iTechNote

Remember the catchy slogan “Where do you want to go today?” that Microsoft had over the years? A powerful slogan that gives an impression that wherever you as a customer want to go, Microsoft has a solution.

Ironically it is the turn of the software giant which is not sure about where to go because the company has been outmatched in too many areas. Microsoft is so deeply wounded by the web revolution Search Giant Google has brought about that Bill Gates had to step down.

Ray Ozzie, the new “courtly, soft-spoken, as approachable as your favorite college prof” Chief Software Architect, has started to make a change in the 70,000 employees business. His primary objective is to push his company to adapt to Web 2.0 and beyond for survival. The key is to move from a “one man decides all” product development style to a more open ended collaborative effort.

Microsoft always has a hard time learning new tricks. You seldom see new innovations coming out of the company by, say two engineers working out a hobby project over the weekends. Alex Hopmann, a 10-year Microsoft developer and manager who left the company on commenting about the quick release of Live Clipboard says “it used to be that someone would come up with an idea like that and it wouldn’t see daylight for two years, until the next product release.” In comparison, Ray Ozzie himself is directly involved in the development of Live Clipboard this time, which is unheard of in Bill Gates era.

So how does Ozzie perceive the vision of Web 2.0 and beyond? He reckons it is about enabling users to have access to their data and applications wherever they are and regardless of what device they’re using – the laptop at work, the PC at home, the cell phone, the television, whatever - it should all behave seamlessly. In order to reach the vision, Microsoft needs to shift gears fast and concentrate on the software-services world.

The approach will be to design and release software faster and in smaller interchangeable pieces and then letting online user feedback guide improvements similar to Google’s approach. The ecosystem for the software industry has changed so much over the years. A software vendor can no longer tell the customers - “here is the software, go and learn to make it useful”. Actually, it is the other way round now. Customers decide what they want and what they like. Microsoft can no longer afford building huge complex software without involving the users. The users need to be able to decide from the first minute an application is being developed.

To get the whole story about where Microsoft is moving after Bill Gates era, read this insightful article at Wired Magazine.

Remember the catchy slogan “Where do you want to go today?” that Microsoft had over the years? A powerful slogan that gives an impression that wherever you as a customer want to go, Microsoft has a solution.

Ironically it is the turn of the software giant which is not sure about where to go because the company has been outmatched in too many areas. Microsoft is so deeply wounded by the web revolution Search Giant Google has brought about that Bill Gates had to step down.

Ray Ozzie, the new “courtly, soft-spoken, as approachable as your favorite college prof” Chief Software Architect, has started to make a change in the 70,000 employees business. His primary objective is to push his company to adapt to Web 2.0 and beyond for survival. The key is to move from a “one man decides all” product development style to a more open ended collaborative effort.

Microsoft always has a hard time learning new tricks. You seldom see new innovations coming out of the company by, say two engineers working out a hobby project over the weekends. Alex Hopmann, a 10-year Microsoft developer and manager who left the company on commenting about the quick release of Live Clipboard says “it used to be that someone would come up with an idea like that and it wouldn’t see daylight for two years, until the next product release.” In comparison, Ray Ozzie himself is directly involved in the development of Live Clipboard this time, which is unheard of in Bill Gates era.

So how does Ozzie perceive the vision of Web 2.0 and beyond? He reckons it is about enabling users to have access to their data and applications wherever they are and regardless of what device they’re using – the laptop at work, the PC at home, the cell phone, the television, whatever - it should all behave seamlessly. In order to reach the vision, Microsoft needs to shift gears fast and concentrate on the software-services world.

The approach will be to design and release software faster and in smaller interchangeable pieces and then letting online user feedback guide improvements similar to Google’s approach. The ecosystem for the software industry has changed so much over the years. A software vendor can no longer tell the customers - “here is the software, go and learn to make it useful”. Actually, it is the other way round now. Customers decide what they want and what they like. Microsoft can no longer afford building huge complex software without involving the users. The users need to be able to decide from the first minute an application is being developed.

To get the whole story about where Microsoft is moving after Bill Gates era, read this insightful article at Wired Magazine.