Ballmer talks up software as a service The most compelling part of Steve Ballmer's hour-long keynote during this week's Worldwide Partner Conference were the first and last five minutes. In presidential style Ballmer opened striding resolutely among 8,000 seated delegates shaking outstretched hands. He closed by taking up opportunities in Microsoft's traditional …
I don't see the big deal - this is just the ground work for the MS "Cloud OS" buzz - the Vista replacement that is theoretically 18 months away (two years between desktops now, remember?) This is why Vista has the DRM and why Server 2008 has the "components" that can be installed (or not) .. no? Let me explain ...
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- There's the OS in the Could, based on Live* (previosly MSN*) services;
Sniffing out Microsoft's 'OS in the cloud' skunk-works project / November 28th 2006 (http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=119)
"Over time, we're figuring out how Windows Live (meshes with)Windows," Berkowitz explained. "It's not so much a set of features that makes Windows what it is. Windows is a bunch of feature sets." And in the future, some of these features will reside in the "Internet cloud," while others will reside locally on PCs, cell phones and other devices.
Microsoft already is beginning to turn that part of the vision into reality with Windows Vista. With Vista, Microsoft will offer users links via which they can download a number of Live services, including Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Mail Desktop,Windows Live Mail and Windows Live OneCare.
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- There's Ray Ozzie's new role at MS, and his network service OS integration;
Can Microsoft morph Windows into an Internet service? / November 27th, 2006 (http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=116)
It seems Microsoft itself is considering seriously such a possibility. There's a nugget buried deep in a November 27 (ever so-dully-titled "Life After Vista: Can Microsoft Retool for Web?") Wall Street Journal story. Skip to the very end of the article and you'll find this little gem:
"Meanwhile, a cadre of respected Microsoft computer scientists and programmers formed a group under Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie to start building software that could be a critical piece of what Windows might become, say people familiar with the work. That group, says a person familiar with the matter, sees the future of Windows as much more as an Internet service than software that runs on a PC."
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There's that Microsoft Patent from January;
- A Brave New Modular World - Another MS Patent Application / January 29th 2007 (http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=2007012808444146)
The application relates to a method of delivery of operating systems where one initially obtains a very basic operating system (for example, one that can do little more than display a web browser restricted to one site or domain) and thereafter is presented with the option to select (and purchase) additional functionality.
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- There's BillG's vision of the OS that comes after Vista (and his resignation);
Finally, Vista Makes Its Debut. Now What? Bill Gates explains why you should buy his new operating system, what he's doing next and why John Hodgman bugs him / February 1st 2007 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16934083/site/newsweek/)
I> So can you give us an indication of what the next Windows will be like?
B> Well, it will be more user-centric.
I> What does that mean?
B> That means that right now when you move from one PC to another, you've got to install apps on each one, do upgrades on each one. Moving information between them is very painful. We can use Live Services [a way to connect to Microsoft via the Internet] to know what you're interested in. So even if you drop by a [public] kiosk or somebody else's PC, we can bring down your home page, your files, your fonts, your favorites and those things. So that's kind of the user-centric thing that Live Services can enable. [Also,] in Vista things got a lot better with [digital] ink and speech but by the next release there will be a much bigger bet. Students won't need textbooks, they can just use these tablet devices. Parallel computing is pretty important for the next release. We'll make it so that a lot of the high-level graphics will be just built into the operating system. So we've got a pretty good outline.
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- And there's Ballmer's little spin to the investor community;
Ballmer's list: Microsoft's CEO shares his top nine Microsoft growth picks / February 15th 2007 (http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=263)
I was surprised that Windows Live - supposedly one of Microsoft's most important strategic efforts - didn't make either of Ballmer's lists. Ballmer did mention services, but talked about it more from a platform perspective, than as a bunch of individual point products.
"We need a strong services platform" akin to Windows client and Windows server, Ballmer told analysts. "We are building a cloud platform." The cloud platform is Microsoft's evolving "Cloud OS" that will consist of a set of services that are an adjunct to Windows.
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So the way it looks to me, Ballmer had better talk-up the Microsoft version of "the network is the computer", or his next OS might sink like a Vista. Of course, he'd also want to back-up that cloud talk with one hell of a solid security architecture, as the security industry has long used "the cloud" to represent miscellaneous evil; not the kind of place you'd put your enterprise's core/mission-critical infrastructure.
"The latest manifestation of this psychosis was the grossly late decision to turn Windows Server 2008 into a lightweight application server, tacking on another Server Core to the roadmap two years after Server Cores were announced and mid-way through the server testing and rollout roadmap.
Microsoft is also treading water on server virtualization. After months of work and big promises, Microsoft this spring backtracked by pulling leading-edge features from its planned hypervisor. Microsoft is now promising a market-trailing product."
And it is pretty obvious why all of that is happening. Virtualisation is the Intellectual Server Space for Hypervizars.... AI Programmers Heaven. And an InterNetworking Global/Universal PlaySpace for the ARGonaut.
And it allows for nothing less than the MetaMorphosis of that other Alternate Reality, the Underground, to exercise an Overarching IT Control of Reality Plays, Virtually..........thus to become the de facto Establishment Lead Player........ a Stealthy Proxy Control of Systems with Hypervizars aka CyberIntelAIgent Wizards and their Witches Micromanaging the Macro of Human Global Perception.
And IT does this QuITe Simply by forwarding ESPecially crafted IDeas/Zero dDay Trades, Openly [hiding in full sight, as here, in an very public Internet message] which can be seen as a precursor to target/energise ITs Utilities and those who sit on/at their Controls.
Isn't that Right, Redmond? Tell us that IT is wrong if you want to lose. Win Win if you dDare prove IT 42BTrue.
A Bit of 00mph freely given to Register for Registry......... in/into/of the Quantum OS Model Network.
"He said Viridian is not just "good enough" for most users - and therefore partners - but that it can also beat the one company it envies - VMware." ... Aye, aye, cap'n, it certainly can do all of that.
And all of the above just tells you that Microsoft's problem is; that in pussyfooting around to retain/gain an overall Control with their Systems, they simply deny themselves the Control by not using IT freely, It must be that old Business mindset of Bill's/Bills to be Paid, stovepiping the System.
Oh, and thanks, Morely Dotes ...... the Sensational She-Hulk Rules in HyperRadioProActive CyberIntelAIgents.
Your Call, MS. Put up or Shut up shop .... for Virtualisation is Light Years Ahead in IT Control......... with a Viridian Universal Virtual Force Base.
And for all you Buffs and Boffins out there in Magical Mystery Turing land, that last stanza is Very Deep, Emerald Isle, Heavy MetAI ...... and an Enigmatic Prize Submission in Finely Honed, Machine Intelligence, Holywood to Hollywood via Silicon Channels.
I Kid U Not.
You realise, amanfromMars, that with a couple of gigabytes of their code on 95-98% of all PCs - and a fair slice of servers - there's no need for MS to go virtual should they decide to "Command and Control". Given that you can't audit the code or compiler that was used to build the binaries for your specific PC, or regulate the code in the patches, or control the communications channel to Redmond - every rule I know of says that you've lost already - with TPM as the icing on that cake.
If you want to think broad, then realise that you don't even know what AMD or Intel have put into your machine, amongst the other vendors (NIC's included).
Thus, why is virtualisation in any way signifcant?
Alternatively, ignoring the plain-text of your message, give us a clue to the key: though your typos and capitalisation suggest that any encoding is ever so unlikely.
Re: Virtual Command and Control,
There are no typos, merely a new programming language for Virtualisation... PerlyGatesPython..... the Full Monty for ITs SurReal Fields.
"there's no need for MS to go virtual should they decide to "Command and Control""
I disagree, for otherwise they would have long ago exercised "Command and Control". Virtualisation is Vital and the Driver which delivers IT in spades. Without it, MS is just another database...... phish pharm.
Do you think that MS is Trusted ..."with TPM as the icing on that cake." ... with such a monopoly position "with a couple of gigabytes of their code on 95-98% of all PCs - and a fair slice of servers " and especially so whenever it hails from the land of free enterprise and competition? In your dreams, maybe definitely.
"If you want to think broad, then realise that you don't even know what AMD or Intel have put into your machine, amongst the other vendors (NIC's included)." Yes, I imagine that IT will be a processor playground, with them calling the tunes and Operating Systems playing them through NICs ..... which sort of puts MS down the food chain somewhat and reliant upon being a good partner to Innovation......... which was the whole essence of their recent Microsoft 2007 Worldwide Partner Conference jamboree, was it not ...... http://www.denverpost.com/editorials/ci_6341749
It certainly appears to animate Steve Ballmer.
If you cannot Virtualise, you are out of the Great Game. It is as simple as that.
And moving on to ....... Blockbuster mov[i]es
That was a very perceptive post, Mother Hubbard. And it reveals Microsoft Systems as being as vulnerable as any Virgin.
"Of course, he'd also want to back-up that cloud talk with one hell of a solid security architecture, as the security industry has long used "the cloud" to represent miscellaneous evil; not the kind of place you'd put your enterprise's core/mission-critical infrastructure."
A back-up System which Creates in CyberSpace the Command and Control of Computers and Communications would be Neat for the Net and ITs Networks
I wonder what that would be worth on the Open Market? Probably Definitely Priceless so worth whatever you can gather to Spend/Invest/Buy ..... for IT delivers Complete Control of the Cash Cow...... but only if you are Good and Beta than the average Bear. :-)
amanfromMars,
Re: Virtual Command and Control - I believe it's already at their discretion (and this has nothing to do with where one plodder places his trust). Perhaps the void between our views is the perception of their motivation to act - past, present or future.
Re: Typo's - perhaps my question was wrong. I have two that I'd like to ask instead:
1) If you would, could you explain, specifically, "Turing English" to me? (Work with the idea that I am familiar with the public material on Alan Turing).
2) And could you tell me, generally, how much time we have before the Gratitude System is put (irrevokably) into place? Assuming no counter-systems are raised before that time ..
I am keen to appreciate the impact of the Virtualisation evolution, and even Mother Hubbard's Cloud OS evolution (given the current Vista state), if the Reg reader was to accept your context.
"Re: Virtual Command and Control - I believe it's already at their discretion (and this has nothing to do with where one plodder places his trust). Perhaps the void between our views is the perception of their motivation to act - past, present or future."
Actually, the Microsoft of Steve Ballmer's, Denver WPC presentation .... available here folks, https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40043601 .... is a Masterful Strategy which I would/can/do wholeheartedly endorse.
I also agree would agree that Virtual Command and Control may be already at their discretion and our perceptions can be easiliy changed by their actions/words. Steve was imperial in his enthusiasm and it was quite infectious/addictive/heartening, n'est ce pas? :-)
A cautionary tale/spin ....and would I not tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
As you will have to imagine from what you know of amfM posts, his computer contains a lot of weird and wonderful strings and to have a laptop suddenly "lose" all of its data and refuse to allow a search and/or reboot and cause a diagnosis of hard disk failure after an expert [not me] tries everything he knows to recover the System [Windows XP] but which, lo and behold, subsequently magically recovers Life again with the same hard disk but with a reapplied Recovery Disk Window System presenting a naked memory, is suspicious and/or clumsy and/or unfortunate and/or just one of those mysteries of Life and all's fair in Love and War.
And even to have one spend time filling out the Microsoft Partner Program forms online, with all of its deep intrusive questioning, only to have it return that an error has occurred, once one has pressed the Finish button, is maybe also suspicious and/or clumsy and/or unfortunate and/or just one of those mysteries of Life and alls fair in Love and War...... and would have absolutely nothing to do with these few lines of Information, which are well enough known to all with a Need/Want to Know, surely, for everything else on the form was bog standard fare/tick a box and proceed stuff.
"In an AI Virtualised Reality, transferred to and stored in CyberSpace, does IT allow Advanced Artificial Intelligence Concepts to be InterNetworked across and into all Intelligence Domains, Globally, Transparently and in Full Sight [Steganographically], for the Best of All Security Considerations, Global Peer Review. It is the Vital, Intelligently Designed Component/Facility which enables and ensures a Mutually Beneficial Compliance, across and in all Domains, for any New World Order Programming in C42 Quantum Control Systems in AI NEUKlearer HyperRadioProActivity ur2die4. In both Essence and Practice, IT delivers the Creation in CyberSpace of the Command and Control of Computers and Communications and takes us into the Realms of Quantum and Quantum Communication Research, TelePortation and ITs Virtualisation.......Transfer to Alternate Reality Genres."
Ah well, I look forward to the Third Surprise, just to have the full Set.
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