Larry Ellison, the multibillionaire chairman and chief executive of Oracle Corporation, mounted a sustained and sometimes humorous attack on Microsoft during his speech at the Comdex computer trade show in Las Vegas.
Cock-up or conspiracy? Only the hacker and Microsoft know whether the penetration of its computer systems was a skilled break-in using custom code, or whether somebody working for the software giant did something human, and stupid. Microsoft is not saying.
Hackers have broken into Microsoft's computer network and gained access to blueprints of its latest software, the company admitted yesterday. Initial investigations suggest that the hackers could have links with, or be based in, St Petersburg, Russia.
Only the hacker and the software giant know whether the penetration of its systems was a skilled break-in or whether it was simply a mistake, writes computer editor Jack Schofield.
Microsoft is to spend $1bn (£690m) relaunching its web-based services in an attempt to topple America Online as the world's leading internet service provider.