Microsoft Launches Month of FUD
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News Commentary. The fear, uncertainty and doubt campaign breaks for Halloween but returns right after Day of the Dead. Oh, the horror. |
Some people would call it marketing. But I dunno. What I'm cryptically referring to are developer tool, operating system and server software announcements that Microsoft has started doling out piecemeal. It's going to be excruciatingly, horrifyingly slow going into the Professional Developers Conference (Oct. 27-30) and Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (Nov. 5-7), both in Los Angeles.
The fun really started last Thursday, when CEO Steve Ballmer said that Microsoft will unveil its cloud computing operating system at PDC. "We'll announce a new operating system, one that runs in the cloud and has a wide variety of capabilities," he told venture capitalists. "That is part of what we'll talk about at our Professional Developers Conference."
On Monday, Microsoft announced Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0. But why should Microsoft release all the details, when they can be handed out in miserable bit-by-bit fashion?
Today, Microsoft more formerly announced .NET Framework 4.0's new storage component, code name "Dublin," and four-dot-oh versions of Windows Communications Foundation and Windows Workflow Foundation. Microsoft could have announced the other four-ohs and Dublin yesterday, but no-o-oh. The information is being spoon-fed gaga baby style.
But there's more!
- Visual Studio Team System Database Edition GDR September Community Technology Preview; it hurts my eyes to read, too
- Hyper-V Server 2008 availability
- Silverlight 2.0 Release Candidate 0; it's available and expected to release later this month
But there was stuff going on last week, too, like:
- Expression Blend 2 Service Pack 1
- SQL Server 2008 Experience
- jQuery adoption
I would have included Business Productivity Online Suite, but somebody pulled last week's Microsoft blog announcing the release of RC0. My, oh my.
There is a whole lot of developer news coming out of Microsoft, much of it directed toward PDC. But if the .NET Framework 4.0 and related announcements are any indication, the cornucopia will come dribble here and dribble there.
From marketing and competitive tactical purposes, dribble-dribble makes sense. Each day, Microsoft can reveal something new in preparation for PDC. I call it FUD, not as criticism, but recognizing the power of announcing stuff in advance. Enterprises considering purchase of this or adoption of that may wait to find out more about Microsoft's next big thing.
Meanwhile, each little dribble of information triggers another wave of blog posts and news stories. It's all free marketing to Microsoft. Autumn is harvest time, they say, and there is a bounty of free marketing that must have Microsoft PR professionals gorging themselves sick.
Microsoft gains two other benefits from the piecemeal approach: The news media and customers can better digest the information in small bites, and the enormous amount of integration will be harder for third parties to discern. Microsoft must want to tell everybody about all the integration—and surely somebody will at PDC—but there are the trustbuster taskmasters to consider. To them, increased integration could be construed as anti-competitive behavior.
Dublin is a good example of increasing integration. Is it a database or application server? Is it part of .NET Framework 4.0 or SQL Server? The answer is a little of both to both questions. That's an example of the extent of integration. Now connect together 4.0 versions of .NET, WCF, WFF, Visual Studio 2010 and Microsoft's cloud operating system. Integration will be deep.
I'll update the above graphic after PDC. But for now, it's a good-enough representation of Microsoft's integration strategy, where .NET is the core. The updated graphic will be incorporate cloud services.
[Please send your tips or rumors to watchtips at live.com.]
Comments (8)
All made possible by VCSY! Ha!
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/080801/vcsy.ob8-k.html
Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. (the "Company") has settled the patent infringement claim that the Company initiated in federal court against Microsoft Corporation. This matter has previously been disclosed under the heading "Legal Proceedings" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.
Pursuant to the confidential settlement agreement, the Company has granted to Microsoft a non-exclusive, fully paid-up license under the patent which was the subject of the legal proceeding.
-----------------------------
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2007
Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Microsoft Corporation
Fort Worth, TX, April 20, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE)? Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: VCSY)(www.vcsy.com) announced today that on April 18, 2007, Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. filed suit for patent infringement against Microsoft Corp. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. VCSY claims that the Microsoft .Net System infringes U.S. Patent No. 6,826,744.
Posted by I-Man | October 1, 2008 9:29 PM
Hey there, Joe! Your comment about the Day of the Dead was right on target! Why, look at the stinking rotted corpse from April 2007 that has suddenly lurched into motion and is haunting us all over again! Oh, the horror of it all!!!
VCSY: Villains Can't Stop Yakking.
Posted by Philosopher | October 1, 2008 11:19 PM
"Integration will be deep."
That's the real problem for me, in order to go with the Microsoft vision of the future, I have to ignore >10% of my customers. The benefits of using the entire stack (and its cost) would not be worth it. When you look at mobile devices and netbooks (which are undoubtedly the drivers of cloud computing) - Windows is a minor shareholder, Vista is non-existent. In those markets you are downgrading or locking out 90% of your customers, I'd rather stick with less 'rich' applications that work well across EVERY device (not just a world of them).
The VS debugging features look nice, but only if you are already a MS shop and do desktop development.
MS has a long history of vaporware, I expect this new cloud operating system is actually another Windows 7 pre-release pre-announcement.
What ever happened to the Microsoft dream of WinFS and speech computing? Anyone remember the original Longhorn videos?
Posted by billybob | October 2, 2008 7:45 AM
Philosopher, what doesn't make sense to you about what iman posted. I've read many of the iman posts and it makes perfect sense that Microsoft is much more open since settling the lawsuit with Vertical.
I don't see how paying a nickel for shares of any company that Microsoft settles with would be considered risky. jimho
Posted by c bates | October 2, 2008 11:08 AM
Philosopher, what doesn't make sense to you about what iman posted. I've read many of the iman posts and it makes perfect sense that Microsoft is much more open since settling the lawsuit with Vertical.
I don't see how paying a nickel for shares of any company that Microsoft settles with would be considered risky. jimho
Posted by c bates | October 2, 2008 11:08 AM
@c bates:
Coincidental timing neither confirms nor denies a link between two events.
The December 2007 filing of VSCY showed it to be composed of a rather large number of subsidiary companies. One of them, Now Solutions, has products and generates revenue, but operated at a loss. NONE of the others had any products, nor revenue, nor even expenses. Those valueless subsidiaries were funded by various company officers and are in default on those loans. Draw your own conclusions. But I don't see a thriving engine of technology and innovation. I only see a company that owns patents and uses them to threaten other companies.
The biz.yahoo.com/e/080819/vcsy.ob10-q.html form filed 19 August 2008 also shows that Now Solutions is the ONLY subsidiary of VCSY to report any revenue. In addition, the company is still losing money. From this filing:
"As of the date of this filing, the Company does not have sufficient funds available to fund its operations and repay its debt obligations under their existing terms. Therefore, the Company needs to raise additional funds through selling securities, obtaining loans, renegotiating the terms of its existing debt and/or increase sales. The Company's inability to raise such funds and/or renegotiate the terms of its existing debt will significantly jeopardize its ability to continue operations." [VCSY'S WORDS, NOT MINE!]
And this was filed AFTER the settlement with Microsoft.
I agree that paying a nickel to that company would not be considered risky. But I see that paying any amount more substantial is risky. Regardless, when people find a gold mine they don't spread the news far and wide. The only benefit one receives by hyping a stock is from others buying the stock; the particular value of the company itself is neither confirmed nor denied. But the SEC filings don't paint a picture of a strong company with competitive products.
Also, here's a very good opinion on the subject of patents and the project health of companies who litigate rather than innovate:
www.paulgraham.com/softwarepatents.html
When a major investor or successful hedge fund manager pumps a few billion into VCSY, I'll sit up and take notice. Hot stock tips found on blogs and message boards are free, and they're worth every penny that is paid for them.
Posted by Philosopher | October 2, 2008 1:47 PM
But that's not what FUD means at all.
FUD means you're spreading negative information to influence people, for example suggesting that a competitor product will have a limitation or won't work.
this is a month of evangelism.
there is no fear, uncertainty and doubt being spread.
Posted by fred | October 3, 2008 12:26 PM
What ever happened to the Microsoft dream of WinFS and speech computing? Anyone remember the original Longhorn videos?
Posted by sikiş izle | October 7, 2008 11:34 AM