Microsoft will continue to work on becoming a stronger Internet player alongside the likes of Google and Yahoo, it says.
The acquisition of Yahoo was one possible strategy in upping the company's online profile and its loss will not hinder the software giant in its Internet strategy, said CTO for Microsoft IT Barry Briggs, speaking at the Microsoft Partner Summit, in Durban, last week.
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He said, while he can't comment on the company's plans in the space, he knows it is working to increase its profile in search.
However, according to Briggs, the company has been in the online space for years. “We have had automatic updates and downloads from our Web site for many years – people tend to forget that is an online presence also.”
Briggs said Microsoft will also invest in its other online businesses, such as Live, and several other hosted services, including Exchange, CRM and Hotmail.
As part of his keynote address on Friday, Briggs gave summit delegates a preview of some of the technologies that will come out of the business over the next year.
While he did not showcase the Surface, Microsoft's multi-touch device, he said there are some “great” innovations around the technology. “One of our engineers came up with a spherical version of the Surface; it looks like so much fun.” Surface is currently shipping worldwide to partners.
Briggs noted Microsoft's IT department has started working with the development team on Windows 7. While he did not provide any details on the next-generation operating system, he confirmed that Windows 7 will support multi-touch technology.
The company is also investing in changing development models, he added. “The process of translating a business process into code is not always easy. We are working on translating those processes into modules, which will allow developers to build applications visually.”
Source:itweb.co.za
