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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2004 PeopleSoft Board Rejects Oracle, Again Microsoft Woos Customers with Low-Cost Windows Report Says CAN-SPAM Act Not Effective PEOPLESOFT BOARD REJECTS ORACLE, AGAIN The board of directors of PeopleSoft has one again unanimously voted to reject the most recent takeover offer from Oracle. The latest offer of $26 per share is a significant jump from the previous offer of $19 per share, but members of the board continue to assert that Oracle's offers do not reflect PeopleSoft's real value. Craig Conway, president and CEO of PeopleSoft, advised shareholders not to "underestimate the significant additional value PeopleSoft can create once the disruption from Oracle's hostile activities has ended." A spokesperson from Oracle accused PeopleSoft of misrepresenting its position and long-term viability and urged shareholders to accept the offer. Oracle has also nominated several of its own candidates for the PeopleSoft board, for which an election will be held at the annual shareholder meeting on March 25. The proposed takeover still faces regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission. Internet News, 9 February 2004 http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3310161 MICROSOFT WOOS CUSTOMERS WITH LOW-COST WINDOWS Microsoft has developed a low-cost version of its Windows operating system for the Thai government and may make similar systems available to other governments. Because of wide gaps in pricing, Microsoft has found itself competing with Linux-based operating systems, especially in government applications. To meet the cost requirements of Thailand's low-cost PC program, Microsoft developed a Thai-language-specific version of Windows XP with fewer features than standard Windows XP. Each copy costs the Thai government around $40, compared to several hundred dollars for the standard operating system. An official from Microsoft said the company is developing low-cost versions of Windows XP for other countries also. Microsoft continues to deny that it will abandon its one-price policy but said it is willing to offer discounts in economically disadvantaged parts of the world. CNET, 9 February 2004 http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-5155458.html REPORT SAYS CAN-SPAM ACT NOT EFFECTIVE A report from California-based e-mail filtering company Postini seems to indicate little immediate change in the volume of spam as a result of the CAN-SPAM Act, signed into law by President Bush in December. At that time, spam accounted for 80 percent of all e-mail according to Postini. One month later, that figure remained at 79 percent. Critics of the bill had argued that it would do little to stem the flow of spam, saying that the bill simply outlined steps spammers must take for their e-mail to be "legitimate." Critics also noted that many spammers operate outside the United States, beyond the jurisdiction of the law. Postini's Andrew Lochart said spam can only be effectively controlled through a combination of technology and legislation. BBC, 9 February 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3465307.stm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. For information on EDUCAUSE publications see http://www.educause.edu/pub/ ***************************************************** CONFERENCES For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking opportunities, see http://www.educause.edu/conference/ ***************************************************** COPYRIGHT Edupage copyright (c) 2004, EDUCAUSE
