Microsoft broke its own patch delivery record again with the release of its October security update. 
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    IBM survey notes skill shift needed to drive business growth
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Released after thee months of testing
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    One quarter of respondents said they experienced a "significant network disruption" in the last year 
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    More than three-quarters of chief information security officers in state government cite stagnant or cut budgets as top problem.
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    The community of volunteers that developed the OpenOffice.org project have split off from Oracle and formed a new structure called The Document Foundation. 
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Cloud computing services accounted for 12.5 percent of overall IT budgets, according to a research report released this week by Gartner. 
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
    
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) will be free for small businesses to use "beginning in early October," Microsoft announced
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    New release aimed at broadened use of Windows HPC Server.
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Vulnerability in the encryption system used with ASP.NET
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Internet Explorer 9, released in beta form, doesn't talk to strangers
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    The New York Post reported Wednesday morning that Novell has agreed to "a deal in principle" to sell itself in two separate parts to two separate buyers.
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Apple, Google and BlackBerry are biggest gainers in "brand value" in 2010
                    
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Oracle has hired former HP CEO Mark Hurd as co-president.