If Microsoft's enthusiasm for bundling new technologies into Windows XP was dampened last week by the U.S. Court of Appeals, the company isn't showing any signs of it. In fact, Microsoft is maintaining its hard line on the inclusion of several potentially controversial technologies in the forthcoming operating system. In addition to sticking to its plan to include HailStorm Web services in XP, Microsoft is also readying a second service called Rendezvous. The protocol will allow people to initiate instant messaging conversations and video chat, and will be part of XP by the time it ships Oct. 25. This is in addition to Microsoft's Passport authentication service, which will also be included.

"XP will include Passport and Rendezvous, which are meta-Internet services," said Jim Allchin, vice president of Microsoft's platform group, in an interview with eWeek late last week. "Rendezvous will allow things like real-time communications between people. If you use Windows Messenger in XP�and you can choose not to�you will have to use the HailStorm Passport and the Rendezvous services."

But Microsoft is sticking to its guns. Allchin said he has "absolutely no plans" to change the release date for XP or alter any of the technology included in the product. "I'm trying to put together the best product I possibly can. I do not see this, or any of the other legal challenges, as an impediment to the release of Windows XP at this point." Allchin said. Microsoft is also working on initiatives to include the controversial Smart Tag technology it recently decided to drop from Windows XP in ensuing versions of Windows. "I expect Smart Tags to be included in the next version of Windows post-XP" he said. "I expect we will come up with a new proposal, probably have a design preview on it and then include this in the appropriate release, the most likely being Longhorn." Microsoft also has no plans to change the way it has included its reworked real-time communications technology, Windows Messenger, in XP.