From the feature well: Now that 64-bit is a reality, IT shops are faced with an entire set of new questions. Is it time to switch? Will we get performance and stability improvements? Which applications should we turn over first? What issues are likely to arise? “The answer is a mixed bag,” writes Leon Erlanger, in Scaling your applications to 64-bit. Erlanger explains just what that mixed bag holds, and recounts the experiences of a few who have delved into 64-bit already. The package also includes Taking steps toward 64-bit processing, and Microsoft updates plans for 64-bit computing, among other pieces. Columnists’ Corner: Fresh from a visit to Dell’s headquarters, Neil McAllister contends in Open Enterprise that server virtualization is good for customers and vendors alike, and that Xen just might help Linux slide into the virtualization pole position. Naturally, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft reacts to Xen’s momentum. The news beat: IBM offers an edition of DB2 Content Manager for SMBs. Microsoft details the changes it is making to IE 7 that are designed to improve security. The OECD says that China surpasses the U.S. as top IT goods supplier, and the storage software market rises again in Q3, according to IDC. Best of the blogs: Dave Rosenberg is on the hunt for a full-time Microsoft SQL Server DBA. Any InfoWorld reader that helps him find one will get some sort of prize. Software Development