Monday, June 17, 2002
Behind Microsoft's mobile revamp
Posted by Jason Dunn in "NEWS" @ 08:13 AM
http://news.com.com/2008-1082-936615.html
Great interview article with Pieter Knook, the new head-honcho of the group that does the mobile devices mambo within Microsoft. Ol' Knook seems like a smart guy - he's taking the approach that the whole company needs to think about mobility, not just the mobility group. Maybe this means the next version of Office will have some Pocket PC functionality? Or that XP will ship with a native "lite" Pocket PC connection client, allowing you to connect to any XP PC to transfer files? There are many ways the Pocket PC experience could be enhanced if Microsoft as a whole said "This is important to us" - perhaps this is where Knook is headed? Here are a few quotes from the article - I'd really encourage you to give it a read.
"When it comes to deciding the future of wireless and mobile technology directions, the strategy of the market's biggest software maker is fairly simple: What's good for Microsoft is good for the computer industry.
That go-it-alone strategy has sometimes been responsible for causing friction. Microsoft had only joined a few of the dozens of wireless industry groups, but the software maker moved to repair any disconnect with the wireless industry last week when it entered the ranks of the newly formed Open Mobile Alliance.
The move was part of a broader reshaping of the company's thinking. Until recently, Microsoft had been reluctant to join wireless groups. But that changed after Pieter Knook took over the reins of the group within Microsoft that creates much of the software for wireless devices earlier this year, adding to his duties as head of the Network Service Provider group. Knook is looking to grow the number of devices in the wireless market that use Microsoft's software. To do that he'll have to court network carriers, something that he was already doing in his old job, but now he'll have to juggle even more responsibilities."
CNET: "In the handheld market, the average selling price for devices is shrinking. Do you see that affecting the manufacturers of devices using the Pocket PC operating system? And will devices using the Pocket PC OS continue to go after the high end of the market?"
KNOOK: "In a sense, yes, we have been in the higher end of the market. However, component prices are coming down so fast that custom manufacturing a color device won't be substantially different from the cost of building a black and white device in the very near future. As that occurs, you see that newer generations of Pocket PC devices are being introduced at lower price points. That's very helpful for us. You get a bigger market that way." Source: Peter West
Back to my ideas at the top - what do you think Microsoft could do, across any application or product they have, to enhance the Pocket PC experience?
Great interview article with Pieter Knook, the new head-honcho of the group that does the mobile devices mambo within Microsoft. Ol' Knook seems like a smart guy - he's taking the approach that the whole company needs to think about mobility, not just the mobility group. Maybe this means the next version of Office will have some Pocket PC functionality? Or that XP will ship with a native "lite" Pocket PC connection client, allowing you to connect to any XP PC to transfer files? There are many ways the Pocket PC experience could be enhanced if Microsoft as a whole said "This is important to us" - perhaps this is where Knook is headed? Here are a few quotes from the article - I'd really encourage you to give it a read.
"When it comes to deciding the future of wireless and mobile technology directions, the strategy of the market's biggest software maker is fairly simple: What's good for Microsoft is good for the computer industry.
That go-it-alone strategy has sometimes been responsible for causing friction. Microsoft had only joined a few of the dozens of wireless industry groups, but the software maker moved to repair any disconnect with the wireless industry last week when it entered the ranks of the newly formed Open Mobile Alliance.
The move was part of a broader reshaping of the company's thinking. Until recently, Microsoft had been reluctant to join wireless groups. But that changed after Pieter Knook took over the reins of the group within Microsoft that creates much of the software for wireless devices earlier this year, adding to his duties as head of the Network Service Provider group. Knook is looking to grow the number of devices in the wireless market that use Microsoft's software. To do that he'll have to court network carriers, something that he was already doing in his old job, but now he'll have to juggle even more responsibilities."
CNET: "In the handheld market, the average selling price for devices is shrinking. Do you see that affecting the manufacturers of devices using the Pocket PC operating system? And will devices using the Pocket PC OS continue to go after the high end of the market?"
KNOOK: "In a sense, yes, we have been in the higher end of the market. However, component prices are coming down so fast that custom manufacturing a color device won't be substantially different from the cost of building a black and white device in the very near future. As that occurs, you see that newer generations of Pocket PC devices are being introduced at lower price points. That's very helpful for us. You get a bigger market that way." Source: Peter West
Back to my ideas at the top - what do you think Microsoft could do, across any application or product they have, to enhance the Pocket PC experience?
