Microsoft's five-year plan for Zune uncovered

Microsoft is prepared to commit five years and millions of dollars to making a success of the Zune portable media player, a company executive revealed. Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices group, told analysts that the company does not expect an immediate pay-off from what has inevitably been dubbed the 'iPod killer'. 'This is something that's going to be a three-, four-, five-year investment horizon,' Bach said during a meeting in the company's Redmond HQ. ...more

Ofcom charts fixed-line services

Ofcom has launched a new website designed to provide consumers with a comparison of quality of service levels among fixed-line telecoms providers in the UK. Although there are several price comparison sites already online and cost continues to be the most important determining factor for consumers choosing a fixed-line provider, the regulator recently commissioned research which showed that quality of service is consistently identified by consumers as an important factor in deciding whether to switch provider. Therefore the TopComm service will provide comparable information on: the percentage of orders that are completed on or before the agreed date; faults reported per 100 lines on a quarterly basis; the percentage of faults repaired within the agreed service time; and the percentage of complaints processed within 28 calendar days. ...more

Canning the spam

Unsolicited email has long been the bane of every inbox, and has prompted 16 companies to form an industry coalition to come up with standards that address users' concerns while resisting a regulatory body. The coalition, which includes online advertisers DoubleClick and 24/7 Media, met together over the summer, the results of which are expected to be made public at a marketing conference in Boston later this month. Recommendations are likely to include ways in which consumers can gain more control over the amount of unsolicited advertisements they receive via email. ...more

Davey Winder scoops security journalism award

Well done to our very own Davey Winder who has just scooped the award of 'IT security journalist of the year'. The inaugural BT IT Security Journalism Awards 2006 were held yesterday, and Davey Winder was cited with impressing the judges with 'the breadth and consistency of his coverage and his clear, well written articles'. Journalists Bill Goodwin and Pete Warren were runners-up. ...more

Interview: Infineon memory group president outlines plans for DRAM market

With its recent management reshuffle, Infineon Technologies has the market's attention concerning its plans for its DRAM business. The world's third largest DRAM maker yesterday reiterated that it has no intention to retreat from the DRAM business and it will continue outsourcing DRAM production. Thomas Seifert, Infineon's new head for the memory products business group, yesterday talked to DigiTimes to clear the air and offer his views on the DRAM market. ...more