News cut and thrust

The software will be available through Microsoft Great Plains as a stand-alone product or integrated into back office applications packages. Microsoft partner Onyx has said the new CRM package will have little effect on their current agreement or to Onyx itself.

• Microsoft has extended its partnership with PC manufacturer Evesham, with the launch of six regional Business eXPerience Centres in Altrincham, Birmingham, Cambridge, Evesham, London and Glasgow. At the centres SME owners or managers can try out Evesham e-business systems.

• At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Bill Gates revealed that over 17m copies of Windows XP a had been licensed since its launch on 25 October. According to Microsoft, sales to computer manufacturers are more than 300% higher than Windows 98, and 200% higher than Windows ME over the same period.

• Richard Clarke, George Bush's cyber security adviser, has asked Bill Gates to be true to his word and make Microsoft products more secure. Clarke also pointed out to security experts at an RSA conference in San Jose that many companies spend less on IT security than on coffee for employees. Microsoft recently announced the availability of patches for three "critical" security holes affecting a number of products, including Windows XP and Internet Explorer 5 and 6.