Best of the Web - 8 Nov 06

Web 2.0, software as service and Linux caught our eye in our roundup of stories from the rest of the web

Intel releases Web 2.0 tools
Further evidence that Web 2.0 technologies are likely to make it big for business use is Intel’s plans to launch SuiteTwo, a collection of blogging, wiki, and RSS applications, as reported in Information Week. Intel says the tools will boost productivity by 50 per cent, speed projects by 25 per cent and cut e-mail volume by 30 per cent.
Intel Packages Blogs, RSS, And Wikis For Businesses

Slow start for software as service Software as a service, where applications are effectively rented over the Internet rather than installed and run on a company’s servers, has been touted as the future for software distribution for some time. However, this may be further off than expected, based on the comments of no other than Microsoft’s Bill Gates, interviewed in The Times. Gates argues that few companies will base their enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications solely on the web or entirely in-house:
Waiting for the new web revolution

Further strides for Linux
Microsoft is in the news elsewhere for its deal with Novell to enable its open source Linux software to work with Windows, with Microsoft paying Novell $348 million, as reported in the New York Times. The deal has been seen as an endorsement for Linux on the desktop as well as a further challenge for Linux distributor Red Hat following Oracle’s announcement that it would undercut Red hat’s support prices.
Linux Pact for $348 Million