Microsoft Live

Microsoft Live

With increased competition from Google, Yahoo and desire to keep up with new technologies like AJAX etc. Microsoft started what is called windows live services.

What is live?

well live is the windows operating system on the web...... yes! you heard me right, the operating system on the web thus with internet today being a global platform for communication, windows live will enable you to do what you used to do on windows from anywhere in the world and from any platform, any time. Thus what ever the operating base is, if you have access to internet you can perform all what you can do on windows over the live services.

Live services: Using a service (Internet) to deliver Applications anywhere, anytime

History:

November 1, 2005, Microsoft announced that it would release a set of services beginning in 2006 under the Windows Live brand. For the most part, the Windows Live services match up with previous projects from MSN, which had been pulled into the Windows division at Microsoft during a late 2005 reorganization. Microsoft executives such as Bill Gates, David Cole, Ray Ozzie, Steve Ballmer, and Jim Allchin determined how to bring the company's Windows, online, and mobile experiences together in ways that were seamless but didn't run into any of the debatable problems presented by previous integration strategies around Internet Explorer (IE) and Windows Media Player (WMP).

At a conceptual level, Windows Live consists of a number of layers, most of which build on top of each other. At the bottom of this structure is a set of foundational technologies, such as billing, identity, and storage, that cut across everything else Microsoft is doing with Windows Live. Microsoft Points, the micro payment system that Microsoft first developed for the Xbox 360 version of Xbox Live is also found at this level. Thus the live services will now include windows live, office live, safety live, live local, messenger live ( communicate without the need to install msn messenger), live XBOX, live office ( word , excel etc on the web ..), live jobs, live domains,, live bookmark, live mail ( outlook express style web client), many many more…..

Here is some screen shots of live

Thus what comes out of this is that there is shift in Microsoft strategy to include a broad array of services under its wings that makes it difficult for customers to switch service. Thus increasingly Microsoft is focusing on product differentiation, that addresses client wants, desires. Further the company is increasingly making in road in the digital media segment with many of its software trying to tap in living rooms make windows a digital media center. Thus, the centerpiece of the strategy is Microsoft's Windows-powered Media PC, which allows for managing music, photos, movies, and recorded and live television via a desktop or portable computer. For the rest, yet, if anything, Microsoft's move should scare the heck out of competitors. I mean, we've been here before, right? Microsoft was way behind in the Web browsers and went on to nearly drive the competitors out of business. Microsoft clearly wants to be better than most others. What's scary is that Microsoft has the resources to do it. Microsoft's 2004 research and development budget was $7.7 billion. Apple's was $489 million. (Source: fool.com).

What will determine the success for most companies?

A company will be successful and have complete dominance, only when it is able to provide a gamut of services that the customers want.

If one of these high tech companies is able to capture the customer loyalty, then the network effect will come in to play leading to the dominance by that company. This is very much seen in the operating system industry (windows), mp3 player segment (IPOD), digital recording (TIVO), search (Google), mail (yahoo) etc. thus Microsoft broad strategy can be visualized as providing one stop shop for all customers needs

article : winsupersite.com, fool.com etc