News for Today, Nov 28

The news of the day for the last day of November:

• Groove Networks introduced an outsourced tech support option for small businesses and small groups within large organizations using Groove Workspace. The Groove Group Assurance Plan provides unlimited email support and all product upgrades for US$49 per user per year. Groove Networks
• InfoWorld published a review of Lotus Notes and Domino 6.5. " ... it contains worthwhile features for shops just beginning or finishing the move to version 6 from R5 and earlier Notes/Domino installations. IBM is pitching release 6.5 of Lotus Software's Notes and Domino as a client-focused release, but there are plenty of useful innovations on the back end as well .... There's also additional time on the Inbox mail view. Again, these features are not terribly flashy, and nothing that Outlook hasn't been able to do for years, but they remain subtle tweaks to the interface that make users more productive. But I'm still holding out for a sort-by-subject option for mail views -- one that users don't have to program themselves. After all -- everybody, now -- Outlook's done that for years". InfoWorld
• Microsoft and AT&T Wireless announced that AT&T subscribers will gain access to MSN Hotmail (for email), MSN Messenger (for IM) and other MSN services by the end of December 2003. Microsoft
• To (a) ensure customers keep up with the latest handset technology while (b) locking customers into rate plans, AT&T Wireless introduced the Customers First offer. Essentially, customers will get a new handset free every 12 months, as long as the customer commits to another 2 years of wireless service. AT&T Wireless
• InfoSyncWorld published a review of the forthcoming Sendo X, a smartphone based on the Nokia Series 60 platform running on Symbian OS 6.0. " ... contrary to what one might believe it does indeed seem as if though the manufacturer is about to pull off the brilliant stunt of delivering a device that rivals - and perhaps even surpasses - the very cream of its competitors". InfoSyncWorld