Chronicling the Progress of Microsoft’s “Top Secret”, Free “Windows Cloud OS”

I’ve written before (8/12 here, 7/13 here) that Microsoft seems to be stealthily, or at least without much fan fare, creating a kind of “Microsoft Windows Cloud Edition” without much notice in the form of the tightly integrated and free www.OneDrive, OfficeOnline apps Online and www.Outlook.com.

My argument is that while the industry hardly notices, Microsoft already largely has a “cloud OS” that consists of:

• Very simple “Start” menu (with Live Tiles)
• File Storage (Hardrive) in Skydrive 
• File Sharing (even public file sharing with editing!)
• Office Apps
  • Word
  • Excel
    • Excel/ Webbased Surveys
  • Powerpoint
  • Onenote
  • Outlook: contacts, calendar, email
• Photo viewer
• Notepad (advanced features)
• Outlook.com
  • Email (not only the client but the service as well!)
• Communication: Audio/Video, Presence & Instant Messaging Powered by Skype
  • Skype IM/P
  • Along with Gmail IM capabilities
• Skype Audio/Video calling in the browser Click Here
• This web OS easily sync’s with Windows, WindowsPhone, iPhone, Android

What is the latest addition to “Microsoft Windows Cloud OS”?

• More shortcuts to the “Start” menu
• Ability to add new document from the “Start” menu
• Office templates

The “Start” menu is current at the top of the screen instead of taking the whole screen but this could easily be remedied.

Currently the “Start” button looks like a Down caret/arrow:

But this could easily be turned into a Windows 8.x like “Start” Icon at the button of the screen, which would much more graphically indicate it’s Start-like purpose, as shown in the mockup below: (NOTE—this is a mockup screen, but obviously would take negligible amount of time to implement)

The new shortcuts mean you can open new documents or templates from the “Start” menu with one click:

You can now utilize Office online templates

When you are in templates, note the Office option.

There are some ways we could say the service is not a complete OS because of the lack of:

• Configurable and complete Start menu
• Ability to install additional apps
• Printer management?

whether this is Microsoft Window Cloud Edition OS or just a really handy, free web service, you can go out and get it right now. Sign up at: www.onedrive.com

Is SkyDrive Becoming Microsoft’s “Cloud OS” Plus?

Is the below picture Windows 8 Operating System Start Screen?

The answer is: No, this is the Skydrive “Start” menu! With the latest iteration of Skydrive, Skydrive has become even closer to a complete “Window Web OS”. What are some of the components of this “Web OS”?

• Very simple “Start” menu
• File Storage (Hardrive)
• Office Apps
• Photo viewer
• Email (not only the client but the service as well!)
• Presence & Instant Messaging (via Live Messenger web client)
• This web OS easily sync’s with WindowsPhone, iPhone, now Android

What are some things currently lacking?

• Configurable and complete Start menu
• Ability to install additional apps
• Printer management?

To access the “Start” menu, Open Outlook.com or Skydrive web interface, Goto email then:

Make no mistake, the components that are already in Skydrive are a large part of what “light OS” users do.

Read more about the new features of Skydrive to be released soon and…keep an eye on the developing “Web OS”!
http://windowsteamblog.com/skydrive/b/skydrive/

Is the Next Big Thing in Communications: Unified Social Communications? (USC)

 

Is the Next Big Thing in Communications Unified Social Communications? The marriage of Unified Communication and Social Networking? With the “Facebook generation” bringing their habits to work this is likely inevitable, but Microsoft’s purchase of Yammer has put the spotlight on Social joining hands with collaboration and Unified Communication in the enterprise. It seems Microsoft may be building out what could be called “Unified Social Communication” offering by it’s purchase of Yammer making Microsoft’s USC platform consist of:

• Communication/Collaboration
  • Microsoft Lync
  • Skype / Live Messenger
• Collaboration/Social
  • Sharepoint
  • Yammer
• Mobility
  • Lync for WindowsPhone, iPhone, iPad, Android, etc
• CEBP/Integration
  • Client SDK’s/Lync UCMA Server Side SDK’s
  • Allows mashups of communication, collaboration, social and business process

The Microsoft’s Unified Communication solution has continued to evolved into a continuously more social experience. It has become more social in Lync 2010 with people Pictures, Status, and Activity Feeds (much like a Facebook timeline).  This direction can be expected to continue and likely at a faster pace.

But Microsoft is not the only one building out Unified Social Communication. The king of social, Facebook, has been working on this for a while with:

• Instant Message
• Presence
• Facebook Video Calling (Click Here)
• Facebook Phone? (rumor) (Click Here)

And, of course, Google has what looks an awful lot like USC as well:

• Instant Message/Presence
• Video (Google Hangouts)
• Google Talk (PSTN Calling)
• Google+ (Social)
• Android (mobile)

UPDATE 6/28/2012: Looks like Google is merging Hangouts, Talk and Messenger: http://gigaom.com/2012/06/27/google-to-merge-hangouts-talk-messenger/?utm_source=%23frankguillen&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=FrankGuillen+Buzz

I think we’re taking another interesting step in the long evolution of business communication. I’d be glad to hear you thoughts.

Links

OpenScape Contact Center Talking About Integration with Twitter/Google Latitude in 2010:

Major Desk Phone Makers Retool Mindset and Identity for a Brave New Software World

 

While there have been innumerable articles asking the rhetorical question “Is the desk phone dead?” it seems the front is somewhat quiet on the subject as two major players, who have major stake in “desk phones” take specific action to end the age.

On May 24, 2012, Polycom, the epitome of the open IP conference and desk phone, didn’t just say “We are now adding software endpoints” but entirely changed their identity to make the point of  (and I quote Polycom’s press release) “Polycom’s continuing transformation to a software-led company, driving rapid innovation in UC and video collaboration…”

“Polycom’s continuing transformation to a software-led company…” –-Polycom Press Release May 24, 2012

The Polycom press release goes on to say: "…people around the world will begin seeing the new Polycom brand first-hand through Polycom software that powers mobile video collaboration on a wide range of devices, from tablets, smartphones and laptops to browser-based and social applications.”

If Polycom’s major shift was not enough, Cisco itself, and on the very same day noted in a blog post that “Cisco will no longer invest in the Cisco Cius tablet form factor, and no further enhancements will be made to the current Cius endpoint beyond what’s available today. However, as we evaluate the market further, we will continue to offer Cius in a limited fashion to customers with specific needs or use cases.”

But OJ Winge, Senior Vice President of Cisco's TelePresence Technology Group, made it clear that the failure of the Cius was not an isolated product failure, but linked this failure to Cisco’s need to refocus on “software offerings” by noting: "Cisco will instead "double down" on software offerings like its Jabber and WebEx products for more popular tablets and smartphones supporting a variety of operating systems, the blog states. Cisco unveiled a version of Jabber for the iPad at the Enterprise Connect conference earlier this year."

Barry O'Sullivan, Senior Vice President and GM of the Collaboration Technology Group Cisco, noted during the briefing at Cisco on Thursday afternoon that "Our strategy for the future is all about software…"

"Our strategy for the future is all about software…" Barry O'Sullivan, Cisco Senior VP and GM of the Collaboration Technology Group

 

What makes the failure of the Cisco Cius particularly poignant (especially for companies aspiring to build purpose built hardware devices) is that the Cisco Cius is a well designed and state of the art, purpose built, HD, video device. If the Cisco Cius cannot make it in this brave new world of BYOD and software based UC clients, what can?

What is interesting is that even with the “software” endpoint there is still need for “hardware” between the PC/Mobile and the user, but increasingly this can easily be a USB/bluetooth headset, Shifting the “desktop hardware” to vendors like Plantronics, Jabra, Seinhauser, Logitech and others.

 

UPDATED 6/2/2012: Just yesterday I was chatting with a Mitel New Partner onboarding person.

I was chatting with Mitel about what the requirements are for new partners and I got an interesting answer: They are looking for VMWare partners. (or a considerable volume of sales, but VMWare Partner seemed #1). That is right, not telephony or communication/UC experience, but partners that have experience with VMWare virtualization. My double take was apparently noticeable and these were the next words: “Mitel is becoming a software company…”

“Mitel is becoming a software company…”

I also notice that Mitel home page has depictions of tablets, mobile phone and headsets, but the desk phone is no where in site on it homepage at www.mitel.com (which, not surprisingly is exactly the same for Polycom and Cisco.)

Polycom and Cisco seem to wholeheartedly agree  with each other, (and almost word for word) that the future of UC endpoints is in software. 

…Which really is not news, and even slightly ironic, if you have been listening to Microsoft for that last 5 plus years…

Sources:
http://www.polycom.com/company/news_room/press_releases/2012/20120524.html
http://blogs.cisco.com/collaboration/empowering-choice-in-collaboration/

PS- I expect there will be a niche market for traditional form factor desk phones that will be around for some time.