Microsoft comes out fighting

In the last few months Microsoft has been ramping up its activity to show its innovation and development for business. Oracle has certainly stood centre stage and it seems that since the launch of Vista Microsoft has kept its head low seemingly to bow out of the technological fight.

Microsoft has a lot to contend with now compared to the IT market ten years ago; Apple has shown it’s the cool kid in school and Google has been sprinting ahead in the online stakes. However Microsoft’s all-inclusive ad campaign suggests that innovation is about to his us big time.

For some time Microsoft has talked about its browser-based Office applications for which will now become available. This will allow businesses to share information much more readily without the additional licensing costs – however there is stiff competition from Google.

In addition, Microsoft announced this week it will be unifying inboxes. Windows Live Mail update will offer single view of disparate email and IM systems. Microsoft is seeking to improve online communications by bringing disparate messaging systems together in an update to its Windows Live Mail application.

What Microsoft does in the business world, it also replicates for the consumers. On large-scale IT systems, Microsoft’s changes and tweaks to existing technologies could indeed provided solutions which are fully integrated and consolidated. Micosoft has the ability to make systems talk to each other and their apparent quietness of late could be due to clear communication that will improve the performance of exisiting systems and take the lead once again.

Keith Rock, Sales Director, Continental Europe & Africa