Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • Mobile
    • PC Hardware

    Microsoft Pushes Traditional PC, Personal Clouds at WPC

    Written by

    Nicholas Kolakowski
    Published July 13, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      WASHINGTON, D.C.-Microsoft executives used a second day of keynotes at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference July 13 to highlight the supposed dominance of the traditional PC, as well as upcoming consumer products.

      Microsoft’s overarching strategy seems to center on promoting its flagship products, such as Windows 7 or the upcoming Windows Phone 7, as equally useful within both a business and consumer context.

      “The things we use at home are the things we’re being asked for at work,” Brad Brooks, corporate vice president of Windows consumer marketing and product management, told the audience. “It’s about how things fit with both my home life and my work life that defines a great product and product experiences.”

      “Some say a PC is not the future, that it’s reached the limit,” Brooks said, in what could be regarded as something of a backhand swipe against Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who has said on a number of occasions that mobile devices have begun to eclipse the traditional PC. “I think those people need to have their headbone checked out. We are just seeing an amazing breadth of innovation and form factors from our manufacturing partners. Windows 7 takes PC to a whole new level: the cloud: the personal cloud.”

      To illustrate the concept of a personal cloud, he demonstrated how a song downloaded onto his PC would sync onto his smartphone, or how a photo taken with a Windows Phone 7 device could be synced to the cloud-based Microsoft Skydrive, and from there sent to friends and family. Leveraging the cloud, media such as video or music can be delivered to multiple screens within a household.

      While Windows 7 has proven a bestseller in the months following its October 2009 release, and many of its flagship programs remain staples of both the enterprise and SMBs, Microsoft’s consumer initiatives have a decidedly mixed track record.

      Last week, for example, the company was forced to discontinue its Kin social-networking phones due to anemic sales; although the devices were aimed at a fairly narrow demographic of teenagers and social-networking-happy young adults, their much-publicized demise led to much questioning about Microsoft’s ability to execute its broader plan for Windows Phone 7, which is due for release on select devices later in 2010.

      The Kin’s death took place against a broader shakeup of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division, including the departure of its two top executives. The group’s Xbox franchise has begun to turn a profit after several years of running in the red, but other products-such as the Zune HD-have not attained marketplace success.

      That puts Microsoft at something of a disadvantage in the consumer IT space, notably in comparison to Apple, whose iPods dominate the portable-media-device market.

      Microsoft’s countermove seems to be focusing on cloud services, and their portability across multiple pieces of hardware, as opposed to specific devices. The other part of its consumer push continues to be smartphones; during a keynote at the conference, Andy Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business, insisted that, “Windows Phone 7 is very focused on delighting the end user.”

      “The problem is that smartphones are just app launchers; they’re a grid of icons,” Lees continued. “We figured there’s got to be a better way than going app by app by app, so two years ago we fundamentally reset our strategy.”

      Microsoft needs that strategy to succeed.

      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.