Redmond targets the enterprise with a spate of products slated for late 2006 Pardon us for trotting out that hoary old metaphor, big business as sports, for our cover story. But frankly, Microsoft’s coordinated launch of products and technologies screams “football” to us. So, this week we offer a caricature of Bill Gates as gridiron genius, sending his minions onto the field.Most remarkable about this blitz is the sheer volume of products slated for the second half of 2006, from the new WWF (Windows Workflow Foundation) to Visual Studio 2005 and a slew of APIs. And let’s not forget Vista and Office 12 — the first time since 1995 that new versions of Windows and Office will arrive simultaneously.Is this as well orchestrated as it seems? Maybe. On one hand, Microsoft has never had a great love for the browser (IE notwithstanding), and it has consistently pushed the Windows desktop and apps as the back office’s front end of choice. WWF and other developments in Vista and Office 12 support that goal — essentially a “fat-client” play. On the other hand, Microsoft is rolling out Project Atlas — tools that support rich AJAX-style apps in the browser — and a bundle of services. So just in case that whole fat-client thing doesn’t pan out, the good folks of Redmond will be there with services and other thin-client technologies to sell you. That’s called covering your bets.The Microsoft assault doesn’t stop there, as evidenced by the recent agreement to license Windows Mobile to Palm for the Treo Smartphone. According to Editor at Large Ephraim Schwartz, this move “is like a dose of Viagra for the mobile enterprise,” and the availability of all those Windows apps on the Palm platform could take a bite out of RIM’s BlackBerry business.Yep, Microsoft’s offense is cranking. Can the Software Super Bowl be far behind? Software DevelopmentDevelopment ToolsTechnology IndustrySmall and Medium Business