What a coincidence: Having read the first two chapters of Nick Carr's new "The Big Switch" last night, I find a Microsoft Executive E-mail from Bob Muglia in my Inbox this morning barking up the same tree. Bob Muglia is Senior Vice President for Server and Tools Business at Microsoft Corporation.
But in contrast to Nick Carr's book, the mail is written from a quite abstract server point-of-view only. There might be two reasons for this:
1. Bob Muglia is responsible for Server and Tools, not for the other organizational silos. 2. Details on how the new strategy could affect the Windows Client, Office, and Business Solutions divisions are either not elaborated yet or shall not be shouted from the rooftops.
Nevertheless there are two levels of the new virtualization strategy that will directly influence Office and MBS in the future: Application virtualization and desktop virtualization.
"Application Virtualization: Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization transforms applications into centrally-managed virtual services that are streamed to desktops, servers, and laptops when and where they are needed. SoftGrid dramatically accelerates application deployment, upgrades, and patching by simplifying the application management lifecycle.
Desktop Virtualization: Microsoft Virtual PC runs applications that are not compatible with the operating system on a desktop PC by supporting multiple operating systems on a single machine. It also accelerates testing and development of new software and systems. In addition, with the Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop license for hosted desktop architectures (also known "virtualized desktop infrastructures"), an entire desktop can be hosted on a server and remotely delivered to another desktop computer."
Somehow this all rang a bell with what I read yesterday about Edison, Insull, direct current, alternating current and the rotary converter 100 years ago. General Electric's history repeating? What does this all mean for Microsoft 10 years from now?
[Update 1:47 PM: I have scanned the next two chapters of Nick's book and realize that virtualization and my thoughts from this morning are an issue. There is still silence on the new continent concerning the executive mail (Google Blog and News Search). Let us wait and see what happens.]
Read the Executive E-mail! | View Tech Trader Daily! | Read PCPro UK!
[Update 1:55 PM Read InfoWorld Canada!]
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