微 軟軟體架構長歐奇（Ray Ozzie ）在洛杉磯舉行的專業開發者大會上，展示了該公司的雲端運算 平台，讓與會專業人士初覽了這項他稱為「雲端視窗」（Windows Azure）。這個平台可以讓第三方開發者使用微軟管理的數據中心，建立主頁，管理、運行各種基於網際網路的軟體，並存儲數據。
歐奇表示，這是微軟的一個重大轉折點。不但「是軟體轉變，而且也是策略轉變。」
按照傳統意義來說，軟體只在一台電腦中運行，但是隨著網路聯接變得更快更穩定，很多公司開始採用一種稱為「雲端運算」的方式，提供在線軟體服務，這種運算方式可以利用聯接到網路的多台功能強大的伺服器的計算能力。
以往，網路服務公司為了提供更強大的在線服務功能，就需要斥巨資投資建立數據中心。但微軟的做法，可以讓這些第三方業者租用這些運算能力，而且可以靈活的按照需要不斷增加或者減少運算能力。
此前Google、亞馬遜（Amazon）以及Salesforce.com都已經推出了雲端計算服務，相比之下微軟仍有不少優勢。他們和第三方軟體開發業者具有長期深厚的聯係，而且在開發軟體平台方面也更加專業。
業界研究公司IDC預測，到2012年，用於「雲端運算」服務的開支將增長近3倍，形成420億元市場規模，而用於雲端計算的投資在未來3年也會以每年25%的速度增加。
但是顧能公司（Gartner）的分析師認為，現在還不能確定這些業務對於微軟的商業模式或者盈利能力會有什麼影響，肯定的是微軟將面對一個陌生的業務，就是建立大量數據中心之後，如何管理巨額固定成本開支。
Microsoft Stirs Up Pirates In China
In a move that has caused an unexpected stir in China, Microsoft Corp. went on the offensive against users of pirated software this week, sending millions of computer users a software update that can turn their desktop wallpaper black.
The security measure, part of a world-wide antipiracy initiative that began in August, was sent out through a software update that users of the Windows XP operating system would have been prompted to download.
The update wasn't limited to China and doesn't affect a personal computer's functionality, but it has prompted vocal protests from users on the Internet here. Some people called it a violation of their rights, even though many may not have paid for their Microsoft software.
The move is perhaps the most attention-grabbing yet by the Redmond, Wash., software giant, which has long attempted to discourage software piracy. Piracy has been a particularly stubborn problem in China, the world's second-largest personal computer market by units sold.
Microsoft also lowered the price of its software this month in China in a temporary promotion and now charges less than $30 for home and student versions of Microsoft Office, down from $102.
The dramatic wallpaper change can be reversed, and it doesn't render computers unusable. But if it detects that an illegitimate version of Windows is running, it will interrupt users periodically with notifications that they may be victims of software counterfeiting. Volunteers are already circulating programs on the Web that users can download to get around Microsoft's add-on.
The program is 'part of Microsoft's ongoing effort to protect customers and partners from counterfeit software and to increase customer awareness of the value of genuine Microsoft software,' a company spokesman said. 'This is a completely voluntary program' because users need to actively download the add-on in order to participate.
But Tuesday, when it was launched, PC users in China lashed out at the program. 'We do not stand up for piracy, but against your company for not thinking how the users feel,' wrote one blogger, called Ling Ge, in an open letter to Microsoft.
Microsoft responded to the complaints Wednesday, saying the measure was meant to help those who are duped into buying illegal software at full price, a user-segment that Microsoft estimates to account for 20% of all users of pirated software. The company also said the software would not affect users' applications nor cause any data losses.
China is increasingly important to technology companies worldwide, especially as technology budgets shrink in the wake of the economic downturn. Microsoft, which has been expanding its staff rapidly here, struggled until recently because of rampant software piracy. But in the past few years, the company has joined with personal-computer makers, including Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc. and Lenovo Group Ltd., to install Microsoft applications on computers before sale, which has helped its business.
In addition, as part of its enforcement strategy, Microsoft has been filing lawsuits against companies using pirated versions of its software. Even when it wins, however, software developers say China's piracy problems are far from solved, partially because intellectual property rights violations aren't treated as criminal offenses in China.
Piracy can take place a number of ways in China both knowingly and by accident, where users can easily pirate software for less than two dollars or download it for free. Many buy their computers from markets, where sellers can easily pre-install pirated software in order to sell PCs at lower prices without the user knowing.
This was true for Chen Xuemei , a 33-year-old from the western city Chongqing whose desktop turned black Tuesday. 'When I bought [my computer] back from the shop, it already had everything installed by the staff there,' she said. When her screen turned black, she 'had no idea what was happening and had to call the technician in my company to help.'
Loretta Chao / Juliet Ye
The security measure, part of a world-wide antipiracy initiative that began in August, was sent out through a software update that users of the Windows XP operating system would have been prompted to download.
The update wasn't limited to China and doesn't affect a personal computer's functionality, but it has prompted vocal protests from users on the Internet here. Some people called it a violation of their rights, even though many may not have paid for their Microsoft software.
The move is perhaps the most attention-grabbing yet by the Redmond, Wash., software giant, which has long attempted to discourage software piracy. Piracy has been a particularly stubborn problem in China, the world's second-largest personal computer market by units sold.
Microsoft also lowered the price of its software this month in China in a temporary promotion and now charges less than $30 for home and student versions of Microsoft Office, down from $102.
The dramatic wallpaper change can be reversed, and it doesn't render computers unusable. But if it detects that an illegitimate version of Windows is running, it will interrupt users periodically with notifications that they may be victims of software counterfeiting. Volunteers are already circulating programs on the Web that users can download to get around Microsoft's add-on.
The program is 'part of Microsoft's ongoing effort to protect customers and partners from counterfeit software and to increase customer awareness of the value of genuine Microsoft software,' a company spokesman said. 'This is a completely voluntary program' because users need to actively download the add-on in order to participate.
But Tuesday, when it was launched, PC users in China lashed out at the program. 'We do not stand up for piracy, but against your company for not thinking how the users feel,' wrote one blogger, called Ling Ge, in an open letter to Microsoft.
Microsoft responded to the complaints Wednesday, saying the measure was meant to help those who are duped into buying illegal software at full price, a user-segment that Microsoft estimates to account for 20% of all users of pirated software. The company also said the software would not affect users' applications nor cause any data losses.
China is increasingly important to technology companies worldwide, especially as technology budgets shrink in the wake of the economic downturn. Microsoft, which has been expanding its staff rapidly here, struggled until recently because of rampant software piracy. But in the past few years, the company has joined with personal-computer makers, including Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc. and Lenovo Group Ltd., to install Microsoft applications on computers before sale, which has helped its business.
In addition, as part of its enforcement strategy, Microsoft has been filing lawsuits against companies using pirated versions of its software. Even when it wins, however, software developers say China's piracy problems are far from solved, partially because intellectual property rights violations aren't treated as criminal offenses in China.
Piracy can take place a number of ways in China both knowingly and by accident, where users can easily pirate software for less than two dollars or download it for free. Many buy their computers from markets, where sellers can easily pre-install pirated software in order to sell PCs at lower prices without the user knowing.
This was true for Chen Xuemei , a 33-year-old from the western city Chongqing whose desktop turned black Tuesday. 'When I bought [my computer] back from the shop, it already had everything installed by the staff there,' she said. When her screen turned black, she 'had no idea what was happening and had to call the technician in my company to help.'
Loretta Chao / Juliet Ye
微軟“黑屏”反盜版在華惹爭議
微
軟(Microsoft Corp.)本週對盜版軟件用戶展開攻勢﹐給數百萬電腦用戶發送了一個軟件更新﹐盜版用戶的桌面壁紙會因此變成黑色﹐此舉在中國掀起軒然大波。作為始於8月的全球反盜版行動的一部分﹐這一安全措施通過軟件更新發出﹐Windows XP操作系統的用戶已被提示下載了該更新。
此次更新並非僅限於中國﹐也不影響個人電腦的正常運行﹐但中國用戶在互聯網上發起抗議聲浪。一些人認為這是侵犯了他們的權利﹐雖然很多人使用的微軟軟件可能都是不花錢的盜版。
這一舉措或許是一直試圖打擊盜版行為的微軟迄今為止最受關注的行動了。盜版問題在中國尤其棘手。中國個人電腦市場的銷量居全球第二。
微軟本月還在中國進行短期促銷﹐調低了其軟件的價格﹐Microsoft Office家庭版和學生版的售價從此前的102美元下調至現在的不到30美元。
由此導致的“黑屏”可以被消除﹐也不會讓電腦無法使用。但如果安全措施檢測到盜版的Windows正在運行﹐它會定時彈出提醒打斷用戶﹐說他們可能是盜版軟件的受害者。網上已經有人無償提供可規避微軟上述措施的程序﹐供用戶下載。
微軟發言人說﹐微軟不斷努力保護客戶和合作伙伴免受盜版軟件危害、並增強消費者對微軟正版軟件價值的認識﹐該計劃正是其中的一部分。微軟表示這是一項完全自願的計劃﹐因為用戶需要主動下載更新程序才能參與。
Microsoft
微軟週三對用戶的怨言做出迴應﹐稱該舉措旨在幫助那些上當受騙﹐以正版價格買進了盜版的用戶﹐微軟估計這部分用戶佔所有盜版用戶的20%。該公司還表示﹐該軟件不會影響用戶的應用程序、也不會導致用戶數據丟失。
中 國對全球科技公司都具有越來越重大的意義﹐尤其是在全球經濟低迷、科技預算縮水的情況下。微軟在中國的人員規模迅速增長﹐但直到最近都因盜版猖獗而處境艱 難。不過在過去幾年中﹐微軟與惠普(Hewlett-Packard Co.)、戴爾(Dell Inc.)和聯想(Lenovo Group Ltd.)等個人電腦製造商聯手﹐在電腦售前預裝微軟應用軟件﹐這一策略提振了微軟的業務。
此外﹐作為其實施策略的一部分﹐微軟已經將一些使用盜版軟件的公司告上法庭。但軟件開發商們認為﹐就算微軟打贏了官司﹐中國的盜版問題還是遠遠沒有解決﹐尤其因為侵犯知識產權在中國沒有被列為刑事犯罪。
盜版在中國可謂形式多樣﹐有的是故意為之﹐也有的是意外。中國用戶可以輕鬆盜版軟件﹐成本不到兩美元﹐還可以免費下載。許多人從市場上購買電腦﹐銷售商們可以在用戶不知情的情況下輕易預裝盜版軟件﹐以實現較低的售價。
來自重慶市的陳雪梅就是這種情況。33歲的陳雪梅的電腦桌面週二變成了黑色。她說﹐從店裡買回電腦時﹐那儿的職員已經把所有的軟件都裝上了。她的屏幕變成黑色之後﹐她完全不知道是怎麼回事﹐只得打電話給公司的技術人員求助。
Loretta Chao / Juliet Ye
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