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Microsoft’s Head in the Clouds: Positioning for Success

CNET reports on Microsoft’s buzz-worthy but vague “cloud computing” plans this morning.

The concept of the “cloud OS” or “internet OS” has been generating more and more discussion over time. IMHO, the cloud is the true Web 3.0 - the distributed, ubiquitous web. Its being driven by the fact that people’s data, documents, applications, preferences, and tools are now scattered across many devices, platforms, websites, PC’s, set top boxes, gaming systems, and phones - our connected environment begs for the portability, synchronization, and interoperability that are enabled by a true Web OS.

Microsoft’s concept of cloud services coupled with edge computing positions them to deliver. For example: I want my Garmin eTrex to automatically upload paths of trips I’ve made in universally parseable geoRSS, and I want to be able to later share those trips as maps around the dinner table on my iPhone using Google Maps. Microsoft aims to provide the service and storage cloud infrastructure to make that possible, as well as the edge bits (the software on the eTrex) to knit it all together.

Essentially, Microsoft wants to replicate the success factors of their desktop dominance by making their web services platform the easiest and most common to work on, just as they did with their desktop platform. Creating a strategy to deliver on that objective comprehensively speaks well for Microsoft’s continued success vs. Yahoo’s atrocious API mishmash, or Google’s compulsive, inconsistent delivery schedule.

For a long time, I’ve been critical of Microsoft’s big bet on Ray Ozzie - after all, his Groove application was an absolute horror. But if this is his vision, and if he can get Microsoft to execute on it, then I’ll take back my criticisms.

Ah yes: we all know how much MS loves Developers. Hat tip, Parislemon.

cloud, google, internetos, microsoft, web3.0 yahoo

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