Cloud computing seems to be the next way to go. That’s a pretty obvious step cause more and more people are relying on the net to create, store, collaborate and publish their data. Let’s see the strategies of the mayor players in the field right now.
Microsoft Cloud Strategy
Microsoft own the OS and Office Market, no doubt of that, but to maintain this status they have to provide solutions on the cloud. Actually, Microsoft have already solutions in the cloud, they have Exchange and Share Point for the Enterprise, which are pretty much the standard in synchronization right now, they also have the Office live thingy but like many things from Microsoft is hard to see where is the benefit we can get using it, cause is buried under a lot of Marketing and unrelated stuff that -at least for me- is not working.
The next evolutionary step for Microsoft is migrate their Office suite to the cloud, that’s when Silverlight come to play. last year release of Silverlight was toke with a lot of skepticism from the community, the purpose was not so clear to the majority of us. I saw Silverlight like a “me too” project to compete with Adobe and the ubiquitous Flash Player -thanks to video for that penetration numbers. But looking more closely to the last steps from Microsoft, like the partnership to broadcast video from the next olympiads on the net, that will surely rocket the Silverlight penetration numbers.
With a Silverlight in the ~98% of the computers connected to the cloud -like Flash player is right now, Microsoft will be ready to roll out an Office Suite in the platform ready to be used from the cloud. That may be Microsoft’s master plan right now… or something similar. But surely they have a plan to deploy Office to the Cloud.
Google Cloud Strategy
Google is native to the cloud, they where born in the cloud. In the last years Google was unveiling a set of services, starting with Google Mail, Calendar, Documents, Reader and a long etcetera. Starting to make the transition to the cloud their most successful services in that set are GMail, Calendar and Reader. They are also taking steps to make this products easy to use for collaboration which is other hot trend in cloud computing.
Their strategies to take over the cloud are simple, offer a better service (anyone is using hotmail out there?) and the APIs. Let’s take a look at the APIs and why they are important. The APIs from Google services provide a way to migrate this services to other platforms and uses depending of specific requirements, for instance I can sync my GMail and Calendar on my iPhone using 3rd party applications for the iPhone who rely on the Google APIs. Also Google don’t have to worry about make this applications cause the community is empowered to do it.
Next evolutionary step is: mobile, and here is where Android is invited to the game. I’m very sceptic about Android -mostly cause I hate Java- but I’m sure that Android play really important role in the Google’s master plan. Of course we still have to wait for the first device loaded with Android -hey HTC where is your Android ready device for this month? you are late already.
Google set of service are starting to take off mainly on small teams and companies, but there is a long way to go for Google Documents, cause everybody at work have Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint already.
Apple cloud strategy
Apple unveiled the iPhone 3G this week and at the same time they present a new service: Mobile Me, which will sync your email, calendar, photos and files across the Macs, the PCs and your phone -if you have an iPhone. That’s a step into cloud computing. Is a paid service -is Apple- but surely will solve the sync problem.
This is a interesting approach cause Apple is not a big player on Internet Services, but I’m sure that the user experience on the service will win a lot of customers to the service. The people will love the fact that is 0 hassle involve on the configuration and synchronization of this service with you computers at home, work and your phone.
With this approach Apple will be quietly gaining some terrain on the SaaS market and will be easy to plug in more services on Mobile Me later -a Office Suite, maybe
Adobe Cloud strategy
Adobe on their site have their Flash Player installed on a big percent of the computers connected to the net and lately with the launch of the AIR platform will be very easy to deploy many hosted serviced on the net.
Adobe have already a Word Processor built on Flex, Buzzword and currently integrated on their Acrobat.com service. Buzzword is by far the best Word Processor you can use right now on the net; also is native to the net so the collaboration features are really nice.
They are rumors Adobe is developing a office suite which include Spreadsheets and Presentations software but this are only rumors right now.
Other players in the field
You have probably heard or use some of the other services and applications in the cloud computing field: SalesForce, Zoho, ThinkFree, 37signals products, etc. This is a hot field and every want a piece of the cloud pie here, let’s see who win this race.
Keep flowing.
Since the first Xerox GUI all User Experience has been locked to the ‘Desktop’ metaphor, is time for a change. But what can be the next metaphor?
The companies are starting to realize the importance of having a great User Experience for their services and products and taking steps in the right direction… but is too little to late. Is a fact that the best User Experience win; and the ones with a poor one will perish, more in these hard times when consumers will take a second (and sometimes a third) look before pull out their wallets.
Also the current OSs are designed in concordance with the old metaphor, making more difficult to make any change at all. With a new metaphor is also needed a new concept of Operating System to match this new metaphor.