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Microsoft product launch updateMicrosoft is in the midst of development frenzy, with many of its core products going through initial or secondary development cycles with a view to release over the forthcoming 18 months or so.In the first of a series of articles, Commercial Manager Seb Matthews outlines some of the forthcoming product changes in the current Microsoft public roadmap. Microsoft has to be on its toes at all times. Being the world's largest software company means you have to be constantly on the edge of innovation, whilst at the same time keeping your existing and legacy client base happy. Throw into the mix the constant barrage of other software vendors aiming their entire research and development budget at toppling you from your perch and you have an unenviable, albeit highly profitable, position. To keep up with itself, and others, Microsoft is constantly investing in developing new and redeveloping existing products on a constant cycle, typically 2-3 years in duration to remain aligned with its Enterprise Agreement licence construct. Throughout 2009 this development cycle will be reaching a fever pitch with an almost entire refresh in one form or another across the entire product range. If you take the Entertainment & Products Division (EPD) out of the equation as there is "no imminent plan to redevelop the Xbox platform", (read, "there is a plan, we are just keeping it hush for now until the Wii wave dies down a bit. Oh but don't be surprised if we suddenly start talking about Xbox 720..."), then almost every other product division of Microsoft is working hard on new versions or releases. Also under development this year are several component parts of the now widely recognised de facto development framework .NET. Over the last few years the .NET framework has become increasingly important to Microsoft as a mechanism for enabling Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Enterprise organisations to develop their own applications in a standardised, supportable way, utilising both product (such as SQL Server) and component (such as WPF, WF and WCF) tools and methods. Several .NET elements are due to update or release in 2009 and 2010, including the latest version of the framework itself, .NET Version 4. Oslo (compliance and modelling methodology), Dublin (.NET process server) and Geneva (authentication platform) are all major components of the .NET framework due for release in the coming year, and all broadly aimed in the direction of something called Azure. Azure is a complete departure for Microsoft as it is more than just software. Azure is Microsoft's very serious foray into the world of cloud computing and is the culmination of several billion, (yes, billion with a b), dollars of investment in datacentres, hardware (both servers and networking), infrastructure (power, data and cooling), all brought together by a complex software layer to provide cost efficient cloud computing for the masses. Look out next month for another newsletter article specifically on Azure as more information is released by Microsoft. A little farther out are new versions of Biztalk, SQL Server and the 'big release' of Office 14 and we will be looking at these in more detail next month. Oh and, of course, later this year a little thing called Windows 7 will be hitting the shelves just in time for Christmas. Peace and joy to all? Only time will tell. If you would like to know more about new Microsoft products or technologies, or how Ballard Chalmers can help you, please contact Andrew Chalmers on andrew.chalmers@ballardchalmers.com or call 01342 410223. Related links
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