14 DAY TRIAL // As part of Microsoft’s transition towards a mobile first, cloud first company, the software giant seems to be leaving consumers behind, as the focus now seems to be on the enterprise more than ever.
But in a new interview, Windows boss Terry Myerson says that this is not at all the case, as Microsoft hasn’t changed focus, with enterprise and consumers still equally important to the company.
“I'm not sure why we would have given that impression. I mean it's true that we're very serious about the enterprise. At the same time, you know, we're on the NFL sidelines,” Myerson explained.
Microsoft’s executive admitted that the firm’s ambitions in the enterprise field have indeed increased lately and this is why the company is becoming more active here.
“When we talk about these things we're very serious. We're very serious about mobile device management applying to all form factors. We're serious about digital signs. We're serious about Windows IoT. We're serious about a number of enterprise things,” Myerson pointed out.
“We’re getting personal”
But this doesn’t necessarily mean consumers are no longer a priority for the company, he states. In fact, all investments that Microsoft is making into products that can be used at home, turning everything into a more personal experience, are living proof that the company is still obsessed with consumers.
“But when I see people using our experiences in the home, a lot of times around a PC where you're both doing homework and playing a game. So it is work and play. Consumer and enterprise. It's designed for people,” Myerson continued.
To answer Myerson’s question, the impression that the company is leaving consumers behind is pretty much the result of the firm’s approach for the mobile platform, which mostly consists of consumers who are using devices on a daily basis for personal matters.
Microsoft has been rather tight-lipped about everything mobile lately, which in turn led to plenty of speculations, as it’s the case of the rumored demise of the Lumia brand believed to take place in December.
Microsoft has indeed improved the level of transparency in relation to customers, but this pretty much happened in the enterprise field, and not so much with consumers, who are still waiting for the company to detail the long-term commitment to a series of products, including Windows 10 Mobile.