ServerBeach Blog

You read correctly! Get a Free PEER 1 Sandbox Server!

PEER 1 and Microsoft are offering 50 sandbox servers (valued at $1,000 each) free for 30 days, packed full with the very latest MS development software for you to work with. This is a limited time offer and available to qualified applicants only. To become eligible for this rare opportunity, please fill out the online application. If you are selected, a PEER 1 representative will contact you directly with details on accessing your server.

SANDBOX SERVER SPECS:

* 2 x Intel Xeon 5320 Quad-core CPU
* 2 GB RAM
* 1 x 250GB HD

Each sandbox server includes:

PLATFORM

* IIS 6
* .ASP.NET 2.0
* .NET 2.0

* PHP 5.0
* Silverlight
* SQL Server Standard

EXPRESSION TOOLS

* Expression Blend
* Expression Web
* Expression Design

VISUAL STUDIO EXPRESS EDITIONS

* Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition
* Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition
* Visual C# 2005 Express Edition

As a bonus, we are also giving away the following to each Sandbox user that establishes a new Microsoft dedicated hosting account with PEER 1 at the end of their sandbox server trial period:

* Microsoft Expression Web (valued at $299) - a professional design tool to create modern, standards-based sites that deliver superior quality on the Web.

* FREE Microsoft Training (valued at $1099) - A free one year online subscription for Microsoft® Expression Studio & Microsoft® ASP.NET training delivered by Total Training™.

Included in Your Subscription:

o Total Training™ for Microsoft® Expression Studio - 27 hours: Watch and learn as we show you how to take your creative possibilities to a new level using the professional design tools and innovative technologies in the Expression Studio.
o Total Training™ for Microsoft ASP.NET - 23 hours: These training videos will get you up to speed quickly, exploring all of the key features of AJAX and Building Web Applications, and then guide you to mastery level with advanced topics and techniques.

Check out the full details here!

Microsoft Offers $44.6B for Yahoo.

Microsoft Corp. has pounced on slumping Internet icon Yahoo Inc. with an unsolicited takeover offer of $44.6 billion in its boldest bid yet to challenge Google Inc.’s dominance of the lucrative online search and advertising markets. The Justice Department says it is interested in reviewing antitrust issues associated with it.

The surprise offer of $31 per share, made late Thursday and announced Friday, seizes on Yahoo’s weakness while Microsoft tries to muscle up in a high-stakes battle with Google likely to define the technology landscape for years to come.

In a statement Friday, Yahoo said it will “carefully and promptly” study Microsoft’s bid.

With its profits steadily sliding, Yahoo’s stock slipped to a four-year low earlier this week and a new management team has been trying to steer a turnaround but sees more turbulence through 2008.

The announcement lifted Yahoo’s share price by almost 50 percent in morning trading, while Google fell almost 8 percent, dragged down by a fourth-quarter earnings report that missed Wall Street expectations.

In conference call Friday morning, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer indicated he won’t take no for an answer after Yahoo rebuffed takeover overtures a year ago.

Read more.

According to a “Sanity Check” article on TechRepublic this morning, the dependence of business on technology will continue to accelerate 2008, but not all of the trends are happy ones. They’ve created a list of which tech trends to keep an eye on during 2008 and how they will impact business and IT — for better and for worse.

1. Enterprise IT budgets will shrink in the U.S.
2. Utility computing will start a new wave of IT outsourcing
3. Mobile Internet will change the way people work
4. Green IT will gain legal momentum
5. Unified communications will unlock the business value of VoIP
6. Businesses will continue to avoid Windows Vista
7. WAN caching will save bandwidth and speed up remote users
8. Demand will grow for alternative form factor computers

A very interesting read.

I was quite surprised at first when I read the announcement today that SWSoft had acquired WebHost Automation, maker of the Helm Control Panel.

“By integrating Helm into the SWsoft family of automation and virtualization solutions and partners through our Open Fusion initiative, Helm customers will be able to take advantage of a wider array of solutions and new business opportunities such as software as a service (SaaS),” said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of SWsoft.“

So, this acquisition follows 3 automation software acquisitions that SWsoft made just months earlier  - Sphera, Ensim Pro and Positive Software. Could there be an IPO in the works?

Barry Abrahamson, a native San Antonian, and Andy from Austin, Texas (both with Automattic) stopped in San Antonio to visit with ServerBeach. We took them out to dinner on the world renowned Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. We always have t-shirts ready for these guys and this time, they so graciously provided us with some cool WordPress t-shirts and stickers. Thanks guys!

CrowdVine lets you create your own social networking site free for your organization, event or alumni group. They host with ServerBeach, after experimenting with a few other hosting providers. The founder, Tony Stubblebine gave the Beach a thumbs up and we appreciate it! We hope you enjoy your stay here, Tony.

Our manager of product engineering, Joe Rodriguez attended WordCamp 07 and came back a blogger! The entire event was a “life changing experience” for him, and he describes it in detail in his first blog post at ServerBeach Monkey.

This year ServerBeach was fortunate enough to attend WordCamp 2007 . For starters, it was great to get a glimpse on the power and impact that both WordPress and open source software community makes on the world. I know that all of us use this stuff on a day-to-day basis to a certain capacity but when you see it, the people, the knowledge, the passion, and creativity all come together it really hits home, its quite exciting to experience.

WordPress congratulations again on your continued success, keep up the great work. In all, all I can say is “WOW” what an incredibly fun learning experience! To be completely honest I have never been much of a blogger but now I am sold. So consider this my first true blog entry! How cool is that? WordPress you make this stuff brainless!!!! Read more

Remarks from Matt Mullenweg at WordCamp 2007, his ‘State of the Word’. Thanks cdevro for posting this vid!