At Build 2018, Microsoft will continue to form the foundation for ubiquitous computing's future

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

If you blink, you may just miss how the world of computing is changing right now.

Satya Nadella

Satya Nadella (Image credit: Windows Central)

As we head into yet another Microsoft Build developer event, the focus of the company shifting will likely be more evident than ever. That's not to say, as some like to repeat, that Microsoft is becoming analogous to IBM (a company whose stock is down significantly from its peak in 2013). Rather, Redmond is positioning itself for the next generation of computing.

Navigating that new world as a consumer-orientated site and reporter is challenging. While covering the latest updates to Office or various new messenger strategies was never thrilling, artificial intelligence (A.I.), the "cloud," "intelligent edge," and seemingly abstract concepts like quantum computing feel like science fiction at times.

Microsoft's strategy for the future

Compared to Apple or even Google – which develop their OSes behind closed doors – Microsoft is building Windows 10 out in the open for everyone to see. The Windows Insider Program (WIP) is Microsoft making its OS as an ongoing, beta project. While the company announces some new surprise features, it does so on a cadence of every few weeks, instead of a once-a-year press extravaganza.

There are no significant surprises anymore because Microsoft lets you into the kitchen. And you mostly know what's for dinner.

This Windows development strategy results in a situation where you don't quite realize how you get to where you are because it happens so steadily (versus one giant "update" like going to Windows Vista).

In that sense, I get how Microsoft Build might feel like a let down for some Windows enthusiasts. For Microsoft, it's no longer about creating whizbang new apps that attempt to catch up to its rivals, or even new hardware — it saves that for independent Surface events where the message is more focused.

I'm now starting to see and even understand where Microsoft is heading in 2018 and beyond. The strategy is very much like the pre-Internet days where people just imagined everyone having a PC that was connected via the world wide web, standards for web browsers, omnipresent 3G, 4G, and even 5G data networks, GPS for consumers (instead of only missile guidance systems), USB for peripherals, and microprocessors to power it all. There was a time when none of that existed, yet people imagined it would happen.

Microsoft leading the tech charge

Our increasingly interconnected world...who powers it?

Our increasingly interconnected world...who powers it?

Microsoft had little role in shaping that world. While it used Internet Explorer to benefit from it, the company was mostly reacting, not leading.

The next evolution of computing is not desktop PCs, laptops, or even smartphones.It's ubiquitous and ambient computing. It's Internet of Things (IoT), where your thermostat is not only connected to the internet but has a smart assistant letting it talk and answer questions. Whether it's intelligent speakers that act on your vocal commands, smart ovens that ensure you don't burn a casserole, or doorbells with full HD cameras in them, we're heading into some strange times.

Computing is now going to be distributed, parallel, cloud-based, ambient, and ubiquitous. The reason for such systems is to improve efficiency, speed, and the simple fact that local, centralized computing networks – or even cloud-based ones – simply cannot keep up with having these many devices constantly connected to them, each vying for precious resources and algorithmic processing. It'll also be inclusive because everyone should be able to participate.

The computer in your bag or phone in your pocket will continue to evolve, but now it's time to make the rest of world "smart" and connected. Instead of configuring computers to our liking, the computers will learn about us, suggesting ideas, things to buy, reminders, and more (much of this is already active if you use Amazon).

Whoever gets to build this world – and the backbone for it – will be in a position of strength decades from now. Think of how Netflix attacked watching movies compared to Blockbuster video. While sending DVDs in the mail was catching on, and it was still well ahead of Blockbuster, Netflix immediately shifted to streaming movies, well ahead of anyone else. The rest, as they say, is history.

That is what Microsoft is doing ... or it's trying to. Whether it is Azure, AI, Cortana, Machine Learning, containers, cognitive services, or bot frameworks — these are the tools that other companies will use from Microsoft to build your next consumer products. Microsoft's technologies, in theory, are what will help self-driving cars, drones, sensors, smart-home devices, and more. Google, Amazon, and to a much lesser extent, Apple, are all attempting similar programs.

We are seeing some of this now. Microsoft's new Timeline feature for the April 2018 update is part of this "intelligent edge". The idea that your PC history follows you in the cloud from device to device (and beyond PCs) is the start of this idea of always-connected, ubiquitous computing.

A bright future for Microsoft — and for you

Surface Logo

Surface Logo (Image credit: Windows Central)

I appreciate why some consumers may find all this esoteric jargon and future computing talk boring. At Microsoft Build, don't expect Surface head Panos Panay to get on stage to reveal a new phone, or Xbox head Phil Spencer to announce a new Xbox One X mini.

Like the pre-Internet days in the 1990s, it was difficult to imagine 4K video conference calls, 1Gbps internet to your home, or using your phone as an independent navigation tool. But that's all possible now. The intelligent edge, cloud, AI, IoT, and ambient computing are all coming slowly but surely to fruition.

Your technological world is changing right before your eyes, but if you don't pay attention, you'll miss it.

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

49 Comments
  • Good article Dan.
  • Absolutely agree Daniel.
  • Too bad they didn't start forming the basis for "ubiqitous computing" (just buzzwords for the cloud) over a decade ago. I don't think there is enough lipstick for this pig. At least Microsoft is getting somewhere, even if they are behind.
  • There's different types of cloud computing though including personal/private, commercial, distributed information, distributed pervasive, community cloud, hybrid cloud, etc. You can't just gloss over this stuff. Edge computing is the next level versus current systems where it's just PC to cloud. This isn't just some "blockchain" hype. As far as "lipstick on a pig" (a poor substitute for facts, sorry) companies like Equinix, Gartner, and others who are big players all see what Microsoft is doing as exactly on target where the market is headed.
  • Just PC to cloud? What is this, 2006? My watch, speakers, TVs, phone, PCs, car, thermostat, tablet, and doorbell already are ubiqitous through the cloud. The market is already there. Where are Microsoft's offerings today? They are building the basics while the competition had the basics and are growing their ecosystems.
  • "My watch, speakers, TVs, phone, PCs, car, thermostat, tablet, and doorbell already are ubiqitous through the cloud. "
    I did mention that, so not sure the point.
    "Where are Microsoft's offerings today?"
    As in you want Microsoft to make a Windows thermostat and doorbell? Not going to happen. Will they power those things (and others) including drones, processing car data, trucks, imaging, etc? Yes.
    "They are building the basics while the competition had the basics and are growing their ecosystems."
    I missed Amazon's quantum computing initiative, or Apple's cloud-based distributed network, or Sony's push into A.I.. My bad.
  • Your article sounds decent on the surface, but actually there is not much truth to your saying that Microsoft is going to lead all that. Azure, AI, Cortana, Machine Learning, containers, cognitive services, or bot frameworks... These things are not unique to Microsoft. All the big tech companies are working on them. And for each one of them there is a big tech company that does them better, AND is using their tech RIGHT NOW. None of those things will be a succes for Microsoft if they can't manage to bring succes to the CURRENT tech. Your article holds a lot of hot air just like the hot air Microsoft is spitting out for the past years. The fact is that BUILD isn't sold out for the first time in years. Nobody wants to develop for Microsoft anymore unless they somehow have to. Few exceptions of course. Do you really believe all those skilled developers don't understand where microsoft hypothetically is going? It's not rocket science like you make it sound. We all know where tech is going. It's been written for years. Developers don't trust Microsoft anymore. People can't risk their lives/careers developing for a Nutella that kills anything whenever he feels like. The real problem is that Microsoft keeps talking about 'a future', but doesn't deliver right now, while other companies do. By the time that Microsoft achieves that technology, other companies will be there as well, WITH their users. Microsoft will have to start without users, just like with Windows phone, and the chicken/egg situation will be repeated after repeated. Cortana will never win from google now/siri anymore. Internet of things? Give me a break, Google owns that space already. Think about all those devices that connect to Android but not to Windows. I can go on and on how big Microsoft is failing under Nutella. Azure and Office are their only successes and they are boring as hell. (Although I love Excel at work.) In other words, the day is coming closer that we forget about Microsoft if Nutella continues the path of destruction / endless refreshes / way too distant goals.
  • "These things are not unique to Microsoft."
    Well, of course. AWS, Google, etc. all have competing systems or are all working on similar AI technologies. Nowhere did I say or imply otherwise making this "point" a strawman. Anyone who follows this tech knows who the big players are and there are a lot of them. I'm not sure I said Microsoft are going to "lead all that" or even win it all; What I am saying is they are in a good position to be a major player (they already are) in this space and, just as importantly, Windows users will (and already are) benefiting from it. Also, glossing over Azure revenue growth of 93% from Q3 and the $7.9 billion revenue (+17%) for Intelligent Cloud betrays your conclusions. We'll see two things next week: (1) Are there lots of partners with Microsoft on this who will be at Build? (2) Will the shareholders/stock continue to soar based on what is happening.? I say yes to both of those, which is really all that matters. The rest of your rambling rant is just that - a chained link of grievances - as it's outside the scope of my points I made here I'll pass on humoring you with a response. Also, your continued purposeful misspelling as a slight against Nadella is childish and diminishes any point you are trying to make, which is already poor. Grow up if you want to talk to the adults or get out.
  • Maybe you didn't say it in precise words, but one can read between the lines. Microsoft still has partners? Whoaa.. I don't know how often those partners will forgive Microsoft for messing up. I mean, read Jason's article about ARM. How often can Microsoft give the middle finger? And honestly most partnerships that showed up at BUILD were under delivering after giving a big announcement. Look how they proudly announced Facebook apps, iTunes apps, and how poor those apps were/still are, or how long we have to wait for them. I remember last build where they devoted hours during a keynote to making bullshit home videos, replacing a ball with a fireball. I mean come on......... Nutella is not a misspelling, it's a new word for the dictionary.
  • " but one can read between the lines."
    That's not how this works. That's setting up someone who you are debating with. You could have just asked if that is what I thought instead of assumed.
  • Okay I apologize for drawing conclusions a little too fast. But when you wrote this: "these are the tools that other companies will use from Microsoft to build your next consumer products." I could only think... no they won't... they will probably use tech from Google/Apple/Amazon/Facebook.
  • "they will probably use tech from Google/Apple/Amazon/Facebook."
    I think some will use those companies, and some will choose Microsoft. I think some that choose Microsoft will be on stage next week to tell us why. I'm not sure this is a zero sum game. If Microsoft is in this with 93% growth in Azure and making billions, do they need to be #1? Compared to Sony or Apple Microsoft is miles ahead in AI, cloud, edge computing, quantum, etc. That's not trivial. It will matter in the next ten years. Yes, FB, Google, Amazon are all HUGE players. I don't see though anyone in this biz (who get paid more than I do to know this field) dismissing Microsoft as irrelevant or unable to compete. All the papers I have read on this this week suggest Microsoft is doing all the right things. Regardless, if Microsoft didn't do this stuff Windows 10 would have to be powered by Azure, or Google. That's not sustainable.
  • They want to be number 1. being the third player in a field is not relevent, remember? The future of tech is so much about data, that if you are not number 1 or 2, you're out. Microsoft is already struggling by not getting enough data, this sis why Cortana is worse than Google now. Why Bing is worse than Google. Why the new Timeline is great, but if other devs don't hook in, it's an empty beautiful bucket.
  • "They want to be number 1. being the third player in a field is not relevent, remember?"
    The way you simplify things is hilarious. Did Microsoft make money on Windows phone/was there any world in which it would in the long run? No. They lost money and continued to lose money. Do they make billions in cloud today? Yes with YoY growth that is mouth watering. See the difference? If you don't, you shouldn't be talking abut business much.
  • The art is simplifying things. Todays tech business isn't about money, it's first about getting the users, then after several years of investing you will make money. Twitter just made the first money ever. Facebook didn't make any money for years. Netflix isn't making money either, but they will be the place to be for media content. It's funny how you don't get it. You were living in your American bubble in the Windows phone days. Windows phone was growing above 10% in every European country, that's way more that decent, it was slowly but steady growing for years. Not even mentioning Russia and India. If they had continued to invest they would have at least 20% by now in European countries. Cut the lame excuses, and personal attacks. Microsoft doesn't try hard enough to make something a success. That's what they always fail with every product. The only reason why they make money is because they are still resting on companies that invented in Windows compatible applications many many years ago.
  • "Windows phone was growing above 10% in every European country". No, it was not. Stop repeating this lie. It got above 10% SALES for one year, in a few countries. But it never got above about 7% USERS in ANY country in Europe. Sales != users, when sales are only growing for 1 year. Then sales dropped off completely. You have to sustain 10% of sales for a few years to get to 10% of USERS. 10% sales means that 90% are buying something else. That means the 90% user base is growing much bigger/faster than the 10% Windows sales.
  • Please, correct me if I am wrong regarding Google. From what I have seen, their entire business model is built around the sale of data that they have acquired from us, the user (which makes us the product as opposed to the customer). Thanks to the Cambridge Analytics debacle, GDPR is coming into effect. Whilst this is a European law, it will affect the entire world because if there is any possibility of date touching Europe, the company will need to be GDPR compliant. GDPR completely changes the types of data that can be sold to a restrictive amount. My digital marketing class has taught me that thanks to GDPR targeted marketing based on income brackets will no longer be effective as that data is unable to be sold as of May 25th. Despite the GDPR tangent, Google is going to take a hit as they are partially beholden to Irish tax laws. I have a feeling that over the next few years Google's profits will diminish due to this and the changing mobile landscape which I believe will occur and neither Android nor Apple appear prepared for (I don't know what is going on behind closed doors).
  • Some of the companies might use Microsoft, but they are certainly smaller in number. Build isn't sold out.Google's developer conference, which occurs at the same time, sold out immediately.
  • FYI: Google (12%) trails Microsoft (20%) who trails Amazon (62%) for cloud computing market share. Of those, Microsoft has the most momentum (Amazon is down from 68% in 2017; Google was up just 2%; Microsoft was up 4%). Again, facts and data matter.
  • Look at Amazons cloud computing share...WOW. I thought MS would be way ahead. Thats staggering. I think MS in the next 3 years will be on top of that market.
  • Dan, if it's true that Build is not sold out then it might just be that developers can see what Nadella has been doing an ostrich over. MS is quite a long way down the totem pole now and if I can be repetitive, it all started with the Nadella dumping of w10m. So myopic and now developers would seem to be voting with their convention dollars, no?
  • Yes, the purposeful misspelling of Nadella’s name is just rude. I am all for debate and the insight gained but rants gain nothing. I have been a developer for over 20 years and have fully embraced the cloud over the last 5. My professional opinion is that Azure is moving in the right direction and has made the development landscape from code to
    Infrastructure so much more productive and has greatly reduce administrative overhead.
  • Yeah, crise is right. They better be showcasing a new device or people will start thinking they don't need Windows at all. Just a browser.. see the problem. I'm a gamer and that space still belongs to Windows. I prefer Windows over IOS or Android, but if they only develop for the cloud and no new devices with Windows.. they lose. The surface line helped them immensely but they need to continue with that innovation as users still need better devices to work with , not only from a mobile environment but workspace too. Per the article "it was difficult to imagine 4K video conference calls, 1Gbps internet to your home, or using your phone as an independent navigation tool. But that's all possible now". What imaginary world are you in? I don't know anybody that has that at home and I am still stuck in the world of ATT 4g service at home with freekin datacap. Datacaps and speed limits everywhere. Also.. "Instead of configuring computers to our liking, the computers will learn about us, suggesting ideas, things to buy, reminder". Ok, when did we decide the robot overlords control us? We are always wanting things to our liking. "The computer in your bag or phone in your pocket will continue to evolve" .. and back to my statement... They better be coming out with new devices or they have some serious problems
  • For me this Build is also a tipping point.
  • Showcasing new hardware at a developer conference focused mostly on cloud, AI, Azure, and Windows could backfire in stealing any message or news Microsoft would want to focus for developers. A lot of your points come from the perspective of a consumer. You're not the target audience for Build. When Microsoft wants to announce hardware it can hold a separate, dedicated event where they the media can focus on one thing. We do this same song and dance every year.
    "What imaginary world are you in? I don't know anybody that has that at home and I am still stuck in the world of ATT 4g service at home with freekin datacap. "
    Irrelevant. Conflating anecdotal and personal experiences with the fact that 1Gbps internet does exist for consumers is really missing the point here. Even I only have a cable modem, but 2 towns over FiOS does offer 1Gbps service (up and down). Whether everyone has it is a separate question. What you should be asking is: Can I move to a place in the US and get this right now? Answer: Yes.
    "Ok, when did we decide the robot overlords control us? We are always wanting things to our liking."
    Happened when you gave and billions gave all their personal information to Facebook and Google. Also, hyperbolic statement and ridiculous, but whatever.
    "They better be coming out with new devices or they have some serious problems"
    Latest survey we posted by YouGov shows millennials like/trust Microsoft more than those older. Highest levels of approval in 2+ years. Stock share was $39 in 2014 and now $95 today and expected to go higher. Go on about these "troubles" for Microsoft...
  • We certainly are part of the target audience because otherwise they wouldn't show off something like replacing a ball - during an amature soccer game - with a fireball. This is kid stuff, and it's to make young kids/teens excited about Microsoft. This was during a key note. Seriously. Young tech enthusiasts do watch these events, I tell you. And they are the future programmers.
  • That was a demonstration of the machine learning and AI in action in a real-world scenario. Are you really this committed to such a position that they were expecting consumers to be watching that keynote? This week too you will see live demos on stage of Microsoft's cloud, azure, ai, ml, tech in action. You do that to take the tech jargon down to real-world examples. This is basic presentation stuff, man.
  • Have you seen any developer use that fireball example? I would be glad to see the outcome of that useless hocus pocus. Honestly, if you tell me, they have no clue what to do with their AI, so they come up with this nonsense. Or a useless skype bot -that nobody uses- that can automatically order pizza's. AI is a joke and it will be a joke for another 30 years. It's funny how everyone buys into the hype. Right now AI is only useful for very specific tasks, and in my opinion is not worthy of being called AI, just smart programming tricks and big data.
  • You under estimate the hate for Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook.
  • This I agree with. Many people are reticent to back their data to any of those clouds as no one is sure as to how the information is used. For some reason, I know more people who are moving to Azure after 5 years of saying that they would never use Microsoft services, due to what they perceive as the most secure cloud system.
  • Good article Dan.
    If you go back to the early days of Satya, he made it very clear in so many words, that while Apple, Google and others were going to be islands, Microsoft was going to be the ocean that encompassed them. While others (me included) have been chastising MSFT for some of their moves, their mission was never lost.
  • Build ... what an oxymoron! Nadella is fixated on the cloudd when large slabs of the world had no meaningful access to the internet and cloud. Nadella is a pseudonym for myopia.
  • 🙄
  • They made twice as much revenue in cloud as they did in gaming with 93% growth. Go on though about myopia....
  • Good lord, what's with the audio on the "What to expect at Build" video? Something went wrong with the microphone?
  • recorded in a bathroom
  • Dan, I agree on many points, and your article was well "articulated". However it does concern me that BUILD 2016 sold out in 1 minute, 2017 in 8 hours, and 2018... still not sold out 3 days before the event. All of this under Nadella. I've been a developer for a while. Don't even care to admit how long! And I know that in this business there many are practical concepts, and abstract concepts. And I personally believe there is a time and a place for both. But a person has to be especially self-disciplined when exploring the abstract concepts. For example I've seen developer teams get so bogged down in OOP (Object Oriented Programming) that it becomes almost a religious experience for them. And they fail to remember that the end user really doesn't care how an app or service is built, they just want the thing to have practical value to their day to day life or job. I think Google's I/O is sold out for one reason, Google is communicating how these abstract concepts can have practical application far better than Nadella is. And Google has the mobile devices, and ambient devices (Google Home) to kick off this revolution in a way that resonates with people. Microsoft will have its audience of course with enterprises (especially Fortune 500 companies) who have an existing army of Windows laptops in their organization. But until Microsoft can deliver on the Devices and Experiences aspect of this brave new world they're going to have a hard time generating excitement and inspiration.
  • There is definitely a gap between dev'ing for the consumer space with Microsoft vs Google/Apple and the lack of phone (mobile) is a direct creator of that. Still, the area that Microsoft is focusing on, while not direct consumer products (besides Windows), is printing money for them and powering the next-gen of technology. I think it's safe to say that the current round of "PCs" i.e. phones is lost to them. Do they need direct consumer developer support to continue to do well as a company? The business guy in me says no, but the consumer part wants to say yes. Regardless, I'll talk to people off the record about that stuff for their thoughts.
  • Thanks for having some of those off the record conversations for us. I can't help but think that Microsoft still has a chance in Consumer, especially if it plays to its strengths, gaming, and personal productivity (ie. Office 365, personal finance, banking, stock trading, airline apps, etc.). But at the end of the day good development is all about the user experience, and user experience starts with devices people identify with. BTW I think Jason Moser's analysis on Motely Fool offer a little reality check on Microsoft's giddyness about its success in the cloud. One that Microsoft should take to heart. https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/05/03/how-much-optimism-is-priced-in...
  • I suppose it wouldn't be a Windows Central comment section without at least one poster saying "MS is doing it all wrong!!!" and "Nadella doesn't know what he's doing!!!" Good article Dan, I think you're on point with this one. Some of this stuff is hard to wrap your head around, but when you get what they are after the scope of it is quite impressive. Only Google and Amazon are potential competitors (Apple's "walled garden" approach will hamstring it) whoever gets there first will make truckloads of money for the shareholders. This is genuinely a race for the future of computing.
  • I would like to address one particular point, which I've read on other tech sites too. Speaking as a developer I would RELISH Andromeda totally taking center stage at BUILD. Let it overshadow EVERYTHING else! As far as I'm concerned NOT having a mobile device to target IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH ALL WINDOWS DEVELOPERS!!!!! Couldn't ALL CAPS that one enough! It's ridiculous to think that developers wouldn't be absolutely giddy about MS having a presence in mobile again. On the contrary I think the LACK of such a device is the main reason why BUILD 2018 is basically a non-event this year, with developers opting to attend a conference (Google I/O) that actually cares about TODAY'S world not just TOMORROW's ALLEGED world and has an active presence in mobile. Should MS make the moronic decision to not release Andromeda by year's end I personally think they shouldn't even bother with BUILD 2019! PS. Sorry about the Soap Box, but seriously, developers would NOT be incensed about a mobile release that could breathe new life into the entire ecosystem.
  • Amen. Someone who gets it.
  • Nutella wants his next quarterly bonus, he doesn't care about developers or any other long term success for Microsoft. When cloud commoditises, he will be oiling his head and laughing at how such a low IQ monkey was able to milk a company for millions of dollars based on organic growth while completely ignoring the fact that future IT decision makers will not jeapardise their job by suggesting to use cloud services from the monkey factory.
  • Microsoft does have mobile devices. They don’t have smartphones. Microsoft considers LTE enabled laptops, tablets, mini tablets, smartphones all to be mobile devices.
  • Ah! New flavor of cool-aid...awesome!
  • It will be interesting to hear from microsoft about the foundation of "ubiquitous computing" if this is microsoft's mission statement as of late. The reality I've experienced is that global business and consumer connectivity is still behind and not ideal for cloud computing to reliable lean on. I think there is still merit to maintaining hybrid solutions of cloud and local caching/storage solutions on many layers of computing today. This makes the recent development and possibly future reliance on technologies like IoT, webapps and PWA a reality with mixed feelings of a potential dystopian proposition (if we are to rely on this as the new future norm yet reliable connectivity is not addressed, what kind of future are we headed to. The world is big!) I'm curious to know microsoft's vision and investment in the consumer space for this year and beyond. I have a feeling its not an agenda point on their mission statement anymore. I think it would be good if they were frank about this. It would then be clear what consumers should do with windows. Windows is this odd mismash of consumer and business oriented computing, but it's increasing dancing in limbo with regard to getting experiences, features and functions fit&finished and less half baked. I'm getting a sense it is shifting to a more business oriented device, which leaves the state of windows a mess of different experiences and UI and getting less comprehensive.
  • Nadella made some good decisions and some bad decisions. First is bing. There is no much improvement in this when compared to Google. Even the ui has not changed much. Atleast Google is consistent in all the countries where as bing is mainly for usa. With this mindset bing will not make any progress against Google. Bing can do lot better but poor leadership is stopping its growth. Second is windows phone. If windows phone is loss making why kill it. Instead follow Google approach. Make one phone model and keep selling it. It will keep the mind share of both developers and customers. Also cortana it will not make much progress without consumer devices. When it comes to cloud, Nadella has done very well
  • You make a good point. The title of this piece includes the word "ubiquitous". What does ubiquitous mean? It implies accessibility... "present, appearing, or found everywhere". So why is Bing, a quiet proven money maker for MS, not present, appearing, and found everywhere? And yeah, if Cortana is relegated to a Clippy surrogate found in Office 365, Edge, and Outlook, and if she is found primarily only on laptops and only in the US then in what way is she present, appearing, and found everywhere? Nadella's been doing slam dunks on the Cloud side of things, and talks a mean game on the AI side of things. But without a better showing on the Devices and Experiences side of things it leaves the whole idea feeling 1/2 baked, at least in Consumer... and I'd argue that eventually applies to the Enterprise side of things too... once companies get all their servers and data into the cloud and then ask themselves "ok... now what"?
  • So didn't hear much of the speech. Did hear something about having meetings that cross boundries like from your car driving to work, to your smartphone and then PC or tablet I guess. Like we need further connections that start from the time we leave for work til the time we get home and beyond? The stress of commuting is bad enough, now let's hold meetings on Skype while we navigate traffic. brilliant. Let's be connected 100% all the time and let's have this be in the cloud and worldwide.