New
Vistas From Microsoft
Longhorn Becomes
Vista
Microsoft has announced a “real”
name for Longhorn which is about to go to Beta 1 stage (on or
about August 3). Microsoft
has named its newest operating system Vista, which makes it sound
broad, far-reaching, and just a little romantic.
Of course, Beta 1 is just the first
stage on the way to getting a Vista product to the market,
currently scheduled for the end of 2006.
We’ll let you know what we think of
the Beta 1 version (it’s mainly for developers, but it will give
us a look to see the interface) and then keep you posted on
progress, as Microsoft let us know.
Integration’s The
Theme At Microsoft Partner Conference
Microsoft made it clear that the next 18
months will be all about integration, especially when the subject
is customer solutions. Microsoft
is using the annual conference to tell partners that the best way
to profit is by embracing Microsoft
platform and software stack, as well as the opportunity they have
to build on it as a foundation for creating vertical, horizontal
or other value-added solutions.
Launches and
enhancements which will be the basis for this integration-driven
approach include a major new release of Microsoft Office, new
releases of Business Solutions offerings including Microsoft CRM
3.0, Microsoft Great Plains 9.0, Microsoft Axapta 4.0, Microsoft Forecaster 7.0, Microsoft Navision 4.01, Microsoft
Solomon 6.5, and the next version of Microsoft Retail Management
Systems; the Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2;
Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager; and a
Microsoft Windows Server System Midsize Business Promotion. These
products will arrive during the next year-and-a-half along with
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and Vista.
Everything
rests on an increased level of integration between applications
and solutions.
Annual
Microsoft Office Information Workers Board Of The Future
Every year,
Microsoft invites a group of students to gather and consider
technology, new products, and the future of information work.
Last year, we got to ask them some specific questions.
This year, we’re looking at some of their activities and
comments.
Much of the
focus was on how will people treat computing if they grow up with
it as children rather than learn it later on as adults.
During the conference, the board members interpreted
data from a perceptual survey of 150 of their peers, and from that
information developed scenarios of information work in the future.
They developed a set of five areas where
they expect to see the most important workplace changes in 10
years’ time including:
- Pervasive connectivity will make anytime,
anyplace work a reality
- User interfaces will become increasingly
adaptive and natural
- New tools will help enterprises foster a
“collective intelligence” through improved information
discovery and use.
- Home technology will become connected and
integrated, with consumer content and technology crossing over
into the workplace
- NetGen workers expected to change jobs
nearly 20 times in their lifetime so lifelong learning will be
essential for career development
We inquired of Dan Rasmus, the Microsoft
Information Worker manager who works with the Student Advisory
Board whether the students were concerned about the blur between
work and home life. He
thought not – they just felt they would need to learn how to
create a balance. Sounds
familiar.
(back to top)
