Les déboires de Java ne sont pas finis : la précédente faille à peine comblée, une nouvelle a été découverte. De type 0-day, c'est-à-dire annoncée alors qu'elle n'a pas encore de correctif, cette vulnérabilité met en danger plus d'un milliard de PC !
Adam Gowdiak, chercheur pour la firme Security Explorations, explique que cette nouvelle faille est présente dans toutes les versions de Java SE (5, 6, 7) y compris les toutes dernières versions de développement. Elle est donc encore plus dangereuse que la précédente faille, qui ne touchait que Java SE 7 et corrigée en urgence par Oracle fin août. Son existence a été confirmée par Oracle. Elle permet de contourner le principal mécanisme desécurité de Java, le bac à sable. Une applet Java pourrait alors servir à lancer des programmes, écrire ou effacer des données selon Gowdiak.
Oracle ayant reçu tous les détails sur ce problème, est en mesure de le corriger. Un patch pourrait être publié au sein de la prochaine Critical Patch Update, prévu pour le 16 octobre. D'ici là, la seule option pour s'en prémunir est de désactiver Java.
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — When Microsoft Corp. took the wraps off the new mobile software Wednesday, it was highly consumer focused.
But Microsoft MSFT+0.02% , and its partner Nokia Corp., may be taking a risk by focusing too much on average Joes, and not enough on the software giant’s bread-and-butter corporate customer with its new version of Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8.
Nokia’s NOK-15.90% demonstration of its new Lumia phones and their better cameras and mapping tools was heavily consumer centric. Microsoft, too, touted its ease of use and customizable start page, ease of social networking, and location-based apps.
Clearly, Microsoft and Nokia are pitching the tech savvy people who have stormed corporate tech departments armed with their own devices. But by focusing so much on the consumer, it appears, at least in Wednesday’s launch, the company might risk missing the most obvious chance to make bigger strides in the mobile market: the disgruntled and ready-to-leap Research In Motion customers. Read more about Nokia's new smartphones.
Those customers are typically the business users who rely on their BlackBerry device for their work email and the security of the RIM RIMM-1.88% network. But those loyal customers aren’t going to get anything new until next year, when RIM is expected to launch its new BlackBerry 10 operating system and new devices.
“2012 has been and continues to be a golden goose, wrapped from RIM, to its competitors,” said Ramon Llamas, an IDC analyst.
Reuters
A Nokia executive shows the new Lumia 920 phone with Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system at a launch event in New York.
Indeed, some have already grown tired of waiting. Perhaps skeptical of what the new operating system will bring, or even the fate of the embattled company, some RIM customers have already planned to abandon ship for Apple Inc.’s AAPL+0.41% forthcoming next iPhone or one of the many smartphones running on Google Inc.’s GOOG-0.05% Android operating system.
According to IDC, Android-based phones led the smartphone business in the second quarter, with a “commanding” 68.1% market share of all smartphones shipped globally during the quarter, while pioneers Research In Motion and Nokia Corp. saw their share of mobile operating systems reach just 4.8% and 4.4% respectively. The report also said that the smartphone market has now become a “two-horse race,” between Android and iPhone.
None of these companies are standing still. September is turning out to be a storm of smartphone and tablet launches, with the much expected Apple event now confirmed for Sept. 12. Today, Amazon.com Inc. AMZN-0.67%AMZN-0.67% is expected to unwrap new Kindle Fire tablets, but it is not completely out of the realm that it too will launch a smartphone. Read the smartphone storm is on.
Microsoft still has a small share of the smartphone operating system market. But during the second quarter, according to IDC, the software giant was coming on strong in its effort to gain on RIM and eventually became the No. 3 player in smartphones. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 had only a 3.5% stake of the worldwide market, but that was at a growth rate of 115.3%.
“It is still a very young and new kind of platform,” Llamas said. “Yes, it has things like security and things like VPN access, corporate messaging and the like, but it is still a new platform for end users to get to.”
Nokia unveiled its new Windows-based Lumia phone at a splashy event in Manhattan on Wednesday, but despite the fanfare, there was plenty of questions left unanswered.
So perhaps the best way to gain share, at this point, is through entrenched corporate users, who for the most part, use Microsoft Windows and the Office suite at work. Old corporate habits die hard and many information technology departments are likely to be wooed big time by the software behemoth. But if that is in its plans, Microsoft wasn’t talking about that Wednesday.
“The corporate message, and the corporate capabilities didn’t really come up,” Llamas said. “To be fair, there were some other consumer apps and features that they didn’t bring up either. . . They are concentrating on how they are differentiating themselves from the rest of competition.”
Surely Microsoft realizes some IT gurus might want smartphones that are more compatible with their entire corporate infrastructure. With the launch of the new Windows 8 expected next month for the personal computer, Microsoft has an opportunity to get corporate CIOs to consider replacing their corporate fleets of BlackBerrys with smartphones based on Windows Phone 8, while they look at upgrading hundreds of PCs.
When asked about its consumer focus in its event on Wednesday, however, a Microsoft spokeswoman advised reading the company’s blog posts and press releases. In a post in June, Microsoft vice president Joe Belfiore wrote, ”Windows Phone and its bigger sibling will share common networking, security, media and web browser technology, and a common file system.” Read Microsoft's blog post here.
Apple has become very corporate infrastructure friendly but Android still does not have that reputation, although Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Note smartphone is helping to change that impression.
Investors should hope that Microsoft is playing to its strengths in the corporate market with the latest version of Windows Phone. If the company plays its corporate cards right, it could have a shot at quickly taking over RIM’s spot, a far easier target than Android or the iPhone.
Three years ago I was lucky to join the Windows Phone team at a time when we were “resetting” our approach to mobile operating system software. We made big changes to our design, our approach to partners, and our platform. The result was Windows Phone 7.
Now it’s time to start telling you about the next exciting chapter of our story: Windows Phone 8. Officially announced this morning in San Francisco, it’s the most advanced mobile OS Microsoft has ever made and will arrive on new phones later this year.
Many of Windows Phone 8’s new capabilities come from a surprising source: Windows, the most successful and powerful operating system on the planet, and one used by more than a billion people. Yes, you read that right: Windows Phone 8 is based on the same core technologies that power Windows 8. As a result, Windows Phone 8 will unleash a new wave of features for consumers, developers, and businesses.
Today I’ll give you a high-level sneak peek at the Windows Phone 8 platform and tell you just some of what it’s going to make possible. I’ll also share some exciting news about apps and updates for current Windows Phone customers. This isn’t a full disclosure of everything in Windows Phone 8—look for a more complete tour of new features later.
The power of Windows
If you’ve seen Windows 8, Microsoft’s groundbreaking new release for PCs and tablets, you’ve probably noticed it bears more than a passing resemblance to the look of Windows Phone. Here’s how the Windows 8 Start screen looks in the latest preview release.
With Windows Phone 8, the similarity is more than skin deep. We’ve based the next release of Windows Phone on the rock-solid technology core of Windows 8. It means Windows Phone and its bigger sibling will share common networking, security, media and web browser technology, and a common file system. That translates into better performance, more features, and new opportunities for app developers and hardware makers to innovate faster.
This new shared core—along with all the extra work we’ve done on top of it—opens up a new world of capabilities, which you don’t have to be a techie to appreciate. Here’s a taste:
Multi-core processor support: As reviewers have noted, Windows Phone runs buttery smooth on phones with a single processor. But piggybacking on the Windows core provides support for multiple cores—so we’re ready for whatever hardware makers dream up.
Bigger, sharper screens: Windows Phone 8 supports two new screen resolutions—1280x768 and 1280x720, opening the door to amazing new handsets with high-definition 720p displays.
More flexible storage: Windows Phone 8 supports removable MicroSD cards, so you can stuff your phone with extra photos, music, and whatever else is important to you, and then easily move it all onto your PC.
NFC wireless sharing: If you haven’t heard the term “NFC” yet, I’m betting you soon will. This emerging wireless technology lets phones share things over short distances. In Windows Phone 8, it helps make sharing photos, Office docs, and contact info easier—just tap your phone another NFC-equipped device. How cool is that?
Internet Explorer 10: The next version of Windows Phone comes with the same web browsing engine that’s headed for Window 8 PCs and tablets. IE10 is faster and more secure, with advanced anti-phishing features like SmartScreen Filter to block dangerous websites and malware.
Wallet: Windows Phone 8’s new digital Wallet feature does two great things. It can keep debit and credit cards, coupons, boarding passes, and other important info right at your fingertips. And when paired with a secure SIM from your carrier, you can also pay for things with a tap of your phone at compatible checkout counters.
Better maps and directions: Windows Phone 8 builds in Nokia mapping as part of the platform. Our partnership will provide more detailed maps and turn-by-turn directions in many countries, plus the ability to store maps offline on your phone so you can work with maps without a data connection.
Cooler apps and games: Basing Windows Phone 8 on the Windows core will unleash a new wave of amazing apps and especially games, for reasons I’ll touch on in a moment.
A new Start
We’re putting the finishing touches on Windows Phone 8 as I write this. It has a ton of great new consumer features that I can’t wait to tell you about in the months ahead. Today, however, I’m going to show off just one: the beautiful, flexible new Start screen.
As you can see, we’re making Windows Phone 8 even more personal, with a new palette of theme colors and three sizes of Live Tiles, all of which are under your control. We know Live Tiles are one of the things current owners really love about their Windows Phones, and we wanted to make them even more flexible and unique. This short video shows the new Start screen in action.
Windows Phone…7.8!
The new Start screen is so useful and emblematic of what Windows Phone is about that we want everybody to enjoy it. So we’ll be delivering it to existing phones as a software update sometime after Window Phone 8 is released.Let me repeat: If you currently own a Windows Phone 7.5 handset, Microsoft is planning to release an update with the new Windows Phone 8 Start screen. We’re calling it “Windows Phone 7.8.”
Some of you have been wondering, “Will we also get Windows Phone 8 as an update?” The answer, unfortunately, is no.
Windows Phone 8 is a generation shift in technology, which means that it will not run on existing hardware. BUT we care deeply about our existing customers and want to keep their phones fresh, so we’re providing the new Start screen in this new update.
100,000 apps and beyond
Today we announced that the Windows Phone Marketplace officially hit 100,000 apps and games—a milestone we reached faster than Android, and a testament to the thousands of talented developers around the world who’ve supported us since launch. Together they deliver more than 200 new titles, on average, each day.
On behalf of everybody at Windows Phone, THANK YOU! We appreciate your effort and creativity and the value you bring to Windows Phone users.
To mark the milestone, today we’re announcing a new batch of marquee titles. The official Audible app for audiobooks arrives in Marketplace today. Official apps from Chase and PayPal are in the works. Gameloft has Windows Phone versions of Asphalt 7: Heat and N.O.V.A. 3 Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance on the way.
And Nokia is helping deliver the much-requested Zynga games Words with Friends and Draw Somethingto Windows Phone later this year. Check out Nokia Conversations today for more details about this and other new Windows Phone-related announcements today. (And don’t miss the fun new “100,000 Apps and Counting” mugs and other goodies in the official Windows Phone Gear Store!)
Developers, developers, developers
Since we’re talking about apps, I want to tell developers a little bit about what they can expect in Windows Phone 8. Some of the exciting changes on the way include:
Native code support: Windows Phone 8 has full C and C++ support, making it easier to write apps for multiple platforms more quickly. It also means Windows Phone 8 supports popular gaming middleware such as Havok Vision Engine, Autodesk Scaleform, Audiokinetic Wwise, and Firelight FMOD, as well as native DirectX-based game development.
In-app purchase: In Windows Phone 8 we make it possible for app makers to sell virtual and digital goods within their apps.
Integrated Internet calling: In Windows Phone 8, developers can create VoIP apps that plug into our existing calling feature so Internet calls can be answered like traditional phone calls, using the same calling interface.
Multitasking enhancements. Windows Phone 8 now allows location-based apps like exercise trackers or navigation aids to run in the background, so they keep working even when you’re doing other things on your phone.
This is just a taste. Later this summer, we’ll have much more for developers on the Windows Phone 8 Software Development Kit (SDK) and the new Visual Studio 11-based development tools. So stay tuned.
Windows Phone 8 @ work
In Windows Phone 8, we’re also moving into the workplace in a big way, introducing a number of features and capabilities that companies and their IT departments demand. This is just one more benefit of sharing a common core with Windows 8. Some of the new business-friendly features include:
Device encryption: To help keep everything from documents to passwords safe, Windows Phone 8 includes built-in technology to encrypt the entire device, including the operating system and data files.
Better security: Windows Phone 8 supports the United Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) secure boot protocol and features improved app “sandboxing,” so the phone is better protected from malware with multiple layers of security.
Remote management: With Windows Phone 8, IT departments can manage apps and phones remotely, with tools similar to ones they now employ for Windows PCs.
Company Hub and apps: Companies can create their own Windows Phone 8 Hub for custom employee apps and other critical business info.
New languages, update process
I get a lot of tweets asking, “When will my phone get Arabic? Farsi? Turkish?” They’re also the top feature requests on the Windows Phone Suggestion Box site.
I’m happy to tell you these languages are coming! In fact, Windows Phone 8 will support a total of 50 languages, or double the current geographic coverage. We’re also expanding Marketplace, our store for apps and games, to support app downloads in over 180 countries—nearly triple its current footprint.
Another area I know many of you care deeply about is Windows Phone software updates and how they’re delivered—something we’ve gotten a lot of feedback on over the last year. Today I’m excited to tell you that we’ve been working closely with our many partners to improve the update process for Windows Phone 8, and help get you our latest software more quickly and easily.
How? First, Windows Phone 8 updates will be delivered wirelessly over-the-air, so you don’t have to bother plugging your phone into your PC to update anymore. Second, we will support devices with updates for at least 18 months from device launch.
Finally, we’re working to create a program that gives registered enthusiasts early access to updates prior to broad availability—a little gift to our biggest fans and supporters. We think these three initiatives will help keep your phone fresher than ever before.
What’s next
I know that’s a lot to digest—and look forward to. And I didn’t even mention actual phones yet!
We’re really excited about the strong line-up of hardware partners who are putting their support behind Windows Phone 8. The first wave of devices for Windows Phone 8 will come from Nokia, Huawei, Samsung, and HTC, all built on next-generation chips from Qualcomm.
As I’ve said, we’re just starting to tell the full Windows Phone 8 story. Keep your eye on the official Windows Phone blog and website for more news throughout the summer. And, as always, I’m eager to hear what you think. Thanks for reading!
Commentary: Software giant has to change the way it does business
By John C. Dvorak
Microsoft
Microsoft’s Surface tablet computer will change the way the company does business.
BERKELEY, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Microsoft Corp. is getting heat from vendors, such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc., over its branded Surface tablet computer.
This will result in demands by vendors of Windows computers and tablets to get a better deal on the OS shipped with their products.
Microsoft needs to put its foot down. It needs to make it clear that there is no alternative for these folks besides Linux. And nobody is betting the farm on Linux.
Except for the proprietary Mac, everyone wants a Windows machine.
Twitter will allow advertisers to more easily target their ad messages to people based on their interests.
And most of all, Microsoft needs to convince all the original equipment manufacturers that by MicrosoftMSFT+1.65% selling a branded product is in the best interests of the industry. This is because at least Microsoft is still promoting Windows products. I see very little mass market advertising from DellDELL-0.84% , HP HPQ+0.60% , Acer or Lenovo HK:992-0.63% .
If sales of PC’s are falling it is because advertising budgets have been cut, not because everyone is suddenly using a tablet.
Microsoft saw the writing on the wall a few years back when it began its retail store initiative. The players in the Windows PC game had dropped the ball on moving product. “Dude you got a Dell” disappeared from the face of the earth and Dell has repositioned itself as a services company. HP did pretty much the same thing.
That leaves the Chinese vendors, none of which believe much in advertising. So the market languishes and Microsoft is supposed to stand in the corner and watch things deteriorate?
Microsoft may not be getting things right, but it is doing something. And it must be aggressive about it.
And the complainers must first realize that Microsoft is modeling itself after Apple when Apple was licensing its OS for a short while. Apple made the high-end product and everyone else made clones that were priced to undercut Apple.
While this did not work out well the way Apple saw it, it’s exactly what Microsoft would love to see because it will revitalize the business by increasing competitive motivation.
And as an aside, let me say this to all PC vendors: You allowed Microsoft to create this virtual monopoly for an OS, what did you expect would happen eventually?
Much of the fuss, according to Digitimes and elsewhere, comes from the new Windows RT Surface tablet. This is the one version of Windows based on the non-Intel chip and is incompatible with most Wintel software.
The RT Surface might be compelling coming out at a $199 price point and the companies think this will undercut them. This assumes that people would prefer this tablet to a cheap Nexus 7 tablet or any other device.
This is carping about nothing, as most of the Windows licensees were committing to all sorts of alternatives for their tablets already. If Microsoft had not done the Surface tablets, it’s likely nobody would have done them.
Microsoft should immediately begin strategizing a plan to ditch these vendors and develop a line of branded computers. When it still allows OEM licenses (unlike Apple) then maybe the complainers will be appreciative.
In the meantime, Microsoft is going to change the way it does business because it has to. This means it will be all-in on the Microsoft stores selling Microsoft-branded gear.
And as a kicker to this strategy it’s obvious that it will have not just a branded computer, but a branded phone too. This means Nokia begins to put the Microsoft name on its phones soon.
Where that leads will be interesting. Consider Nokia a buyout candidate.
Windows 8 : Microsoft dans la dernière ligne droite
Disponibilité de Windows 8 RTM, abandon d'Aero et du terme Metro, lancement des offres de migration, premiers partenaires pour la version ARM : l'été a été chaud pour Microsoft avant la commercialisation de son prochain OS.
Microsoft n'a pas chômé cet été. L'éditeur est en effet dans la dernière phase avant la commercialisation de Windows 8. Comme annoncé, la version Released-to-Manufacturing (RTM) de Windows 8 a commencé à être distribuée aux partenaires fabricants le 1er août. L'OS est donc fin prêt, dans les starting blocks.
"L'étape de la RTM est importante car elle signifie que la phase de développement et de test du produit est terminée", a précisé Brandon LeBlanc responsable du blog officiel dédié à l'OS. A part l'abandon d'Aero et d'autres petits changements cosmétiques, aucun ajout fonctionnel n'a été signalé lors de la disponibilité de cette version RTM.
Microsoft poussé hors du Metro
Peu après, un imprévu est cependant venu apporter un changement notable : Microsoft s'est en effet vu contraint d'abandonner le terme de Metro qui commençait à être largement utilisé pour désigner l'interface de Windows 8 et Windows Phone 7. Des problèmes juridiques, liés à la protection du mot "Metro" auraient poussé Microsoft à abandonner ce terme pour celui de "Modern UI" ou "Modern User Interface" (soit "interface utilisateur moderne").
Depuis la mi-août, la version RTM de Windows 8 est aussi accessible aux développeurs et aux professionnels de l'IT, via divers programmes (MSDN, TechNet, Software Assurance). Ils pourront ainsi tester la toute dernière mouture de l'OS avant sa commercialisation, calée pour le 26 octobre. Date à laquelle Microsoft a promis de mettre également en vente la version ARM de sa tablette Surface, alors qu'aujourd'hui, aucune tablette équipée deWindows 8 RT n'a encore été montrée, et que la boutique d'applications compatibles reste très pauvre.
3 millions de tablettes Surface pour 2012
IDC estime par ailleurs aujourd'hui que Microsoft va fabriquer un peu plus de 3 millions de tablettes Surface pour 2012. Le cabinet d'analyse ne croit en revanche pas du tout à la tablette Windows 8 RT, qui doit inclure Office 2013, à moins de 200 dollars. Un montant pourtant avancé cet été par le site Engadget.com... Car il reste encore aujourd'hui cette autre grande inconnue, sans doute décisive : Microsoft n'a en effet toujours pas levé le voile sur le prix des licences et des tablettes Surface. The Verge croit cependant savoir queWindows 8 Pro coûtera 199 dollars (159 euros ?) après la période promotionnelle du lancement, qui doit s'achever au 1er février 2013.
En attendant, l'offre de mise à jour, permettant à un PC récemment acquis de passer de Windows 7 à Windows 8, a été officiellement lancée. La promotion est valable pour les PC équipés de Windows 7 (éditions Familiale Basique, Familiale Premium, Professionnel ou Intégrale) achetés entre le 2 juin 2012 et le 31 janvier 2013. Elle permet de migrer, pour moins de 15 euros,vers l'édition Windows 8 Professionnel.
Microsoft avait déjà également annoncé que pour un PC Windows XP, Vista ou 7, il en coûtera 29,99 euros (39,99 dollars) pour télécharger Windows 8 Pro.
Lancement de Windows 8 RT sans HP et Toshiba
Redmond a aussi profité de la période estivale pour annoncer les premiers fabricants qui proposeront Windows 8 RT, la version ARM du système d'exploitation. Dell, Lenovo, Samsung et Asus en seront, en plus donc de Microsoft avec sa Surface. HP et Toshiba ont cependant tous les deux expliqué qu'ils préféraient se concentrer sur la technologie Intel, du moins pour le moment. Acer n'est pas non plus dans la liste. Et si une tablette Windows 8 RT de son cru continue d'être attendue l'année prochaine, le Taïwanais s'est publiquement montré très sceptique sur les performances de Windows RT et n'a guère apprécié de voir Microsoft s'attaquer au hardware... A suivre.
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — What a difference a decade makes for manufacturers of personal computers.
Ten years ago, Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ-0.31% gobbled up Compaq Computer, setting up a two-way battle with Dell Inc. DELL+0.18% over who’s the king of PCs. Dell took the lead after the merger, before H-P roared back to grab the crown. Read more about Dell and H-P.
But today, it doesn’t matter too much who’s on top. PCs have turned into a ball and chain that’s weighing both tech giants down, getting in the way of their bid to push into more profitable segments of the IT market.
Airport boarding gates often have all the amenities of a federal detention facility - uncomfortable seating, unhappy crowds, no power ports, limited food, long sits and no exit. But some airports are trying to change that.
It’s gotten so bad, there’s been a push for H-P to spin off its PC business. Now, it’s Dell’s turn.
“Given the continued challenges in the PC business, we believe Dell should consider getting rid of this business and focus on expanding its enterprise solutions business,” Topeka Capital analyst Brian White wrote in a note, following Dell’s disappointing earnings report.
It’s a controversial view, mainly because Dell’s sales are still so heavily tied to PCs.
“Well, that’s kind of tough when 65%-70% of its revenue is tied to PCs,” Sterne Agee’s Shaw Wu said.
Crawford Del Prete, an analyst with IDC, also disagrees with the proposal, saying Dell “would find that there are very few (if any) buyers that will fairly value the business.”
“They need to take into account that the PC business drives cost efficiencies for the server and storage units,” he added. “Finally, Dell has deep account relationships with many small and midsize companies who have credit terms with Dell, and buy PCs and enterprise gear from Dell.”
Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates said it would be “too draconian” for Dell to get out of the PC business.
Reuters
However, Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group didn’t quickly dismiss the idea, pointing out: “If you took out the PC business, they would have had a damn good quarter.”
Dell reported gains in its enterprise businesses, but said it took a hit in both desktop and notebook PC sales. H-P is expected to paint a similar picture when it reports results after Wednesday’s closing bell. Both H-P and Dell are pushing to expand into higher margin markets in corporate IT, and de-emphasizing their low-margin businesses, especially PCs.
Last year, H-P, which became the king of PCs after its 2002 merger with Compaq, even actually floated the idea of getting rid of its PC business. The announcement, under ex-Chief Executive Leo Apotheker, was a disaster which sent its share price plummeting. Current CEO Meg Whitman dropped the idea, saying H-P would be “better together.”
But the idea of a spinoff remains alive. Earlier this month, UBS analyst Steven Milunovich argued that for H-P it may be “smart to be apart,” saying the company should spin off its PC and printer units.
The call is bound to get stronger as PCs continue to post sluggish growth.
A key problem for Dell, Enderle argued, is that it hasn’t been able to focus enough on PCs. There’s also the strong challenge from Lenovo, which became a major player in the space after buying IBM’s IBM+1.06% PC business a few years ago and is fast gaining market share. In fact, Enderle said, Lenovo LNVGY+0.18% is a good model for Dell and H-P.
“All eyes are on Lenovo which has been growing pretty well as almost a PC pure play,” he added. And the reason is the company has devoted resources to that business. “Lenovo’s success shows you can do well here.”
One idea, he said, is for Dell to do with its PC business what data-storage-systems company EMC Corp. EMC+2.69% did with software company VMware VMW+1.06% — that is, to create a separate unit still within Dell’s orbit. “You create another unit that can better focus on its own business,” he said. “Dell would maintain ownership and oversight — but the division would gain more autonomy.”
But for Del Prete of IDC, the key for Dell is still patience.
“Dell needs to stay the course in my opinion,” he said. “They need to maximize the enterprise while maintaining a footprint in PC’s. They are in a very difficult transition that might no get better in the near term, but will improve long term as the enterprise delivers higher margins.”
Benjamin Pimentel is a MarketWatch reporter based in San Francisco.
