3.4 billion DRAM units for PCs were shipped in the last quarter, compared to 264 million units for tablets. As for market share, tablets grew from 1.6 percent to 2.7 percent in terms of total DRAM market consumption in the second quarter, according to the IHS report. Cell phones captured 13.2 percent of the market, a share that IHS expects to reach nearly 20 percent by the fourth quarter of 2013.

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The Week in iPhone Cases: Take 5, part 3

Sep 17, 2012 06:35 pm | Macworld.com

by Marco Tabini

Were you lucky enough to get your order in for your iPhone 5 in time for delivery on September 21? Or are you planning on waiting in line at the Apple Store, so you can revel in the glory of the iPhone 5 with other owners? Regardless of how you plan to acquire your new iPhone 5, you won't have a difficult time finding a case for it. Last week, we had not one, but two installments of The Week in iPhone Cases, both devoted to the iPhone 5. And this week, the iPhone 5 cases keep a-comin'.

CM4: The Q Card (iPhone 5; $40) combines a protective snap-on shell made of comfortable soft-touch rubber with the convenience of an inner premium fabric compartment capable of holding up to three plastic cards, plus some extra cash. Its front bezel is designed to keep the screen of your iPhone elevated from the ground to help protect it from scratches and bumps. The Q Card comes in black, blue, red, or brown.

Dicota: The company's iPhone 5 lineup includes the Hard Cover (iPhone 4, 4S, and 5; ¬9), a patterned hard plastic shell available in 4 different styles (as well as a Pro edition (iPhone 5; price unavailable) that features a faux-leather exterior).

If you're looking for a more discrete case, you may want to check out the Slim Cover (iPhone 5; price unavailable), which is designed for thinness and is available in several different patterns and colors.

Fabrix: The company's lineup of fitted sleeves (iPhone 5; $15 to $30) includes literally dozens of different designs, all made from high quality materials like wool felt and corduroy, and available in a wide variety of designs and colors, some in collaboration with well-known bespoke tailors from around the world.

Orbino: The Pantera (iPhone 4, 4S, and 5; $189 to $399) is handmade from fine leather crafted to fit your iPhone perfectly, with an all-metal home button, and a front flap that provides all-around protection. A cleverly-designed belt clip at the back of the case can also be rotated to double as a kickstand. The Pantera comes in eleven different styles, ranging from traditional Tuscan leather to more exotic crocodile, stingray, snake, and ostrich varieties.

Sena: The company's iPhone 5 lineup includes eleven different cases, all made from Sena's trademark high-quality leather.

The UltraSlim (iPhone 5; $30) is an ultra-thin pouch that features soft velvet lining with stitching along the opening and comes in black, tan, red, white, or brown. For a slightly more substantial feel, you may also want to check out the Elega (iPhone 5; $50), which comes with a shock-absorbing layer and is available in black, tan, orange, or black.

Sena's wallets include the Magia Wallet (iPhone 5; $55), whose seamless design includes a special adhesive tape to hold your handset in place; the Hampton Wallet (iPhone 5; $60), which features three card pockets and is made of full-grain croc leather, available in black or red; the WalletBook (iPhone 5; $55), available in black, tan, red, or brown with its secure snap closure, a money compartment, a removable ratcheting metal clip system; and the Wallet Skin (iPhone 5; $55), whose simpler construction brings together minimal bulk and excellent style, which is available in black, tan, red, or brown.

If flip cases are your things, look no further than the Magnet Flipper (iPhone 5; $55), which includes a magnetically attached front flap and provides wraparound protection for your handset. Likewise, theHampton Flip (iPhone 5; $60), which also includes two credit card pockets and a full-grain leather protective cover with a snap-on clasp.

Targus: Although the company's website has not yet been updated, Targus has announced three iPhone 5-compatible models: The Wallet Case (iPhone 5; $40) features a special hidden compartment in which you can safely store credit and identification cards and paper money, and is available in black, french blue, or Merlot faux leather.

The Slider Case (iPhone 5; $35) is designed to provide maximum protection to all sides of your handset while minimizing bulk. Its raised front face helps prevent damage to the screen, while a special interior bumper keeps the electronics safe from shocks. The Slider is available in black, french blue, or poppy red.

Finally, the Slim Fit Case (iPhone 5; $25) is a snap-on back case made of TPU and polycarbonate and designed for a snug fit that doesn't add to the iPhone's heft. It comes in black, french blue, poppy red, pearl grey, olive branch, or Merlot.

USBFever: The Tuneprism (iPhone 5; $20) is a snap-on shell that features a unique prism pattern on its back, offering a unique stylish way to protect your handset from the vagaries of everyday use. It weighs just 16 grams, and its rubberized exterior provides a secure grip. The Tuneprism comes in smoke black, pink, turquoise, or black.

The Twine Leather (iPhone 5; $23) is a polycarbonate snap-on case with a faux-leather exterior designed to add protection while keeping bulk to a minimum. Available in black or white, the case also comes with a protective film to keep your phone safe from any angle.

Wrapsol: The Ultra (iPhone 5; $15 to $30) is a thin protection film that keeps your phone safe from bumps and scratches. Designed to offer superior optical quality, it is available in three different varieties, including a "privacy" edition that prevents third parties from shoulder surfing while you use your phone in public. The film uses a completely dry process designed to actively release air bubbles during application.

Zagg: The Invisible Shield (iPhone 5; $15 to $30) brings the company's popular protective film to Apple's latest mobile device. The military-grade patented material can be easily installed, is bubble free, is even self-healing, and is backed by Zagg's lifetime warranty. It can be ordered in a several varieties and format, depending on how much of your handset you want to over, and what kind of viewing performance you're looking for.

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AMD CFO Seifert resigns

Sep 17, 2012 05:49 pm | IDG News Service

The chip maker is now hunting for a replacement

by Agam Shah

Advanced Micro Devices announced Monday that its chief financial officer, Thomas Seifert, has resigned from his post and that a hunt is on for his replacement.

AMD has appointed Devinder Kumar, senior vice president and corporate controller, as interim CFO until a replacement is found. Seifert will stay on at the chip maker until the end of September to help with the transition, AMD said.

Seifert joined AMD in 2008 and has been one of the few remaining executives from the management team that included former CEO Dirk Meyer and former product chief Rick Bergman.

Seifert was made CEO on an interim basis after Meyer's resignation and played a key role in the search for AMD's new CEO, a job other executives including Apple's Tim Cook, Oracle's Mark Hurd and VMware's Pat Gelsinger were said to have shied away from.

AMD ultimately appointed former Lenovo President and Chief Operating Officer Rory Read in August last year.

AMD has since overhauled the management team, appointing Mark Papermaster as chief technology officer and Lisa Su as senior vice president and general manager of the global business units.

Seifert left on his own accord, an AMD spokesman said.

"Seifert's departure is not based on any disagreement over the company's accounting principles or practices, or financial statement disclosures," AMD said in a statement.

AMD has been struggling financially and in July reported that its quarterly profit declined by 40 percent year over year to US$37 million, with revenue dropping 10 percent to $1.41 billion. The company blamed a weak consumer PC market for the lower profits.

Kumar joined AMD in 1984 as a financial analyst. He became corporate controller in 2001.

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

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Oracle buys SelectMinds to boost capabilities gained from Taleo acquisition

Sep 17, 2012 05:36 pm | IDG News Service

Oracle is battling SAP and now IBM in the HCM (human capital management) software market

by Chris Kanaracus

Oracle on Monday said it has agreed to acquire SelectMinds, a maker of "social talent sourcing software," in a bid to flesh out the capabilities it gained through this year's US$1.9 billion acquisition of Taleo.

Terms of the deal, which is expected to close this year, were not disclosed.

SelectMinds' software aims to help organizations find high-quality job candidates through social media channels. Beyond posting job ads on sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, companies can create "talent communities" and help their current employees share information about openings, according to SelectMinds' website.

"Recruiting candidates through employee referrals is widely acknowledged as the most effective method to find talent through trusted contacts," said Thomas Kurian, executive vice president of product development at Oracle, in a statement.

SelectMinds' products already work with Oracle's cloud-based recruiting, performance management and HCM (human capital management) software, according to the statement.

Oracle's Taleo acquisition was seen as a competitive response to SAP's purchase of Taleo competitor SuccessFactors. While Taleo's products are centered on talent management, Oracle is aligning them as a suite along with its Fusion HCM product, which covers areas such as payroll.

Software vendors are eager to get a strong foothold in the HCM market because the applications can potentially be licensed for many or all employees within a company, compared to more specialized software, which may only be used by a single department.

That desire was highlighted by IBM's recently announced $1.3 billion acquisition of HCM vendor Kenexa. IBM has long maintained that it has no interest in being a business applications provider and competing with the likes of Oracle and SAP, but the Kenexa deal marked a shift in that position.

Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris' email address is Chris_Kanaracus@idg.com

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Microsoft's Office 365 Home Premium to cost $99.99 annually per subscription

Sep 17, 2012 05:33 pm | IDG News Service

Office 365 Small Business Premium will cost $149.99 per employee, per year

by Juan Carlos Perez

Microsoft has announced the consumer and small-business prices for the new Office suite, which will be sold both via traditional single-device, perpetual licenses and via a new annual, multi-device cloud subscription.

The subscription version for consumers, called Office 365 Home Premium, will cost US$99.99 per household, while the small-business version, called Office 365 Small Business Premium, will cost $149.99 per employee per year, Microsoft announced Monday.

The licensed versions, called Office Home & Student 2013, Office Home & Business 2013 and Office Professional 2013, will cost $139.99, $219.99 and $399.99, respectively.

Microsoft will offer details later about versions of the new Office suite for large companies. It hasn't said when the new Office versions will be available commercially.

Since announcing the new Office, Microsoft has been clear in saying that it would prefer that buyers choose the new subscription model, but that it recognizes that there will be people who prefer the conventional license.

Now that the pricing information is available, customers will have the last word about which purchase model ends up being the preferred one -- paying once for the suite and using it for years on one device, or paying an annual fee that lets them access the suite in multiple devices.

One Office 365 Home Premium license gives the buyer the right to install the suite on up to five Windows 7, Windows 8 or Mac OS computers. In the buyer's household, multiple people can use the suite, each with his or her own account. The software is downloaded from a Microsoft data center and will be updated with new or updated features several times a year, according to Microsoft.

The Office 365 Home Premium license includes 20G bytes of storage in the SkyDrive online storage service, and 60 minutes of Skype IP telephony per month. Settings, preferences and documents can be synchronized via the cloud among the different devices included in the subscription.

A feature called Office on Demand lets users stream the suite to a device not included in the subscription for one-time editing purposes, such as when users are traveling and using a hotel PC. Office 365 Home Premium includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access and Publisher.

Office 365 Small Business Premium works in the same way, except that licenses are per employee at a cost of $12.50 per month. Businesses can have licenses for up to 25 employees. Each employee can install the software on up to five Windows 7, Windows 8 or Mac OS computers.

In addition to the applications in Office 365 Home Premium, Office 365 Small Business Premium includes Lync Online and InfoPath, as well as Exchange Online -- shared calendars, 25G-byte mailboxes with virus and spam protection -- and SharePoint Online, which includes 10G bytes of cloud storage overall plus 500M bytes per user and tools to create websites.

Meanwhile, the conventional license suite Home & Student 2013 comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, while Home & Business 2013 adds Outlook. Professional 2013 comes with the previous applications plus Publisher and Access.

All versions, whether subscription or conventional, have a new interface consistent with the "Modern" -- formerly called "Metro" -- interface of Windows 8, which is optimized for touchscreens, such as those in tablets.

Microsoft also announced that starting Oct. 19, buyers of Office 2010 or Office for Mac 2011 will be able to sign up free for a one-year subscription of Office 365 Home Premium or the equivalent Office 2013 offering. Small-business owners will get a three-month trial of Office 365 Small Business Premium.

The company recently said that the Office version that will ship with Windows RT devices will be available between November and January. Windows RT is the Windows 8 version for ARM-based tablets and devices.

Juan Carlos Perez covers enterprise communication/collaboration suites, operating systems, browsers and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Juan on Twitter at @JuanCPerezIDG.

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