It's time to embrace software's auto-update era - CNET

▤ Summary

"[With] commodities like browsers or operating systems, non-technical consumers may well be best served by automatic updates," said Sebastian Holst, chief marketing officer of PreEmptive Solutions, a company that helps customers monitor and manage their software. "I think we also need to consider whether doing releases as frequently as once a quarter requires we default to mandatory (silent) updates across major versions," said Mozilla programmer Robert OCallahan in a mailing list message this week. Microsoft has shifted to an incremental monthly "Patch Tuesday" update cycle that has partly replaced the earlier service pack approach of infrequent, massive overhauls. In three major updates to Office 2008 for the Mac in the last year, Ive had to endure dialog boxes hidden inaccessibly behind other windows, mammoth downloads, and intrusive requirements to shut down all sorts of third-party software. Chrome OS, smartphones, Net-connected TVs, satellite navigation systems, and automobile firmware illustrate how software is moving beyond the relatively narrow domain of personal computers.

▦ Linked Companies

PreEmptive

$1M to $5M

Rambus

$500M to $1B