Tag Archives for microsoft

There has always been a sort of unspoken struggle for Microsoft when it comes to breaking into the enterprise world. Though companies still rely on systems built off of Microsoft, the power of Apple always manages to break out on top. The basis of this success can be attributed to their overwhelmingly successful branding, and all of the publishing that suggests Apple performs better than Microsoft ever could.

Gaining Confidence in Microsoft

Microsoft however has had enough time to catch on to all of the doubts towards them, and 2012 has proven that they are very capable of performing on an equal, if not transcending capability to that of Apple. There is an unexplainable tendency for critics and techies to immediately want to jump on and point out every insignificant supposed fallacy whenever a new Windows operating system gets revealed, and Windows 8 was really no different at all.

Review after review would lay claim that Windows 8 was “too confusing” to use, which I couldn’t have disagreed with more. The tile design really laid it all out in a say that could not have been any simpler, and I still fail to identify what any of these critics were attempting to point out. However, Windows 8 is seeing some relatively welcoming success with a large number of tablets and phones catching on to the system.

Moving Forward With Mobile Office

Despite any tough barriers that Microsoft has had to deal with, their staple Microsoft Office program has always managed to stay on top in the office and at home. Surprisingly, this is one facet of computer utilization that Apple has not been as fruitful with. To make things even more in favor of Microsoft, they announced this week that they will adapt Office for iOS and Android.

If all pans out well for Microsoft in this new endeavor, then they might full well has sealed their security in the work force. Pushing their Office program to mobile devices that run on iOS and Android spreads out their influence right to where it needs to be. With more and more studies and reports insisting that most technological interaction occurs on mobile devices, this entry will quickly reveal benefits.

The iOS move is certainly a wise one with the release of the iPad Mini, a tablet designed for quick mobility. There have been some mixed feelings about this tablet, but with Android on the maps as well, the mobile office will have plenty of room to stretch.

Can Microsoft Break Through With Mobile Office?

There are still some questions that are being asked in regards to the mobile version of Microsoft Office, which is scheduled to be released sometime in early 2013. For one, there is wonder if this version will be fully touch-compatible or limited. It would certainly be in their interest to make sure that this is the case, especially since users of the mobile version will have to pay a premium price to use it in the first place.

According to The Verge, if people want to get all of the full benefits of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, they will have to get Office 365 Home Premium in which a monthly payment of $8.33 is required. On the enterprise level, if the company is serious enough with arming their employees with quick access to documents, there is no reason why such a premium can’t be paid for by them and not the employee.

Author Bio – Ezra Melino is a writer in modern technology and observes trends from Microsoft, Google and Apple. Any questions for Josephine can be asked in the comment section below.

Two big announcements today from the two big tech giants.

MS came out with their new search engine – Bing

Google with their new communication and collaboration platform – Wave

Both are exciting products but I think you’ll see a fundamental difference in the philosophy of these companies by better understanding the nature of the products.

Bing – The Decision Engine?

From the video of Bing, it seems that they are aggregating services, and trying to build something that is the be all and end all of search. Its power comes from the orderly aggregation and presentation of information sources from across the net. Reminds me of windows and MS’s suite of applications. Very silo-ed, a lot of effort and maintenance in building out the product. Decision Engine – I don’t know.

The MS approach usually offers less in the way of consumer choice – but you’re promised a nice suite that works together. But as we all know, MS more often than not screws this up. This is normally Apple’s forte. We’ll see how it goes with Bing though.  One piece of advice for MS – change the logo for Bing please. ‘Uninspiring’ would be an understatement.

Google’s Wave

Google on the other hand is opening up the platform and wants the rest of the Internet to join in on the ‘platform’ to help finish the product.A very Google approach for solving this really big problem. Google’s core premise is that it is a search engine company, it’s way of looking at things is that the Internet has a lot of good things out there, we will help you bring order to all that chaos to make money. Same with Wave, which is targeted squarely at the developer community. The Internet is home many cool applications, we’ll open-source the core, let others add it to our platform, index it all, and make a buck. You win, we win. You can check out the video on TC or read a short preview on RWW, if you dont have the patience.

Google’s approach casts a wider net, a simple solution with more generic applications. The user would typically get a wider choice but it can end up getting a little complicated. It all comes down to how good the defaults and quick-start features are in the app. Google’s done a decent job of it so far so I’m thinking they’ll pull off Wave pretty well.

What’s DNA got to do with it.

Interesting to note how these two companies ‘think’ from today’s announcements. I think a company’s first product defines what their DNA is.

It’s basically the difference between how a Operating System company solves a problem and a Search Engine Company solves a problem.

MS’s solution seems to be – Try to cover all the bases so the end user can easily get stuff done within the confines of its paradigm. An OS company.

Google’s is – Reuse whats out there to create value for the user. A classic Internet paradigm, perfect for a Search Engine company.

Both companies have these recurring themes across their products and services.  IMO, MS is going to lose the game on the Internet unless they adopt Google’s thinking of  ‘open’, reuse and contribute.

No matter how much resources you have inside your company, the rest of the world is going to have more of it. Might as well figure out a way to use it for your advantage rather than let them be your competitors.

@chandika