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Apple to launch iTunes for Windows

Posted by malebolgia on 09 October 2003 - 19:15 · 42 comments & 5966 views

Apple Computer is expected next week to expand its online music service to Windows-based computers.

The Mac maker has scheduled an event for next Thursday at San Francisco's Moscone West convention hall. "The year's biggest music story is about to get even bigger," Apple said in an invitation to journalists. The company is expected to launch the long-awaited Windows version of the iTunes Music Store at the event, according to Wall Street brokerage Needham. Apple earlier said it would release the Windows service sometime before the end of the year.

Although Apple popularized the pay-per-song store idea when it launched the Macintosh version of the service in April, the market is quickly becoming crowded. Musicmatch has launched a similar service and is expected to partner with direct PC giant Dell. Roxio announced its Napster 2.0 service on Thursday, with PC seller Gateway among its partners. Others, such as Yahoo and Amazon.com, are seen as likely players, while more PC makers, including Hewlett-Packard, are expected to partner with one service or another.

News source: C|Net News.com

He likened Microsoft's Securing the Perimeter plan to installing a fence around a compound, or a gated community for homeowners. Stepped-up security measures can't eliminate break-ins, but they can reduce or thwart attempts by robbers--or, in the case of software, hackers--he explained.

"You need to have multiple levels of security in a corporation, multiple levels of defense. It's like a gated community. You need additional levels of security, doors locked and alarms turned on, and additional defenses, countermeasures such as putting up a fence, to be protected," said Muglia. "It doesn't always work, but it's additional protection," said Muglia.

Sources speculate that Microsoft is working with top firewall vendors and antivirus ISVs to allow them to hook into the Microsoft Update and Software Update Services -- and tap into .Net -- to coordinate an industrywide response to an attack across the internet.

Muglia would not comment on speculation about a possible .Net-based shield, and denied speculation that the company is poised to acquire a major firewall vendor.

In July, Microsoft moved into beta testing its more enterprise-oriented Internet Security & Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 upgrade, code-named Stingray, a Windows server firewall solution. "Not to my knowledge," Muglia said when asked about a possible buy in the firewall space.

However, even as the company will evolve its ISA platform, Microsoft will need partnerships with ISVs and solution providers for Securing the Perimeter for heterogeneous networks. "We think every customer needs a firewall. But we're not going to do a Linux firewall."

Microsoft's forthcoming management stack is expected to help matters. He said the availability of SMS 2003 in November will help enterprises deploy security patches in a more efficient way while the Windows Update service for consumers and SUS upgrade will help both midsize companies and enterprises automate their infrastructure security.

"A year from now you'll see additional countermeasures in place, as well as better firewalls," said Muglia. " We'll have SMS 2003 out there so there's a better tool for deploying software and the next release of SUS for the Windows server for companies that don't require SMS. "

In addition, Microsoft plans to ship management packs for its forthcoming Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2004 next summer. "The next generation of management packs for MOM 2004 will have a broad understanding of security events, as will the next management pack for the Windows server," Muglia said.

Observers said Securing the Perimeter is a step in the right direction -- if executed well.

"Microsoft appears to be working to improve patching on several fronts and will be working to create new and improved perimeter defenses," said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, a newsletter. "Both are reasonable and good moves, if they can accomplish them in a timely manner, and provide perimeter defenses that people can reasonably install and configure."

Securing the Perimeter is just one of a number of security initiatives under way at Microsoft and across various divisions in the company.

Sources in the analyst community say they expect Microsoft will announce significant improvements to the Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP and add behavior-blocking capability from the technology it acquired from Pelican early in 2003.

One systems integrator who asked not to be named said Microsoft is busy reducing the attack surface aspect of Windows, IE and DirectX components, and is "hardening" the defensive aspects of .Net technologies. But the Windows configuration plans and enhanced SUS are key parts of the countermeasures Microsoft plans, he said.

This week at Momentum, the company's annual partner confab in New Orleans, Microsoft is expected to rally partners to its security cause. The company is poised to detail an updated security solution accelerator for its forthcoming Systems Management Server 2003 and a new security solution accelerator for SUS, Muglia said.

"These are handbooks for the VAR channel," said Muglia, noting that the deployment guides help channel partners lock up customer infrastructures. "The channel is very important because it supports so many small and midsize businesses, and enterprises are doing more and more outsourcing."

Later this month, at its Professional Developer's Conference, Microsoft is expected to announce the availability of the first software development kit for Microsoft's Next Generation Secure Computing Base, formerly code-named Palladium.

The software, to be embedded in the Longhorn version of Windows due in 2005-06, will exploit security advances in Intel's next generation 32-bit and 64-bit processors.

Security executives confirmed for CRN recently that Microsoft is working on a series of enterprise-oriented security products/services but would not discuss details.

Possible products in the lineup include intrusion-detection, firewall and antivirus products, according to information available on Microsoft's website.

Sources predict Microsoft will debut intrusion-detection technology and possibly antivirus technology into Windows following its acquisition of Romanian antivirus vendor GeCAD, which closed 3 September.

However, no decision is final, said Amy Carrolle, director of product management for Microsoft's Security Business Unit. She did note, however, that a subscription-based service is likely.

"The deal just closed. We're in the alpha testing phase, and it's too early to speculate, " she said. "Our plan is not make antivirus free but in a model similar to a subscription model."

Observers said it remains unclear how well Microsoft can execute on its ambitious plans, but its security woes are as big a threat to its business as was the antitrust case.

Numerous viruses and worms this summer have exploited flaws in Windows and have infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide.

The problems cost businesses millions of dollars in lost productivity and service fees. One report recently issued by five security analysts claimed the government's sole reliance on Windows on the desktop constitutes a threat to national security.

Both Muglia and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admit it's a bigger worry than Linux.

"Microsoft has thrown a lot of resources at trying to be more secure," said John Pescatore, a vice president at Gartner. "We've seen progress on Windows Server 2003, but they haven't had a new desktop software product since they got security religion, and security problems on their desktop software is a bigger threat to Microsoft's dominance on the desktop than the antitrust [case] ever was. The lawsuit didn't cause enterprises to try out Mac and Linux desktops -- security problems in Windows have, though."

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#1 Posted by akuma-x on 09 Oct 2003 - 19:26: Yay! i just hope that it has shared playlists like the OS X version. So I can listen to all my music off my PC onto my iBook.

#2 Posted by Harsesis on 09 Oct 2003 - 19:35: Wanna see some screenshots, hope its like the osx version! Not another Quicktime

(14 replies) #3 Posted by StrangeTikiGod on 09 Oct 2003 - 19:36: Anyone have any idea if the software will be a free download, or if it's to be purchased? Free is always good, but if it's a high-quality port, and free of the persistent flicker that Quicktime for Windows is notorious for, I'd be willing to pay (within reason, of course...Apple better not try charging $49.95 for it, or else I'll...er...be really ticked off, or something)

#4 Posted by Xero on 09 Oct 2003 - 19:45: lets just hope its not gay like quicktime is

#5 Posted by bangbang023 on 09 Oct 2003 - 19:49: peopel said in the forums that ir's just the music store and not the app. Don't know how true their info is.

#6 Posted by xStainDx on 09 Oct 2003 - 19:49: Finally!!!!!

/me makes preperations to irraticate musicmatch!!!

(3 replies) #7 Posted by nowimnothing on 09 Oct 2003 - 19:54: anyone know if the interface will just be for downloading the files, or if it'll be more comprehensive (the way i think MusicMatch's is) so that you could (if, for some reason, you wanted to) play the files in there and use it as a library as well?

#8 Posted by kainashi on 09 Oct 2003 - 20:02: the music store is used through itunes, so i'd imagine there would be a windows version.

#9 Posted by pmh on 09 Oct 2003 - 20:17: PLEASE apple keep it exactly the same as on OS X!

#10 Posted by blackice912 on 09 Oct 2003 - 20:24: Please give me a reason to replace WMP as my default music player!

iTunes is the best thing since sliced apples. I love my iBook.

#11 Posted by ImOnTheGoodFoot on 09 Oct 2003 - 20:25: boo. ya.

#12 Posted by Panorama on 09 Oct 2003 - 20:41: Oh yeah! Can't wait for this!

#13 Posted by Coolme on 09 Oct 2003 - 21:42: Better be good... (I think it would)

#14 Posted by Trade Wind on 09 Oct 2003 - 21:48: Microsoft Music is coming soon to a WMP near you!

(6 replies) #15 Posted by Glen on 09 Oct 2003 - 21:57: I hope Apple has beefed up their server farm for iTunes. Considering the number of Windows users to Mac users, this should increase their traffic (and sales) tremendously.

(1 reply) #16 Posted by Ely on 09 Oct 2003 - 22:05: And Napster is also coming out very soon, So much competition ahhhhh! If you sign up for Napster ahead of time, like right now, you have the right to download 5 free songs too

(1 reply) #17 Posted by j2000wall on 10 Oct 2003 - 12:57: I've been waiting for this for ages, I bought an ipod a few months ago and didn't want to use music match so am using Ehpod, which is ok but lacks functionality. Will the new itunes for windows support the ipod like it does in the mac version?

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