We wish all our uber-readers a phenomenally happy and prosperous 2006.

It’s Microsoft’s “year of delivery”, so don’t forget to keep up to date on all things emerging from Redmond with Microsoft Future, the blog without a past.

We’ll be back on Monday with all the latest buzz. Please join us.

Ian McAllister, Program Manager at Microsoft, blogs that he’s heard from a senior player at a “Tier 1″ Netco that, “… his company was willing to entertain ideas for working with Microsoft that would help our Search and/or advertising business, with one of the goals being to prevent Google from dominating those spaces even more than they are now.”

Richard MacManus of ZDNet speculates: “I too find it interesting how Google has become the most feared Internet company, a position Microsoft was in 10 years ago. Hmmm, I wonder who the ‘Tier 1′ Internet company is? Yahoo? IMHO they’re the only other bigco apart from Microsoft and Google that has a 99% chance of having you as a customer. Who else could it be?”

[Sourced from Computerworld, New Zealand]

Microsoft Future Watch is closing down for 7 days and will be back on Wednesday 28th. Urgent enquiries should be addressed to the email given in the sidebar.

All Syntagma Media blogs will be post-free until the same date. Some maintenance and enhancements will be carried out during this period, and our 9th blog, Vista Office, will be launched on the 28th.

In the meantime, have a very merry Christmas, Winter Solstice (Thursday), and whatever festival you celebrate at this time of year.

John Evans
Syntagma Media
Blog Network.

Microsoft’s Community Technical Preview (CTP) of Windows Vista for December is due for imminent release. Paul Thurrott pitched it for Monday, but it seems to have been delayed by a few days.

The new Build, 5270, has many of the promised features and enhancements in a fairly advanced state. ActiveWin has a rundown of what to expect in the build:

1. Advanced Security
Windows Defender. Improved detection and removal. A redesigned and simplified user interface. Protection for all users. BitLocker Drive Encryption. Control over installation of device drivers. International Domain Names support in Internet Explorer 7. Parental controls. Enhanced firewall. Inbound and outbound filtering. Advanced security.

2. Enhanced Performance and Power State Transitions
Single-button on and off control. Fast off. Expandable storage devices for Windows SuperFetch.

3. Progress on User Interface and Design Elements
Aero. Windows Media Center. Windows Media Player 11.

Something for everyone’s Christmas stocking.