david levy_

Why Isn't Microsoft's Strategy Working Anymore?

MikeOz:
I agree, an internal Exchange Server can be unwiedly, insecure, and expensive to manage. Hosted Exchange elimnates the internal headaches, and, with the right provider, provides ALL the functions of exchange (including those not done or not done well by Google) with best practices, reliablity, and low, predictable monthly cost. User accounts go for about $13 a month.

Jun 08 12:12 PM MikeOz wrote:

> On Jun 08 07:59 AM david levy wrote:
> "The Online/Offiline functionality of Outlook/Exchange could be enhanced
> to provide multi-device and virtual desktop (like you suggest) functionality.
> Hosted Exchange is a great, undermarketed product."
>
> .. or is it ? Our business (only 70 users) has been running its own
> exchange server for 10 years. It is expensive to manage / replicate
> / backup etc for such a small number of users.
> Google apps is $50 per user per year for an imap hosted service that
> really looks no different to our users on Outlook.
>
> It is very hard to look past Google Apps - it's a fraction of the
> upgrade costs (hardware and software) that we will have if we stick
> with Exchange.
> MS's vulnerability on email servers has flow on effects:
> - If we move to Google apps, do we really need a Windows domain.
> Our database server (currently SqlServer) is accessed only by browser
> by our users. Our file server could just as easily be linux, with
> zero licencing cost. And ...do we even need a Windows desktop etc
> etc .....

Why Isn't Microsoft's Strategy Working Anymore?

"...I have for Microsoft. The company owns a well established operating system, industry standard office software, and the most widely used internet browser. Combine those with its deep pool of development talent, and I think it has all the ingredients needed to make the most powerful virtual desktop on the market."

This idea is one that I have been spouting to all my clients and friends. The only succesful MSFT cloud-computing application is Exchange in a hosted environement. The Online/Offiline functionality of Outlook/Exchange could be enhanced to provide multi-device and virtual desktop (like you suggest) functionality. Hosted Exchange is a great, undermarketed product.

The virtual PC in the cloud, combined with other OS agnostic apps IS the future and the ultimate desktop killer as people learn that ownership of data does not mean they have to hold it on their own, personal, magnetic disks.

I could not agree with your points more. However, I am still an XP/MSFT software user...AAPL is still too arrogant and making some of the same mistakes they did in the 80s. Mistakes that have caused them to always play catchup from a less than 5% marketshare.

Great Article!