I haven’t yet absorbed all the information about Microsoft’s introduction of Windows Live and Microsoft Office Live yesterday, although I have read the press release plus scanned a few tech-focused articles this morning via Memeorandum.
A good (ie, easiest for me to understand) news report I read was this one from Dan Farber at ZDNet:
[…] Bill Gates said that every five years Microsoft looks at its strategy and makes big bets – 1990 was Windows, the Web in 1995 and Web Services .Net in 2000. The next big bet, Gates said, is delivering a new type of software experience, called “live software.” It’s about connecting users at the center, with relationships with people, data people care about, applications and all devices coming together to do things for you, Gates said. It’s a way to think through the user experience, a fusion of software and services, with capabilities across the Internet, enabled by the broadband, wireless, low cost storage, a multitude of devices, the march of Moore’s Law. Sounds like a bit of Web 2.0 mixed with Microsoft’s live naming theme – Live Meeting, XBox Live. Services = Software, in a broad way, from hosted services like email and CRM to MSN and mapping mash-ups.
Web 2.0 – just what I had been thinking, especially in looking at the photo above. Yes, Web 2.0. That could make sense.
The photo, incidentally, is one of a series taken by Niall Kennedy who has a great Flickr set of yesterday’s Microsoft event.
Neville Hobson is the author of the popular NevilleHobson.com blog which focuses on business communication and technology.
Neville is currentlly the VP of New Marketing at Crayon. Visit Neville Hobson’s blog: NevilleHobson.com.
