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2011 Bucket List: Cloud Computing Predictions

December 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I’ve been getting a growing number of questions about my predictions for the Cloud Computing market in 2011.

My work is still in progress, but here are a few predications that I hope you will find provocative if not down right brilliant :-)

• Despite the hype to the contrary, in 2011 many cloud computing efforts in large enterprises will bare tornadoes.

The principle issues include but are not limited to incomplete cloud management platforms, immature security tools and significant shortfalls in interoperability.

• Cloud computing acceptance will accelerate in the small business sector during 2011.

One of the byproducts of the macro economic environment we find ourselves facing, is high relative net new growth in the small business (SMB) services sector. This is an operating group that traditionally as been both frugal and incompetent, or looked at IT as a necessary evil and not a weapon of revenue. I think that there is a seismic shift in the behavior of small business about the value of IT and one of the translations will be a migration to cloud computing.

• New cloud market entrants touting specific service agilities and/or functions will make the loudest noise in 2011.

In fact its quite likely that we will see more function specific clouds supporting multiple modalities across both public and private cloud frameworks in 2011 than we have seen in the last five years combined.

• The mobile cloud computing market triples (at least) in 2011

Statistics indicate that nearly 30% of American’s are walking around with more computing power than they had at their desktop toward the end of the last decade. We will likely see innovation here a few areas including: private mobile frameworks for the enterprise workforce, public multi-tenant, multi-service frameworks that support consumer application provisioning that include support for real time and on demand video, audio and gaming services.

Again, this is work in progress. I would really appreciate hearing your point of views. predictions

…and of course, feel free to flame me !

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My Forbes Post: Microsoft Mobile: Impressive and Unique

October 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Image representing Microsoft as depicted in Cr...

Image via CrunchBase

It’s a big day for Microsoft. The company had to step up and show the world that that innovation is still alive at Microsoft. The company was compelled to show it has both the talent and the fortitude to extend its dominant desktop and .NET platform and services effectively, cleanly and seamlessly to consumers and enterprise mobile. I have to admit I was skeptical, but my initial impressions are positive about what I’ve seen so far.

In an earlier post I discussed some of the more critical items I think Microsoft needed to address today. Let’s take a look how the company did.

  1. A blistering cool user interface that gets people talking.  Score 8 out of 10. The Interface seems very fast (we have no hands-on experience yet)  thanks in part to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 1Ghz processor coupled with the multi-thread application environments in its new and unique application hub architecture. My one itch remains the square box icons that seem so 1980’s. I think Microsoft should worry less about mimicking Apple’s rounded icon look and just go ahead and use it.
  2. Socially seamless consumer experience.  Score 10/10. Twitter, Facebook, location, mapping, it’s all there – bravo. I think consumers will find this integration to make their mobile experience simple, intuitive and easy. Almost a no-brainer.
  3. Mobile Cloud solution for small business – Score 5/10. Sure, Microsoft Office is extended quite nicely into Windows Mobile 7, but I think the company really missed an opportunity to package up a suite of applications that speaks directly to the small business market. It will be interesting to see what routes Microsoft takes to create vertical applications and IT management tool packages for some of its major verticals including, but not limited to, Financial Services, Retail and Healthcare.
  4. Tools that allow IT to more easily embrace the consumerization of IT. Score 2 out of 10. Microsoft did virtually nothing to up its ante here. The OneNote find phone, wipe phone is a welcome addition for consumers, but I think the company missed an opportunity to launch with some enterprise business differentiation. Much of the launch feels, to me, a bit too consumer focused.
  5. A large application warehouse that has great developer incentives. Score 5 out 10. Microsoft didn’t hurt or help itself here. Most developers tell me it’s far easier to develop in the .NET environments, but with all the momentum on other platforms, the question remains how many developer converts we will see.

Overall, Microsoft scored a 6 out of a possible 10 against the items that I believe are critical to get its mobile share out of the dumpster. The carrier and handset manufacturer’s partners are strong. Content partners like Electronic Arts, a good first step. But all of these were table stakes, not differentiators.

Microsoft accomplished a major feat. It is back, it is innovating and it is very serious about becoming a contender in mobile.

The Forbes link http://bit.ly/aWzIo0

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Filed Under: business productivity, cloud computing, consumer experience, device performance, Microsoft, Mobile, mobile applications, mobile enterprise, Mobile Industry Issues Tagged With: , , , ,

Will Microsoft Mobile Find Success? 5 Things We Need To Hear

October 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Image representing Microsoft as depicted in Cr...

Image via CrunchBase

Today is a very important day for Microsoft – one that could very well determine the long term success of the company. At question is whether the company can muster the talent to either extend its’ dominate desktop franchise and architecture and put it into the wanting hands of mobile consumers, or redefine its position in the category completely, in what is already a very fragmented market.  Keep in mind; this is Microsoft’s 3rd or 4th reincarnation hailing as far back as its JV with Qualcomm – Wireless Knowledge.

With that in mind, here are five things I think we need to hear from Microsoft.

  1. A blistering cool user interface that gets people talking. Given what we’ve already heard, we know there is a new operating system (OS). How consumers feel when use the new OS is going to be key
  2. Socially seamless consumer experience.  Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, Foursquare, Gowalla plus email, instant messaging, music, picture and video sharing continue to be a growing daily digest of things people do – at home and on their mobile. If Microsoft can seduce consumers to its platform by making the social consumer experience simple and seamless, this may stand to differentiate the company from the field.
  3. Mobile Cloud solution for small business – The appetite for getting things done faster, simpler and at lower cost is an insatiable requirement in the small business market. This could be a big home run sector for Microsoft if it puts together a smart toolbox.
  4. Tools that allow IT to more easily embrace the consumerization of IT. Increasingly CIO’s and their IT staff are pushed against the wall to support the latest and greatest mobile handset. There is a growing IT policy be dammed attitude brewing that will come to a quick halt the minute some consumer, employee or regulatory infraction results in a lawsuit named after the offending company. Research in Motion (RIM) is the king here; Microsoft needs to go after RIM with both guns afire. Apple has some enterprise hooks, but similar to using the Android platform most CIO’s resort to third party solutions that result in raising the complexity of device management and the total cost of ownership of the mobile solutions.
  5. A large application warehouse that has great developer incentives. Nothing more need be said about this.

Clearly there are other basic items we need to hear including but not limited Microsoft’s hardware handset roadmap, carriers and content partners, but this list is a start of what I think could differentiate Microsoft in the mobile sector. What do you think we need to see?

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