Put your ears to the ground, my friends, for the Beast of Redmond may be stirring. I’ve heard that Microsoft has begun briefing its large enterprise clients on an expansive and detailed strategy for moving its software business into the cloud. If the report proves correct – and I make no guarantees – the company will unveil the strategy to the public either next week or the week after. <\/p>\n
It’s been two and a half years since the famous Halloween memos in which Bill Gates<\/a> and Ray Ozzie<\/a> warned Microsoft’s top executives and engineers that a “services wave of applications and experiences available instantly over the internet” was approaching and that it would reshape the traditional software business. Since then, Microsoft has been fairly quiet about its plans for riding this new wave. It’s rolled out, in a piecemeal fashion, some modest new web applications for consumers and small businesses, but these moves have largely been on the periphery of its business. <\/p>\n