Microsoft’s .Net applications have failed to dominate the web world. Certainly there are alot of sites using it, and alot of very good applications built in it but the closed door, clip the ticket approach has blocked alot of interest. Add to that the lower hosting costs of PHP and you’re onto a winner with smaller enterprises.
Now Microsoft are announcing that their focus has moved away from the PC and onto the Web and that LiveMesh is their new baby. We’re yet to see what LiveMesh actually is but LiveSide define it as:
Live Mesh is a “software-plus-services” platform and experience that enables PCs and other devices to “come alive” by making them aware of each other through the Internet, enabling individuals and organizations to manage, access, and share their files and applications seamlessly on the Web and across their world of devices.
Which is kind of funny because back in the ’80s that’s what we were selling at one of my first jobs – hubs to do just that. Of course this is cheaper (fingers crossed) and broader and aimed at a whole new generation of computer users. The way we think about business is far removed from the ’80s when it wasn’t uncommon to have older Execs gazing at fax machines in wonder as their documents ground through.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of value add there will be for third party developers. Microsoft doesn’t want to be pushing us out – they rely on us to be early adopters, spread the word and expand their market share!
It’s hard to get excited about anything Microsoft releases really.
There are developers who ‘get’ the Microsoft way of doing things, and those that just don’t. I try to keep an open mind, but the cynic inside me thinks this will be just like Vista, IE7, MS Office Live, and Genuine Advantage.