PUBLISHED: March 19, 2010
Microsoft chose
an admirably straightforward moniker for its strategy to connect the latest,
cloud-based services with traditional, installed software. "Software +
Services" has been welcomed by many, but criticized by some as a way for
Microsoft to pay lip-service to new computing architectures, while continuing
its licensed software orientation.
Is Microsoft
really counting on cloud services to become mainstream? In a recent address at
the University of Washington in Seattle, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer left no
doubt when he said, "The inspiration for what we are doing now starts with the
cloud." He further characterizes Microsoft's bet on the cloud as "all in."
In fact, every
business already uses cloud services. Does your company use external hosting
for Web sites or email? What about software-as-a-service for customer
relationship management or human resources management? Your PC software is no
doubt maintained automatically by Windows Update. You search using Google or
Bing, and visit one or more social networking sites for business purposes.
Microsoft considers all of the above to be cloud services, and Software...