Monday 8 July 2013

Things are Cloudy: Some Monday Morning Cloud Reading and Thoughts on Trust

Here are a few interesting articles that paint some reality on the ongoing Cloud picture.

Both articles are a good read and provide some insight into company’s perspectives on being in the Cloud and Microsoft’s vision for the Cloud.

BTW, what exactly is meant by an “update” anyway? We are not too sure on that one.

Conflicting Messages for SMB IT

Now, the kicker that really brings about the meaning of the word “irony” is in this quote from the Business Week article.

The Office unit says packaged releases will still be available to users who are resistant to Office 365 and its frequent updates, but most of the team’s energy will be focused online. “Microsoft has an established history and trust with customers [emphasis ours],” says Pisoni. “So far those who are hesitant about going to the cloud, they’re willing to put their trust in Microsoft. No other competitor—Google, Box—has that established trust.” Raman Padmanabhan, chief information officer for Xerox’s (XRX) business services unit, has been briefed on Microsoft’s move to faster updates and says he supports the shift as long as the product is good. “It’s all about service and quality,” he says. “You have to have a certain quality or it just kills your business.”

How many of us in SMB have been banging our heads against the wall, so to speak, trying to make the message clear that in SMB IT it is the face-to-face time and relationship trust that we build up with our clients that are keys to both business’s success?

The business relationship and trust have always been, and will always be, the foundation to our way of doing business.

The Cloud Message and many of the Cloud Prophets have been trying to blow that off for SMB IT for the last three or four years now and yet here we have it straight from Microsoft. _Trust_ is the foundation for moving forward.

Yes, there is a little bit of frustration here and it may show so our apologies for that. :S

But, at least it is good to see in print that our own SMB IT way of doing things is confirmed, though not directly. :)

As time goes on we shall see how all things play out.

From this arm chair it looks like Microsoft is in the process of slaughtering their cash cows and diving in for the lowest common denominator ... which in the end means that they will be on the same, and level, playing field as the other Cloud Vendors.

IMNSHO, this is _not_ a good place for Microsoft to go.

Most especially because a huge chunk of the Microsoft Partner base, that is those of us IT Providers in SMB, is being stepped on to get to wherever Microsoft’s current Cloudy Vision is leading them.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

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