Microsoft in 2010: Hits & Misses
Topics
Microsoft
succeeded on many levels in 2010. In fact, it was a banner year for
cloud
development and for the release of some key products: Windows Phone 7,
Internet
Explorer 9, and SQL Server 2008 R2, to name a few. The diversity of
these
product offerings show that Microsoft continues to compete on many
fronts.
Critics would point out that sometimes the company spreads itself too
thinly
across a range of areas. See, for example, Office Web Apps, and the
ever
elusive tablet PC. Still, Microsoft continues to impress with the
breadth of
its offerings. Herewith is an overview of some of the more auspicious
releases
in 2010.
IE9,
Windows
Phone 7, Visual Studio 2010
Microsoft
released the Internet Explorer 9
full public beta version in September, 2010 and this indicates its
official release
as taking place sometime in 2011. It’s important to note that HTML5,
the new open
standard version for Web applications, is well supported in IE9. HTML5
takes
markup language to an increased level of versatility for Web developers
and
designers. Internet Explorer 9 capitalizes on this next standard for
Web
development by providing a strategic foundation.
Windows Phone 7, as in previous
versions, was released to compete directly with Apple and Google. This
newest
offering provides the elegant “Live Tiles” feature, which makes it a
compelling
differentiator from its competitors. It lets users perform social
networking,
Web browsing, email and other tasks with a level of sophistication the
other
devices lack. And this seems to be the direction Microsoft is heading
to
attract an increasing number of users. Current shortcomings to the
phone, such
as the lack of multi-tasking and copy/paste, will be made available in
the
first quarter of 2011.
In
April, 2010, Microsoft celebrated the release of Visual
Studio 2010. This version, now using the Windows
Presentation Foundation, offers a new Visual Studio editor,
multi-monitor
usage, Windows 7 multitouch as well as the standard ribbon interface.
Overall,
unlike previous versions, Visual Studio 2010 provides better support
for all
development activities, specific enhancements for each development
environment,
and tooling for new features in .NET 4
Lync
Server
2010, SQL Server 2008 R2
Lync Server 2010, Microsoft’s
communications software platform, received an upgrade in 2010. The
company not
only changed the cumbersome name, from Office Communication Server
(OCS) to
Lync, but also added several changes in attempt to differentiate this
new
version from its predecessors. Microsoft added a new management control
panel
and management store as well as improvements to the monitoring
features.
Although these streamlined tweaks and developments don’t significantly
change
Lync from its earlier incarnation, they do show progress, especially in
the
area of providing new voice capabilities.
The
CTP (Community Technology Preview) version of SQL
Server 2008 R2 was first made available in August 2009.
However,
in May, 2010, the official release was offered. This newest version of
SQL
Server 2008 R2 not only enables IT to centrally manage information, it
also
provides virtualization support, Live Migration and the PowerPivot
feature. Both
Excel 2010 and SharePoint 2010 have PowerPivot add-ins which speed up
data
sharing and publishing. The PowerPivot feature helps SQL Server 2008 R2
directly compete against Oracle and IBM.
Cloud
Computing:
Windows Azure Platform, Office 365, Office Web Apps
As
mentioned above, in 2010 Microsoft solidified its commitment to the
world of
cloud computing with a range of offerings. The Windows
Azure Platform, released in February, 2010, is a diverse
cloud-based operating system. Not only does it offer management and
development
of applications off-premises that run on top of Azure, it attempts to
be the
first cloud platform to move beyond SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). While
developers concentrate on creating scalable apps, Microsoft will
continue to
offer new functionality through 2011
In
2010, Microsoft also introduced the subscription service Office
365 as a beta version. Office 365, formerly named Business
Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), is an online suite of applications
that
includes Exchange, SharePoint, Office Live Meeting, and Lync Server in
one
cloud-based offering. For Microsoft, Office 365 represents a means for
reaching
enterprises and SMBs alike on the computing advantages of working in
the cloud.
The test for Microsoft will be to prove that a subscription service
represents
a true value for customers. The company will also need to develop
flawless
integration between the applications to keep administrators from
looking
elsewhere for admin solutions.
Microsoft
released its online suite of applications entitled, Office
Web Apps, as part of its Windows Live Service. It includes
browser-based editions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. While Office Web
Apps
offers users much in the way of flexibility and accessibility, the
company
needs to do more to make its online app counterparts as robust as the
stand-alone versions. That way it can successfully compete against the
biggest
game changer, Google Apps.
Exchange
Server 2010,
SharePoint 2010
Microsoft
recently released Exchange Server 2010
while simultaneously introducing Exchange Online, its cloud-based
messaging
service. Inclusion of the Outlook Web Access Webmail Client offers a
vast
improvement over previous versions. It provides much of the same
functionality
as its full Outlook client across diverse Web browsers, and having
Outlook as a
Web app is a great feature.
Microsoft’s
current upgrade of their collaboration platform, SharePoint, now
provides quite
a range of cloud-related and enterprise-friendly features. SharePoint 2010 was released this year
with much fanfare and the
company successfully updated a number of features without overdoing it.
While
overall customer satisfaction produced a big win for the company, 2011
will see
further enhancements to this key collaboration tool.
Other
2010
Releases: Office for Mac 2010, Microsoft Kinect, Tablet PC
The
general consensus seems to be that Office
for Mac 2010, released in October, was significantly better
than its
previous release in 2007. The software for OS X contains a few feature
updates
that most users had requested. Many IT enterprise managers applauded
the return
of Visual Basic macros as well as the Windows-style Outlook component.
A number
of integrations with other Microsoft cloud-based services are available
along
with the update.
Released
in November, Kinect is an Xbox 360
peripheral that monitors body language and movements in front of a
television
via the device's built-in cameras and 3D depth sensors. It then relays
the
information to create a truly live gaming experience. Users can choose
from a
variety of interactive games: whitewater rafting, racecar driving, or
MTV-style
dance routines. With 45 million Xbox game consoles sold, expect the
company to
continue releasing many more related games
In
2010, Microsoft continued to proclaim tablets as the way of the future,
along
with the cloud. The company’s goal continues to be to build viable
consumer-centric
tablet PCs equipped with
Windows 7,
and the Apple iPad remains the product to beat. The
challenge will be for Microsoft to work
productively with possible partners, HP and Dell, to offer a truly
competitive
product with a touch-centric UI. Part of the issue may lie in
reconfiguring
Windows 7 for a better fit to the tablet form factor. Perhaps next year?
And
speaking of Windows 7, Microsoft has continued to show strong sales of
their
latest OS throughout 2010. The minimal clamor for service packs or for
a Windows
8 release means that most customers are firmly behind the OS as well.
Kerry Doyle 2011 All Rights Reserved