14 DAY TRIAL // With Chairman and Co-founder Bill Gates out of his day to day role at Microsoft, and with Ray Ozzie firmly in the seat of Chief Software Architect, the Redmond company is veering in a new direction as far as software development is concerned. In this context, the future strategy is defined not by bridging the software to the browser in a Software as Service approach but it is actually defined by the need to perpetuate Microsoft's deep roots on the desktop, while also allowing for sufficient flexibility. The software giant is firmly anchored on the desktop mainly through its flagship products, Windows and Office, but this does not mean that it is not reaching into the cloud.
"Microsoft realizes that the evolution of the software industry will reach far beyond just bringing software to the browser," explained John Zanni, general manager of Worldwide Hosting at Microsoft. And the Redmond company already seems to be on the right track. Since the introduction of the Microsoft Software + Services Incubation Center Program back in October 2008, in excess of 550 independent software vendors have jumped on board the company's S+S wagon. Even the old SaaS Incubation Center Program label was dropped in favor of S+S.
"Microsoft envisions a world of software plus services that consists of a unique blend of traditional applications and services available over the Internet. With the launch of the Incubation Center Program, Microsoft recognized that partnerships would be critical in order for ISVs to be successful in the new world of software plus services. Now through the tremendous success of this program, there is no doubt that building an integrated ecosystem plays an integral role in helping ISVs deploy service-based applications," Zanni added.
For the time being, the recipe that Microsoft is offering ISV partners involved the Windows platform acting as an underlining layer, with online services building on top. The company is focused on providing ISVs with the necessary support in terms of infrastructure, consultancy and licensing through the Software + Services Incubation Center Program. No less than 20 Incubation Centers spanned throughout Europe, North America and Asia come together to form the Microsoft Software + Services Incubation Center Program.