This image was lost some time after publication.

Today at an event in Seattle, Bill Gates will announce Microsoft Online Services: email, calendars, contact lists, video conferencing for small and medium-sized businesses. To start, Microsoft will offer free access to the services, which are online versions of Microsoft products Exchange, Office, and SharePoint. Someday Microsoft hopes to charge, but for now, the plan is to halt Google's encroachment. Microsoft executive Chris Capossel told the WSJ he expects half of the company's Exchange customers to be using the new service in five years. batmoo)