When Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system makes its way into the market towards the end of this year, it will have a unifying effect on the industry in the sense that, for the first time ever, the user's hardware platform of choice will be unimportant.
Traci Maynard, Microsoft business unit manager at Tarsus Technologies, says this is because the Windows 8 kernel, and more specifically, the metro-style interface layer that it includes, will be present across conventional notebook and desktop computers, as well as a new breed of touch-enabled notebooks, slate devices and smartphones.
“This means that users will not only be able to have their information follow them from one device form factor to another using a pervasive set of credentials such as a Windows Live ID, but will also be able to make use of the exact same applications, regardless of whether they're on their notebook, tablet or smartphone,” Maynard says.
Although this functionality will only be exposed to users if they have Windows 8 on all of their devices, Maynard says the important point is that users have never been able to run the same operating system on such an array of different devices before.
“While there's a ton to be said for the familiarity users will suddenly be able to share across notebooks, desktops, slates and smartphones, the real benefit lies in the software developers' ability to build an application once and deploy it in three places simultaneously.
“It's going to do nothing short of ignite the worldwide market for applications built for the Windows 8 metro-style interface and save anyone in the software development game - both corporates and independent developers focused on the business and consumer markets - a ton of time and effort,” she says.
And the timing could literally not be better, she adds.
“People are confused about which computing platform to invest in, are worried about how the cloud will impact their lives, and are grappling with the increasingly mobile nature of the technology world.
“A product like Windows 8 that simplifies all of this and makes all of those factors relatively irrelevant is long overdue,” she concludes.
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Tarsus Technologies
With more than 26 years of experience in the ICT industry, Tarsus is the leading value-added distributor in South Africa, specialising in the supply of the world's foremost PC and peripheral hardware brands to the local reseller channel.
Tarsus strives to meet the channel's needs for credit funding, stock availability and efficient logistics, ensuring that resellers are able to deliver the highest quality service to their customers, focus on support and compiling the best overall solutions for their end-user customer base at the lowest possible cost.
The company prides itself on its flexibility, adaptability, knowledge, skills and successful track record, combined with an industry-leading ability to manage large roll-outs. These are the reasons Tarsus has consistently been rated as the top distributor in the country by international vendors, resellers and the IT media alike.
With its strong commitment to the South African channel, Tarsus is able to not only make the reseller channel more efficient, but more importantly, it plays a vital role in dramatically reducing the costs of doing business in the local ICT market.
Tarsus distributes a range of products from the world's leading manufacturers, including Acer, APC, Cisco, Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Meissner, Microsoft, OKI Printing Solutions and Samsung.
Tarsus' head office is situated in Johannesburg with branches in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. Tarsus has also extended its footprint into Africa with branches in Namibia, Botswana and Mauritius.
More information about Tarsus is available at: http://puruma.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6b6fa2e464972c8567da2318d&id=afc8e02134&e=41ae459e54.
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