Microsoft brings back the 'Blackbird' codename

The latest version of my regular Microsoft Codename Tracker is out and ready for download.

(Yes, although it is officially March today, I just got done with the February update. Those short months are deadly when it comes to deadlines!)

This PDF is the same chart I use myself to keep up with the many, morphing codenames of products and technologies coming from Microsoft. The Tracker is free and downloadable from the ZDNet site. If you’ve already registered on ZDNet, just grab it. If you haven’t, registration info will be requested before you download it. Whether you’re a Microsoft customer, partner, analyst, competitor (or even employee), you might find it useful.

New to the latest Tracker (among a number of entries) is "Blackbird," a new Microsoft cloud-related codename. Microsoft history buffs may recall that Microsoft has used "Blackbird" as a codename before. This time around, however, Blackbird isn't a Web-dev tool; instead it is technology that helps with provisioning and managing cloud services, I hear.

There are other new and revised codenames added to this month's Tracker. Don't forget: If there’s a codename missing from this list that you’d like me to check out and ultimately add, please don’t hesitate to contact me via e-mail. All e-mails I receive are treated as confidential — unless you want a mention/credit line, of course.

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