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May 31, 1999

TechView:
Microsoft's Mind-Control Devices

here's a regular event at Microsoft's TechEd conference known as GeekFest, where techies are usually plied with free beer, pizza, and T-shirts to build developer loyalty. At last week's TechEd '99 in Dallas, Microsoft embraced and extended the tradition, adding paid entertainment for the first time--a hypnotist. Several attendees found themselves suddenly highly susceptible to suggestion, and generally succeeded in making fools of themselves.

Microsoft developer mind control is usually more subtle than that. You don't see VP Paul Maritz standing before a developer audience saying, "Look deeply into my eyes ... when you awake, you will build only Microsoft solutions--and upgrade to Windows 2000." But there were plenty of shiny objects held out to draw developers' attention. High up on the list of hypnotic devices hauled out by Microsoft was a seductive look at the next version of Exchange, code-named "Platinum." While the product is still months away from even a generally available beta version, the glance Microsoft gave attendees was probably enough to tantalize many into holding off moves to competitive groupware solutions. The reason: Platinum promises the first step toward fulfillment of Microsoft's Storage+ unified data store model, a technology called Web Store.

Platinum's Web Store will essentially be an alternative file system for the Windows 2000 operating system, installed as part of Exchange. It will make every object within the Exchange object store accessible from a Web URL, as well as allow access through OLE DB database calls, file system calls, and MAPI and native Exchange and Outlook calls. The eventual result will be that nearly any application will be able to access data from within the Exchange store, and users will be able to share information such as calendars and discussion threads simply by sending them Web browser links. The short-term result is that Microsoft will forestall some users from moving to Lotus Domino.

Microsoft's move comes on the heels of Lotus unveiling its forthcoming integration with the Windows COM architecture (see story, "Lotus' Platform Play"). Ironically, Domino may at least partially beat Exchange to the punch--it's possible that developers can use access to Domino's data store through COM to provide similar services to those promised by Platinum--and without depending on Windows 2000 to get it.

With Windows 2000 due in October, Platinum due late this year, and widespread business adoption of both not due anytime soon, there's still time for Lotus to offer up Domino as a transitional technology to the brave new world of COM+ services. Of course, that depends on how open to suggestion business developers are--Microsoft has frequently shown that a future promise can beat shipping product just by the fear, uncertainty, and doubt it creates.