Saturday, June 20, 2015

"Satya" sends an email to "Team," mentioning the "Microsoft ecosystem," a usage which conjures images of predator-prey relationships in eco-balance.

And if the firm is full of predators, where does that leave customers?

This link. Shuffling the chairs, oh look, a guy or two no longer have chairs ...

Over the past year, I have said that Microsoft aspires to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. To do this, building the best-in-class productivity services and platforms for the mobile-first, cloud-first world is at the heart of our strategy, with three interconnected and bold ambitions:

Reinvent productivity and business processes
Build the intelligent cloud platform
Create more personal computing

Nothing in there about cash flows and balance sheet - income statement. Just better for us.

An XBox Elite, to better your life, so rest assured all is sincere.

That "cloud-first" approach is just what you want, isn't it? A monthly subscription service. However pricing evolves.

More: Days apart, with the Vatican and Microsoft expressing carbon footprint considerations, indeed a report out of Bonn so the Germans are onboard too, how can climate change doubters remain? How can it ever stay in fashion to doubt? Especially with Microsoft thoughtfully including an explanatory green chart that even a child can follow? Even more direct, a revolving green leaf from the "Smart 2030 - play video" thing. It's like Met Council, 2030 comp plans, all the puzzle pieces fitting together. Your future is being ably prepared. It will make your Crabgrass grow and your Northstar shine.

And, do not leave out the Chinese. With a $40 million investment. Of Microsoft money. A global ecosystem, that word again, predator-prey relationships, perhaps touching TPP, TPA, and TAA to make your life and your children's children's lives better in the U.S. of A.

Who said reading corporate "news" is dry, unrewarding, and uninformative?

____________UPDATE___________
With two schools of thought, a little may not be enough, and you do not make a more interesting point by adding coumulative and possibly weaker detail, more detail, e.g., here:

TAIPEI, Taiwan — June 3, 2015 — Wednesday during a keynote address at the Taipei International Convention Center, Nick Parker, corporate vice president OEM Division, Microsoft Corp., discussed how Windows 10 is enabling the next generation of devices and cloud-based solutions. Parker highlighted the vast opportunities that Windows 10 creates for partners to grow their businesses by selling the innovative Windows 8.1 devices that are in the marketplace now, promoting the great experience that Windows 10 will offer on those devices when upgraded, and building new hardware across traditional and emerging device categories. These new devices will bring Windows 10 to life when it becomes available in 190 countries around the world on July 29 and in the following months.

Parker was joined onstage by Tony Prophet, corporate vice president for Windows and Search Marketing, and Roanne Sones, general manager of Windows Engineering. Prophet highlighted the ambitious goal of 1 billion devices running Windows 10 in the next two to three years and discussed how Microsoft will drive excitement and demand for Windows 10 and new devices. Sones demonstrated rich new experiences and scenarios that Windows 10 enables including Start menu enhancements, universal apps and drivers, multitasking, and PC security features. She demonstrated the latest innovations in Cortana,1 Continuum, Microsoft Edge and Windows Hello,2 and she discussed how DirectX 12 will improve the gaming experience, as well as the opportunity for OEMs to develop unique hardware to light up these new capabilities.

Parker shared Microsoft’s commitment to hardware partners to foster opportunities, drive innovation, increase demand and grow the market for Windows devices. [...]

How can you wait for such breakthrough technology, with something for everyone, even for boring corporate spenders?

Obviously you cannot, and the one shill mentioned the Win 8.1 devices in the pipeline now, so go and see. Go and buy.

Especially go and buy if you are big-ticket corporate, where Microsoft uses its own hardware branding (as with the gamers' XBox hardware):

REDMOND, Wash. — June 10, 2015 — Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday announced that Microsoft Surface Hub, the company’s new large-screen collaboration device, will be available for businesses to order in 24 markets beginning July 1. Breakthrough hardware innovations in touch and ink allow Surface Hub to harness the power of Windows 10, Skype for Business, Office, OneNote and Universal Windows apps to deliver a new kind of productivity experience optimized for groups. The unique experience is designed to be just as engaging for people working together in the same room as for those connecting remotely. To meet the needs of a variety of rooms and spaces, Surface Hub is available in two main configurations: Surface Hub 55-inch for $6,999, and Surface Hub 84-inch for $19,999.

Surface Hub delivers the power and versatility of a complete, cloud-connected Windows 10 device along with the simplicity and consistency of a custom interface that is built for shared spaces. The device is designed for anyone to walk up and use, providing an engaging way to share ideas and information. Right from the welcome screen it’s easy to start white-boarding, initiate a videoconference or share content, but that’s just the beginning. [...]

And here again, on the item bylined Taipei, the headline: "Computex 2015: Microsoft showcases new Windows 10 devices from partners and broadens the ecosystem opportunity."

"Ecosystem" again. That must make Microsoft "job creators" but with the latter term waning, what, "engines of industrial information driven ecosystem progress?" Right. Perhaps "job creators" is not that bad. If not driving information ecosystem innovation, at least the plastics/petrochem people are getting a part of high tech trickle down. For the good of all.

___________FURTHER UPDATE___________
For the good of all.

That item bylined Taipei, further notes:

Parker highlighted an array of devices, some never before seen, designed for Windows 10 including PCs from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Toshiba:

[...] A new Toshiba PC enables Windows Hello with the latest in biometric security technology, including a face-authentication camera, an Ultra HD 4K screen and optimization for Cortana.

In addition Parker demonstrated two new PC form factors:

FoxConn Kangaroo is an ultra-portable desktop PC that turns your TV into a full Windows PC, including a fingerprint reader to support Windows Hello and up to six hours of battery life.

[...]

Let's see, your face recognized with a profile of it stored on the device you have connected to the Internet, and than fingerprint recognition, and Cortana being voice recognition, both likewise profile-stored. "Cloud connected device" the one item said. Doubtlessly that "biometric security technology" that was also mentioned includes such strong encryption for you that even the NSA could not break it, and should they, we know they, our NSA, operates without nefarious purposes. Buy and enjoy.