Microsoft Corporation issued updates for its venerable Office suite versions 2004 and 2008. Office 2004 gets a security boost with the Mac 11.5.6 update, which corrects a vulnerability that could allow a remote baddie to overwrite your computer's memory. The 2008 version sees the same security fix in its Mac 12.2.3 update, plus a host of other minor upgrades, such as resolving text spacing issues in documents that originated on Windows system. The update should also reduce some frustrations. Previously, Word was prone to closing unexpectedly when a user accepted tracked changes. Stability is similarly improved in Excel and PowerPoint, which have had unpredictable crashes in some circumstances. Entourage, Microsoft's e-mail client for the Mac, also gets a better junk mail filter. Office 2004 and its most recent update require OS X 10.2.8 or newer. The previous Office update (11.5.5) must be installed, too. For Office 2008 and its current update, you'll need OS X 10.4.9 or newer. Again, a previous update (12.1.0) must be installed first. In August, Microsoft announced that it would release a new version of Office for Mac users in late 2010, complete with Outlook for Mac (a replacement to Entourage).

First in Central and Eastern Europe technology centre of Microsoft Corporation opened in the Russian capital. The initiative, consisting of 120 servers, will unite most recent solutions of leading Russian and international software developers. Main task of the centre is development and modeling of ambitious innovative solutions for state and business needs. Russian authorities believe that the centre will allow market participants to spend less time and reduce project expenses while developing solutions on the field of information technologies. Cooperation of industry manufacturers and software developers is expected to be fruitful.

Microsoft Corporation and Energistics announced that Microsoft has joined Energistics designed to unite oil and gas industry thought leaders and to explore ways to facilitate exploration and production (E&P) information sharing and business process integration. This membership continues the momentum that Microsoft and its nearly 500 oil and gas partners have built in driving a common platform as the 'unifying language' and a force for innovation across the industry.