Microsoft Sees Customers Taking an Easy-Does-It Approach to Cloud Computing
In a recent article on InformationWeek, I read about a conversation that Microsoft’s VP of Online, Ron Markezich, had with Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer that led to the idea of Office Web Apps 2010 – due out in the first half of next year. This chat happened way back in 2004. Essentially, Gates and Ballmer outlined a major new strategy – selling software-as-a-service (SaaS) over the Internet, rather than selling licenses to their software.
It was a major shift in the way the company would do business.
But what I also found interesting was Microsoft’s recognition of the evolutionary nature of the switch to cloud computing. “We don’t want a one-slice-fits-all model,” Markezich said, in the article. “What we’re seeing is that very few customers with any legacy systems will move 100 percent to the cloud. There’s always going to be some data on the desktop or in their data centers.”
With this insight in mind, I found it particularly fascinating reading about the differences in how Office Web Apps and other cloud-based Microsoft services will be marketed – compared to its competitors, such as Google. Apparently, Microsoft will position itself to global companies – many of which enjoy perfect connectivity in some regions (the U.S. and Europe) and scattered or none in others, for example, parts of Africa. Such a company might say, “I’m not going to move my entire operation to the cloud because of sporadic access in some locations,” said Markezich. “They may choose to say that in Nigeria, I’ll have a server running Office Web apps, but [in another location] I’ll have corporate users on the [Microsoft] cloud because I’ve got great connectivity there and can save money.”
How does this compare to Google’s approach?
Quite different from Google’s “socialistic approach” to access to online apps, notes the article. Their approach translates to: “all customers are treated equal; no, we can’t tell you exactly what server your email is hosted on, but trust us, we’ve lived up to our 99.9% availability guarantee so far and prices that can’t be beat. We will treat you well because we’re a good company.”
Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing the debut of Office Web Apps and how the competition heats up in the world of cloud computing!
What’s your take? Do you think it will improve cloud computing with new services, standards and security?
