MS future in software + service

By Candice Jones for Microsoft
Johannesburg, 18 Apr 2008

Microsoft is pushing its own version of software as a service (SaaS) for its 2008 business strategy.

Speaking at the ITWeb Digital Life Expo, at the Sandton Convention Centre, this morning, Colin Erasmus, Windows Client business group executive at Microsoft SA, said the SaaS model is the future of the software business.

"Our Xbox live offering is the first taste that Microsoft had of the possibilities of software provided in the cloud."

According to Microsoft figures, Xbox live sports around 70 million global subscribers. "It is the fastest growing Internet-based subscription service in history."

Xbox live is not yet available in SA; however, Erasmus said the local arm is working to have it implemented in the near future. Stemming from the success of Xbox live and existing cloud service models, such as Web 2.0, the company plans to drive the model as one of this year's business goals.

The Web-based services industry is also being driven by the change in consumer attitude and activity, added Erasmus. "Web 2.0 and other Internet-based services allow the consumer to dictate what they want, and online services are able to provide a richer and more interactive experience."

The software giant said its directive will be software + service, with an underlying platform to perform the service aspect. Erasmus cited an example: "New York Times readers can use Windows Presentation Foundation to pull content from the Web site and create a richer experience as a media consumer. But this is not done in isolation; there has to be an underlying platform."

Microsoft will use its suite of 2008 products from SQL Server 2008 to Windows Vista as the basic platform from which its services model will run. Windows Live, Exchange Server, Silverlight and Dynamics CRM are some of the services the company has made available in its software + services offering.

As part of the Digital Life Expo, Erasmus showcased several new technologies that the company is either working on, or has recently released. The developments included in the new version of Internet Explorer (IE) are some of the ideas the company is developing.

IE 8 will allow users to translate a particular word or paragraph within a single window, using the connectivity of Windows Live. Another new feature to be expected in IE 8 is based on the company's online mapping service. By right-clicking on a highlighted address in a particular Web page, users will be able to ask the software to find the physical address in the linked mapping service.

He also displayed the possible uses of Microsoft's coffee-table touchscreen device called Surface, which Erasmus says will be available for trial in SA soon.