InformationWeek Stories by Michael Endler

InformationWeek Stories by Michael Endlerhttp://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2013-05-18T09:06:00ZWindows 8: 5 Hopeful SignsThanks to new apps and smaller, cheap devices, Windows 8 is primed for a rebound -- if Windows 8.1 delivers.http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-5-hopeful-signs/240155173?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/smb/hardware-software/8-useful-free-apps-for-windows-8/240154590"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/992/Intro_01_tn.jpg" alt="8 Free, Must-Have Windows 8 Apps" title="8 Free, Must-Have Windows 8 Apps" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Free, Must-Have Windows 8 Apps</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>  Research firm Forrester says <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8s-best-chance-depends-on-byod/240155033">IT isn't interested in Windows 8</a>, and that the platform's success relies on consumers and BYOD. Given that consumers <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/240153971">aren't exactly embracing the new OS</a>, Win8's prospects are easy to dismiss -- so much so that Frank X. Shaw, Redmond's VP of corporate communications, recently felt compelled to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/why-microsoft-should-make-windows-blue-f/240154750">reprimand the media</a> for its emphatically bleak appraisal of his company's plight. But here's the thing: Shaw could be right. Windows 8's consumer appeal is about to get a major upgrade. An important note: this prediction presupposes that the OS's usability issues are addressed in Windows 8.1, a <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/windows-81-no-cost-big-pressure/240154876">free update, formerly known as Windows Blue, expected to be revealed in June</a>. There's been some doublespeak from Microsoft on the usability point. Redmond executives have claimed that customer feedback informed Blue's development -- but they've also defended Win8's Live Tile start screen, which has been a significant driver of user criticism. There's a fine line between upholding one's convictions and alienating one's fans. Win 8.1 looks like it will land on the right side of that line -- but I'll come back to that later. First, here are five reasons things are looking up for Windows 8. 1. New Intel Chips, Better Battery Life Intel's Haswell core chips should be shipping inside Windows 8.1 devices by this fall. If you found the Surface Pro somewhat attractive but were deterred by its poor battery life and modest i5 processor -- your time is coming. Haswell is expected to deliver major improvements in power management, which means designers have more flexibility to balance CPU power and battery life. The result should be Win8 tablets and Ultrabooks that function like high-end laptops but can run all day on a single battery charge. Intel's chips are also expected to facilitate thinner, lighter form factors, and to deliver improved graphics performance -- perfect for the high-density screens that will be common on the next round of high-end, Surface Pro-like machines. Intel's Bay Trail Atom processors, meanwhile, won't be on the market until later this year. But the new mobile-oriented chips are expected to substantially improve the graphics performance and central processing muscle of Atom-based Windows 8 tablets. Intel says the new processors are twice as powerful as the current ones, and Intel is clearly looking to challenge ARM, the chip of choice for smartphones and tablets. If Bay Trail lives up to its promise, it will enable the lightest and most portable of tablets to not only run the full version of Windows 8, but also, and more importantly, do so without a hitch. In a space dominated by cheap Android tablets and the iPad Mini, the ability to run Microsoft Office and legacy x86 apps could be a major differentiator. 2. Lower Prices For many users, the first wave of Windows 8 devices was prohibitively expensive. The next wave, however, should offer options to fit all budgets. Intel has stated that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/intel-haswell-599-touch-ultrabooks-in-20/240145717">Haswell-based Ultrabooks should reach the $600 price point</a>. There will be more expensive options too. But given the improvements the new chips should facilitate, Intel's promise means that devices with more raw processing power and better battery life than the Surface Pro will soon cost only a little more than much-ignored, and x86-incompatible, Surface RT. Atom-based Windows 8 tablets, meanwhile, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/17/intel-bay-trail-200/">could be much cheaper</a>. The prospect of $1,000 Win8 Ultrabooks didn't entice many people -- but $300 for an extremely thin tablet that can capably run Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Angry Birds and most anything else? That could take a bite out of the iPad Mini's sales. Windows 8 struggled partially due to a lack of elegance in the new interface. But a lot of that bad buzz came from people who ran the OS without a touchscreen. Some of these Win8 installations involved new licenses installed on old machines, which gain little value, if any, from the new UI. But OEMs exacerbated this problem when, heading into last winter, they managed to release only a handful of touch-enabled options. By the time this year's back-to-school and holiday seasons roll around, store shelves should not only feature a great abundance of touch-oriented Windows 8 devices but also a greater diversity of form factors. This variety will include some novel ideas, such as <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/intel-outlines-smartphones-ultrabooks-vi/240145919">30-inch hybrid tablets</a> that can be docked like a desktop but also laid flat to create a table display. But the entrance of mini-tablets is probably the most notable development. As mentioned above, these devices -- thanks to not only their ability to offer legitimate productivity tools in a consumer-friendly tablet but also their low prices -- could be enormously popular. Microsoft might even debut <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/6/3608432/xbox-surface-xbox-tablet-7-inch">a 7-inch Surface model</a> as soon as this summer. 4. Windows 8.1's UI Refinements Windows 8.1's biggest hurdle will be addressing core usability concerns -- more on that below. Aside from this point, though, the update will -- based on <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-what-we-know/240152012">information gleaned from leaked Windows Blue builds</a> -- deliver a more refined version of the Metro interface. Many of the tweaks, such as the ability to resize and customize Live Tile sizes, are small but welcome. Others, such as an improved Snap Views function that allows up to four Metro apps to be displayed simultaneously, are more functional. Other changes include deeper Sky Drive integration, Internet Explorer 11 and support for new touch gestures. Nothing earth-shattering has come to light, but the numerous small improvements should contribute to a smoother, more cohesive user experience. Control panel tweaks aren't exciting, for example, but because Windows 8 currently forces users to jump between the Metro and desktop interfaces to access these controls, it's significant that Windows Blue will likely make these tools easier to access from either environment. It's not flashy -- but it makes the user experience significantly less frustrating. To be fair, "less frustrating" doesn't exactly equal iOS-level user delight. But Windows 8 is still a new, radically different model, and it will take Microsoft some time to figure things out. Plus, to gain market share, Windows 8.1 doesn't need to be great. It just needs to be good enough. Microsoft products are still an entrenched part of most businesses. It's one thing for a BYOD employee to use Google Apps and an iPad because he doesn't want to spend $1,000 on a Surface Pro that has lousy battery life, is relatively heavy and features an aggravating interface. It's another thing, though, to pay $300 or $400 for great battery life, complete compatibility with the office, a light form factor and a decent tablet UI that does most things it's supposed to do. If Win 8.1 is expected to disrupt the market, it's bound to disappoint. But if it's meant to lead to organic growth that could lead to future gains, then "good enough" could actually work -- at least until Google, Samsung or Apple does something to move the mobile goal posts. 5. Better Apps The native Windows 8 apps weren't great, but Microsoft has <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/windows-8-updates-core-apps-to-improve-u/240151678">already released updates to improve them</a>, and Blue is expected to bring new alarm, sound recorder, movie and calculator apps. It's unclear how useful these new entries will be, but Microsoft has also been <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-seeks-windows-8-app-wave/240151314">actively encouraging developers to join the Win8 fold</a>, and the effort has been paying off. The platform now boasts more than 73,000 apps, and developer activity, after trailing off during the first three months of the year, is nearly as high as it was at launch. Microsoft has also been building <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-builds-a-deep-tech-team-to-attract-next-gen-developers-7000015270/">an elite team to develop next-gen apps that span the entire Windows ecosystem</a>. Win 8.1 won't change the fact that Metro still has only about one-tenth the number of apps that iOS has. Still, Redmond's new OS now has enough apps to compete; it can't do everything, but the Windows Store no longer resembles a bare cupboard. But It All Hinges On Usability As Windows 8's defenders point out, the OS is usable -- as long as you endure a short learning curve. The problem is, many users gave Metro only a brief look and dismissed Win8 without a second thought. To a certain segment of users, a tablet that can access x86 apps is a dream come true. But iPads satisfy most people's most common needs, and when they require something heavier, most of them still have a computer. Windows 8's merits, for many of these users, did not make learning the new OS worthwhile. To be fair, some of this adoption hesitancy has to do with cost, and Microsoft and its partners are about to address that. But it's clear, fair or not, that the UI hurdle needs to be removed. That doesn't mean Redmond should kill Metro, but it means the devices need to be engaging as soon as users pick them up. The extent to which Microsoft understands this is unclear. On the one hand, Windows CMO and CFO Tami Reller has conceded that the "learning curve" imposed by the new Live Tiles UI is <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/after-bumpy-start-microsoft-rethinks-windows-8/">"real and needs to be addressed."</a> But Windows chief Julie Larson-Green has <a href="http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/julie-larson-green-talks-about-blue-and-future-windows">defended the Live Tile start screen as a "dramatic improvement" over the familiar start menu it replaces</a>. Microsoft is "principled ... but stubborn" about the new interface, she said, even while conceding that a resurrected start menu "might be helpful" to some users. Muddying the waters further, she also said that Windows 8.1 won't deliver "major changes," and that "some things" -- presumably, the stream of Win Blue rumors that had been steadily flowing for months -- "are wildly inaccurately reported." Speaking of those rumors, with Windows Blue, users will likely gain the option to boot directly to the desktop interface, rather than being force-fed the Live Tiles start screen every time they start their machines. Window 8.1 might also feature a restored start menu, but rather than functioning like its Windows 7-equivalent, it's rumored to be a Live Tiles shortcut. There's also been talk of search charm enhancements intended to wean users of their old-UI dependencies, and better integration of tutorials and help functions. Whether any of these changes actually materialize remains to be seen. But whatever Microsoft does, it must make the OS easier to use. If the company does so, watch out. Based on the five factors above, the conditions are right for Microsoft's consumer market share to jump. Does this mean the next Surface will catapult to iPad-like sales, or that Windows 8 is about to explode the way Android did in 2012? No. But an important shift is nonetheless primed to occur. At launch, Windows 8 presented users with one very important reason to buy: a tablet UI and legacy applications, all in one device. Unfortunately, it also gave users many reasons not to buy: a counterintuitive UI, costly devices, uninspired native apps, lackluster app library, poor battery life, and so on. Now, most of the deterrents have been eliminated. Ease of use is the big one that remains.2013-05-17T11:13:00ZDell Posts Weak Earnings: Services Growth Slow GoingDell's enterprise business showed growth this quarter, but not enough to overcome a steep decline in PC margins. http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/dell-posts-weak-earnings-services-growth/240155126?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardwareAs expected, Dell on Thursday <a href="http://www.dell.com/Learn/us/en/uscorp1/secure/201305webrelease">announced a year-over-year decline in quarterly revenue</a>, earning 21 cents per share on sales of $14.1 billion. The performance was down from the 43 cents per share that the company's investors earned during the same period last year. It was also below the 35 cents per share Wall Street had expected before Dell <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/dell-earnings-may-disappoint/240154986">abruptly decided to disclose its fiscal performance a week ahead of schedule</a>. The schedule shift triggered rumors that Dell's performance would be worse than expected, and that the soft earnings could serve CEO Michael Dell's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/dell-goes-private-whats-next/240147885">attempts to take the company private</a>. Half of that projection has some to pass, but it remains to be seen how the company's report will impact its buyout trajectory. Dell announced in February his intentions to take the company private by paying investors $13.65 per share. But progress has since been mired by counterproposals, the most recent of which involves a plan backed by investor Carl Icahn that would offer shareholders $12 a share in cash or stock. This approach would permit some investors to cut their losses while still keeping the company partially public. Predictably, Dell's PC business was the biggest culprit in the weak earnings. The division's sales fell 9 percent but its operating margin was off 65%. Prior to the company's announcement, some had speculated that Dell sacrificed profits by slashing prices to stimulate device sales -- a theory the earnings report does not outright confirm but nonetheless supports. [ Dell's weak earnings report was no surprise. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/dell-earnings-may-disappoint/240154986?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Dell Earnings May Disappoint</a>. ] Dell's business-oriented divisions fared better. The Enterprise Solutions Group's revenue was up 10 percent, at $3.1 billion. Server and networking revenue increased but storage revenue was down. Dell Services grew 2 percent, meanwhile, driven by gains in infrastructure, cloud, and security-related revenue. Dell Software, the focal point of some of the company's biggest recent changes, posted an operating loss on revenue of just under $300 million. Dell, which made its name building PCs for consumers, has <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/michael-dell-our-transformation-is-compl/240144292">spent the last several years redefining itself as an end-to-end software and services company</a>. This transition has been hampered by, among other things, the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/pc-market-bleeds-windows-8-tablet-fix-ne/240152706">PC market's historic decline</a>. Dell continues to draw much of its revenue from computers, and the market's downturn has put pressure on the company to tip its balance sheets in favor of its newer, more enterprise-focused endeavors. Michael Dell believes this process will be most efficiently executed without Wall Street's distractions and regulations. In an email interview conducted prior to the earnings report, IDC analyst Matt Eastwood said Dell faces challenges because "the PC business has come unglued faster than they thought it would and Dell needs PC revenue to invest in [its] business transformation." This difficulty is compounded because Dell's enterprise business has not scaled as quickly as hoped --"certainly not fast enough to offset the declines in the PC space," according to Eastwood. Eastwood believes that Dell has accrued valuable enterprise assets but is still transitioning its sales model. The company "needs to make significant investments in [its] go-to-market capabilities," he said. "This is a transformation that is perhaps best completed outside the glare of Wall Street." He stated that Dell's sales professionals have relied on a transaction-oriented approach, and that the company needs to focus on relationships and margins, "particularly when the solutions are end-to-end and span multiple silos and decision makers." This Cloud Connect webcast, <a href="http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=608346&s=1&k=EC75EBF3BEED4017ECED43380C066892&partnerref=jdpl">Connecting Your Network To The Cloud</a>, will provide a road map and best practices for integrating private data networking technologies with cloud computing resources. It happens May 14. (Free registration required.)2013-05-16T13:23:00ZWindows 8's Best Chance Depends On BYOD?Windows 8 will do better with consumers than IT departments, says Forrester report.http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8s-best-chance-depends-on-byod/240155033?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div>(click image for slideshow) </div>The good news for Microsoft is that <a href="http://www.forrester.com/IT+Will+Skip+Windows+8+As+The+Enterprise+Standard/fulltext/-/E-RES86641">Windows 8's BYOD prospects are pretty decent</a>, according to a report published Thursday by research firm Forrester. The bad news? IT is in no rush to adopt Microsoft's divisive new OS. Also, competition from Apple and Google for consumer dollars remains fierce. The report, lead-authored by analyst David Johnson, states, "Most businesses will not adopt Windows 8 as their primary standard, but must be prepared to meet employee BYOD demand.” Beyond explaining Microsoft's Win8 predicament, the report also reinforces that the PC industry is undergoing a "dramatic shift." Tablets and smartphones have usurped many tasks once relegated to desktops and laptops, and they've enabled social and mobile applications that simply weren't feasible with traditional machines. But these upstarts can't do everything, so PCs remain relevant. However, users now can choose from a variety of devices, and a lot of them choose to use tablets, or to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/4-reasons-pc-market-wont-rebound/240154202">spread their tasks across a range of devices</a>. IT has been forced to accommodate this shift in preference, and the pecking order of major tech players, such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Intel, has <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsofts-influence-fading-fast-gartner/240152342">begun to realign</a>. [ Looking for deals on Windows 8 apps? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/8-free-must-have-windows-8-apps/240154590?itc=edit_in_body_cross">8 Free, Must-Have Windows 8 Apps</a>. ] Forrester notes that 38% of employees would prefer to use Windows 8 on their work computers, which actually outpaces the 35% who'd choose Windows 7. Among tablet users, 20% would like Windows 8 and 26% would like iOS. Though this interest in Win8 tablets is notable, and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsofts-influence-fading-fast-gartner/240152342">supported by other evidence</a>, the report cautions that enthusiasm for iOS, Android and OS X remains strong. Forrester found that iOS is particularly popular with the "most influential employees," noting that Apple customers typically earn higher salaries and hold higher positions within their companies. iOS was the most-preferred tablet OS across all income brackets, but its advantage was more pronounced among the best-paid users. Windows 8 was second in all categories. The report claims IT staffers perceive iOS as the most-preferred OS for tablets, and cites the iPad's rich user experience and ease-of-use as some of its prime appeals. Nevertheless, Forrester expects both Android and Windows 8 to eat into Apple's share. This view is tempered by the report's caution that Win8 still needs more Metro apps to attract consumers. Forrester believes there is a market for a premium Windows experience but that Microsoft and its OEM partners are still catching up to Apple's design lead. The report characterizes Windows RT, meanwhile, as confusing for not only users but also for IT in managing it and figuring out software licensing. Forrester expects user interest to carry Windows 8 into the enterprise via BYOD, alongside more iPads, Android tablets and other devices. Even so, the report suggests Win8 is unlikely to become the workplace favorite that Windows 7 has been. Formidable competition on the mobile front is one factor -- but more importantly, Forrester has detected little enthusiasm for Win8 among IT staffers, many of whom are happy to keep using Windows 7. The report attributes IT's Win8 hesitancy to a number of concerns, such as the amount of user training a full deployment might entail, and how many applications would need to be redesigned to take advantage of the OS's new interface. Given that Windows 7 is such a strong performer, Windows 8 just doesn't add enough extra value to be the primary OS at most businesses, Forrester concludes. It should be noted that although the report is new, it cites statistics derived from studies conducted between June and October of 2012. As a result, some of the data points, such as correlations between salary and brand preference, reflect how respondents felt before Windows 8 was widely available. The report still <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/david_johnson/12-03-08-windows_8_think_you_can_skip_it_think_again">reflects Forrester's research since the studies were conducted</a>, but the point remains: when respondents were surveyed, neither the OS's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/240153971">slow adoption</a> nor the polarizing reactions to its UI would have been variables. Windows Blue would have been, likewise, a non-factor. But in a sense, the imminent arrival of Blue, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/windows-81-no-cost-big-pressure/240154876">now officially named Windows 8.1</a>, reinforces the importance of these early statistics. A decent number of people were once enthusiastic about Windows 8, but based on the OS's low usage share, that enthusiasm hasn't yet translated to sales. Part of the problem might have been the UI, or at least the bad press around the UI. Maybe it was the lack of apps. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the first round of Win8 devices were expensive, and that affluent buyers evidently prefer Apple. Whatever the issue, Windows 8.1 has the potential to address all of them. There's the chance, of course, that the update won't meaningfully improve the Windows 8 experience. But it's more likely that Win8.1 turns the platform into something more like what people had hoped for in the first place -- back when one in five told Forrester that they'd like a Microsoft tablet. And prices will be coming down, too. The prospect of a tablet that runs Microsoft Office and x86 applications is powerful, but perhaps not powerful enough to sell hundreds of millions of devices in the $600 - $1000 range. With Windows 8.1 models about to invade the iPad Mini's price range, Forrester's statistics affirm how much Microsoft could still gain as well as how much it could lose. One thing, though, is certain: there will continue to be a variety of OSes, including Windows 8, at work in the enterprise. Forrest suggests that businesses prepare by hurrying to finish their Windows 7 migrations, implementing formal BYOD programs, exploring cloud and virtualization, and piloting limited Windows 8 deployments. 2013-05-16T11:03:00ZDell Earnings May DisappointMichael Dell and his plan to take the company private may benefit if quarterly earnings miss Wall Street's expectations.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/dell-earnings-may-disappoint/240154986?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/smb/hardware-software/8-useful-free-apps-for-windows-8/240154590"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/992/Intro_01_tn.jpg" alt="8 Free, Must-Have Windows 8 Apps" title="8 Free, Must-Have Windows 8 Apps" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Free, Must-Have Windows 8 Apps</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>  Dell on Thursday afternoon will <a href="http://www.dell.com/Learn/us/en/uscorp1/secure/2013-0514-webcastrelease">report its financial earnings</a> for the most recent fiscal quarter. The company, whose CEO and founder, Michael Dell, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/dell-goes-private-whats-next/240147885">has been attempting to take the it private since February</a>, originally planned to make the announcement on May 21. It gave no explanation for the accelerated timeline. Prior to the schedule adjustment, analysts had expected Dell to disclose sales of $13.5 billion and earnings of 35 cents per share. The Wall Street Journal reported, however, that the results will be "far worse than Wall Street had expected," with <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324715704578483151440568828.html">revenue of approximately $14 billion but earnings of only 20 cents per share</a>. ISI Group analyst Brian Marshall told the Journal that Dell's profits might have taken a hit as it slashed prices to overcome the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/pc-market-bleeds-windows-8-tablet-fix-ne/240152706">rocky PC market</a>. Dell is, after Lenovo and Hewlett-Packard, the world's third largest maker of PCs. Its tablet sales, meanwhile, have so far been tied mostly to Windows 8, which <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/240153971">has yet to take off</a>. Earlier this week, the company <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/15/4332464/dell-xps-10-price-drops-to-just-300-the">slashed the price of its Windows RT-based XPS 10 tablet to $300</a>, 33% below its original cost. [ Will a better Windows help? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/windows-81-no-cost-big-pressure/240154876?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows 8.1: No Cost, Big Pressure</a>. ] Michael Dell's attempts to take his company private, meanwhile, are being challenged by activist investor Carl Icahn. Last week, Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management proposed a deal that would pay shareholders a dividend of $12 a share, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2013/05/14/icahn-wants-a-seat-for-himself-on-dells-board-activists-unveil-proposed-directors/">allowing some investors to cash out but keeping the company partially public</a>. Dell, whom Icahn has said he would remove as CEO, offered $13.65 a share in the $24.4 billion buyout plan he spearheaded with private equity firm Silver Lake Partners. A Dell special committee -- established to ensure investors' best interests are upheld, given the CEO's potential conflict of interest -- is <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/dell-committee-asks-icahn-for-more-information-on-takeover-plan/2013/05/13/bf20719e-bbca-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html">mulling Icahn's proposal</a>. A disappointing earnings report could actually advance Michael Dell's agenda, as it would subvert Icahn's claim that Dell's buyout plan undervalues the company's assets and cheats shareholders. Earlier this year, Dell's stock rallied to more than $14 a share as investors reacted to the buyout announcement and the ensuing counterproposals. Wall Street turned bearish, however, after analysts began issuing <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/4-reasons-pc-market-wont-rebound/240154202">gloomy PC forecasts</a> in April. Amidst all the drama, Dell has continued to tout its new identity as a software and services provider. Given the assets the company has accrued, it's easy to see why Michael Dell wants to shape that identity without being tethered to finicky shareholders and regulatory oversight. Wall Street has a reactionary recent history with tech companies, informed in part by the volume of trades that value short-term hedges over long-term patience. In a matter of months, Apple went from "most valuable company in the world" to "company that no longer innovates." Microsoft was downgraded by Goldman Sachs earlier this year due but is currently enjoying good buzz, now that investors have been reminded that Redmond, in addition to making Windows, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-office-server-sales-fuel-stron/240153251">also runs a lot of other profitable businesses</a> -- like Office and Azure. Given that Michael Dell's plan might necessitate a few more quarters of rough financial results, it's hard to believe the CEO would be able to capitalize on his vision if the company remains public. That being the case, the question becomes whether one trusts Dell's vision. The CEO has offered little insight into how he'll use his new freedoms if he succeeds in taking the company private. But as one of the richest people in the world, he can pursue virtually anything he wants. That he is staking billions of dollars of his own money suggests serious conviction. Then again, it's been a long time since the company's heyday as the world's largest PC seller. In a way, though, that heyday is part of what Dell is trying to shake. As investors and journalists continued to refer to Dell as a "PC-maker" throughout the spring, the company spent most of its energy touting its enterprise software portfolio. In the last month, for example, Dell has <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/13/dell_hana_appliance_sap_business_suite/">broadened its support for SAP HANA</a>, and demonstrated how its collection of software assets can be <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/dells-software-unit-updates-byod-it-consumerization-strategies-7000014425/">cohesively strung together to solve complex business problems</a>, such as how to <a href="http://www.dell.com/Learn/us/en/uscorp1/press-releases/2013-04-24-dell-byod-mobility-portfolio?c=us&l=en&s=corp&cs=uscorp1">implement a mobility program within a regulated industry</a>. This cohesiveness is important. Michael Dell declared last December at Dell World that his <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/michael-dell-our-transformation-is-compl/240144292">company's transition was complete</a>. Showing that its various acquisitions constitute an end-to-end package, rather than a confusing hodgepodge, validates that statement. The company also has <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/windows-servers/dell-demos-64-bit-arm-based-server/240146667">investments in ARM-based hyperscale servers</a>, which could prove prescient in coming years. And it has valuable offerings in storage, virtualization and cloud-computing as well. The company derives a lot of its money -- too much of it, which is why its CEO wants to privately restructure -- from PCs. But Dell's current identity looks a lot more like IBM, a company that underwent a similar reinvention, than it does the earlier versions of itself. The challenge Dell faces -- no matter who ends up running the company -- is to show that these enterprise strengths form a foundation for lasting success. IDC analyst Matt Eastwood, in an email interview conducted prior to the schedule change in Dell's earnings announcement, said, "Dell has a nice set of capabilities, but can't afford to stand still." The software and services market changes rapidly, he said, and customers want to see Dell "sustain innovation organically and not simply rely on acquisitions to drive their diversification."2013-05-15T11:55:00ZVMware Fights Android BYOD HeadachesVMware's BYOD ambitions kick into gear through its partnership with Verizon. But is the virtualization heavyweight making its mobile management play too late?http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/security/vmware-fights-android-byod-headaches/240154955?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/security/client/ten-top-password-managers/240153906"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/986/password_manager_slideshow_01_tn.jpg" alt="10 Top Password Managers" title="10 Top Password Managers" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Top Password Managers</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  VMware announced Wednesday the availability of its Horizon Mobile product for certain Android-based Verizon smartphones. The technology establishes a second instance of Google's mobile OS on a compatible device, allowing employees to keep their personal content separate from an IT-controlled workspace. Such partitions have been considered an ideal ever since workers began bringing their own smartphones into the office, but with many vendors already touting similar technologies of their own, it's not certain that VMware will gain traction in the crowded mobile enterprise management market. <a href="http://www.vmware.com/company/news/releases/vmw-horizon-Verizon-051513.html">VMware Horizon Mobile</a> is available immediately for the LG Intuition and the Motorola RAZR M. New units will come ready to deploy the Android guest OS, but users who have previously purchased either phone can gain access as well. VMware plans to add support for additional models throughout the year. IT managers once enjoyed uniform device deployments in which all employees were issued a pre-approved, easily managed device, such as a BlackBerry smartphone. As the bring-your-own device (BYOD) movement flooded the workplace with user-owned iPhones and Android models, however, IT staffers have been challenged to keep the devices secure while also respecting privacy concerns. Due to this tension, analysts have characterized the ability to isolate business data from personal data as the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/six-tips-for-navigating-the-mdm-jungle/240008085">"holy grail" of mobile endpoint management</a>. [ The multitude of devices will test many IT teams' mobile application development plans. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/development/mobility/9-challenges-to-your-mobile-app-strategy/240153865?itc=edit_in_body_cross">9 Challenges To Your Mobile App Strategy</a>. ] The same is true at businesses that have eschewed BYOD for the corporate-owned, personally enabled (COPE) model, in which the company owns devices but allows employees to choose from a variety of options. Because smartphones have become so capable, many users use them for personal tasks, even when their employers own the devices. A division between work data and personal tasks allows companies to embrace this user tendency without putting corporate intellectual property at risk. By building its work-focused space around a guest OS, Horizon Mobile gives IT staffers particularly granular controls. Administrators can set passwords, push applications to devices or approve them for download from a corporate app catalog, enforce VPN requirements, remotely wipe data, and more -- all without affecting the user-dedicated portion of the device. It also boasts a secure browser and AES-256 encryption. It's worth noting that Horizon Mobile's implementation is somewhat different than other virtualization-based mobile security techniques. Thin clients are often praised for their security because they don't actually store data locally; whatever the user is working on essentially disappears once a session has been terminated. Horizon Mobile, in contrast, stores the second OS locally and uses a Type 2 hypervisor to run the second instance. As IT has been forced to wrangle an increasingly diverse spate of devices, vendors have stepped in to help, and many mobile management features -- such as remote wipe capabilities -- have <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/security/mobile/ibm-makes-enterprise-mobile-security-mov/240153882">become more or less commoditized</a>. BlackBerry, AT&T, AirWatch, MobileIron and others all have technologies, for example, that separate personal content from work content. Despite the ubiquity of certain features, Jaleh Rezaei, director of product marketing for Horizon, said that VMware's approach is still distinct because it relies on virtualization. In an interview, she said most other approaches involve containerization processes, which require modification to individual apps. Because Horizon Mobile hosts corporate content in a complete OS, this extra step is unnecessary. Similarly, Rezaei said that because admins have access to an OS, rather than to just an app, they can control the workspace more tightly. She also noted that Horizon Mobile could solve the problem of Android fragmentation. Many versions of Android are actively in use, making it difficult for IT admins to uniformly control the numerous variants that might be accessing their networks. Rezaei said that by orienting corporate activity around a standardized guest OS, VMware avoids this trouble. VMware Horizon Mobile is available immediately with perpetual licensing starting at $125 per user.2013-05-14T14:40:00ZWindows 8.1: No Cost, Big PressureMicrosoft confirms that Windows 8.1 will be free for current Windows 8 and Windows RT users. But will it be enough to revitalize sales?http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/windows-81-no-cost-big-pressure/240154876?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardwareIs Microsoft's new mantra "ask and ye shall receive?" That's probably taking it too far, but Tami Reller, CFO and CMO of the company's Windows division, <a href="http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2013/05/14/windows-keeps-getting-better.aspx">confirmed Tuesday morning that Windows Blue will be free</a> to existing Windows 8 and Windows RT customers. The news arrives fast on the heels of arguments from InformationWeek and others that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/why-microsoft-should-make-windows-blue-f/240154750">the forthcoming update should be released at no cost</a>. Reller's remarks also add to previous confirmations that the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-store-slashes-windows-8-device/240153568">next wave of Win8 devices will, unlike their expensive predecessors, include low-cost options</a>. Together, the developments mean that of all the factors that have stunted Windows 8 adoption so far, prohibitive pricing will no longer be a problem. With that barrier removed, though, one all-important question still remains: Windows Blue might be free, but will it be any good? Speaking at the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Reller divulged few details about the update's new or improved features. She did, however, confirm what industry observers have suspected since <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-blue-demise-of-the-desktop/240151656">leaked Windows Blue builds began appearing online in March</a>: The update will be called Windows 8.1. [ For more thoughts on Microsoft's Windows 8.1 strategy, see <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-users-see-red-is-microsoft-lis/240154488?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows 8 Users See Red: Is Microsoft Listening?</a> ] The <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-restoring-the-start-button/240153170">extent to which Win8.1 will tweak Microsoft's existing product has been a topic of frequent rumors and passionate debates</a>. Will Redmond restore the Start Button or allow users to boot to the desktop? Will it continue herding users through the Live Tiles environment? Will the native apps be better? Will system controls be accessible in both interfaces? Reller didn't answer any of these questions but she reiterated that Blue will be out as a public preview by the time of Microsoft's Build conference, which starts in San Francisco on June 26. General availability is expected to follow in the fall. By officially naming the update Windows 8.1, Microsoft suggests that it won't retreat from the bold redesign it implemented when Win8 launched last October. The OS's attempts to shoehorn a traditional desktop UI and a tablet-oriented UI into one package have been criticized as awkward and counterintuitive, but Redmond's ostensible dedication to the new look shouldn't be a surprise. Company representatives have <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-confirms-public-preview-of-windows-blue-in-late-june-7000015026/">described Microsoft's Win8 strategy as "principled but not stubborn,"</a> meaning Redmond leaders are receptive to user feedback but committed to their original vision. That's certainly the message VP of corporate communications Frank X. Shaw projected last Friday, when he <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2013/05/10/staying-centered.aspx">rejected claims that Windows Blue would be an admission of Windows 8's failures</a>. Though Reller was mum on Windows 8.1's specific enhancements, she pointed out that the Win8 platform has now amassed more than 70,000 apps. That's still only about one-tenth the number of titles iOS and Android boast in their respective app stores, but it's nonetheless a marked improvement from the number available when Microsoft's new OS launched last fall. This growing app catalog also offers compatibility with legacy x86 apps to give Windows 8 a range of titles and functionality that competitors -- particularly those in the tablet space -- simply cannot match. In addition to this progress on the app front, Microsoft also stands to benefit from the new Win8 devices that should hit the market throughout back-to-school and holiday seasons. The devices, which will range in size from large desktop units to ultra-mobile iPad Mini competitors, are expected to be both cheaper than current models and, thanks to new Intel chips, more powerful, more energy efficient, thinner and lighter. The stage is set, in other words, for Windows 8 to make a comeback -- as long as Win 8.1 delivers the goods.2013-05-14T10:58:00ZMicrosoft Office 365 Steps On Google Enterprise AmbitionsOffice 365 could soon be a $1 billion annual business, but Microsoft is still playing proactive defense against Google Apps.http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/microsoft-office-365-steps-on-google-ent/240154836?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-should-fix-in-windows/240154570"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/991/Windows-Blue-Blue-1st-screen_tn.jpg" alt="Windows Blue" title="LinkedIn: 10 Important Changes" class="img175" /></a> (click image for larger view and for slideshow) <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Should Fix In Windows Blue</div> </div>  Microsoft endured criticism earlier this year when its customers perceived unappealing Office 2013 license terms as a strong-arm push toward Office 365 and its subscription-based delivery model. This tumult has since died away, not only because Microsoft <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/microsoft-tweaks-office-2013-licensing-a/240150180">amended the Office 2013 terms</a>, but also -- and more importantly -- because Office 365 has become, along with Azure, one of the company's <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-azure-joins-microsofts-billion-dollar-business-club-7000014669/">biggest success stories of the last year</a>. On Monday, Microsoft added several new customer testimonials to this <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/microsoft-office-365-how-one-company-sav/240150383">positive momentum</a>. Killing two birds with one stone, it also fired a few shots at Google Apps, continuing a recent stretch of proactive attacks against Google's enterprise ambitions. In a statement, Microsoft emphasized that several of the profiled <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2013/May13/05-13SwitcherPR.aspx">customers are subject to regulatory requirements</a>, such as HIPAA. Many companies are hesitant to entrust their data to cloud-based products, and though cloud vendors are making progress, Redmond is clearly attempting to stake out territory as the secure cloud for businesses. FHI 360 was one of the companies that chose Office 365 in part for its regulatory prowess. A nonprofit human development organization, FHI 360 arose through the union of two smaller nonprofits: FHI, which utilized Microsoft Exchange on-premises, and AED, which relied on Google Apps. In an interview, Douglas Wilkins, the organization's associate director of operations infrastructure services, said FHI 360 opted for Office 365 because the service could, unlike Google's offering, facilitate a hybrid model in which Active Directory and a number of applications are hosted locally by the nonprofit, while other documents and resources are stored off-site by Microsoft. Office 365 offered richer offline access as well, he said. [ For more on transitioning to Office 365, read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/google-apps-to-office-365-why-to-switch/240154193?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Apps To Office 365: Why To Switch</a>. ] "We were looking for a way to do not just email but instant messaging, Web conferencing, document sharing and collaboration," said Wilkins, who also said Google Apps fulfilled a "portion" of his needs but offered neither the on-premises flexibility nor the regulatory compliance of Office 365. Wilkins also noted the value of Office 365's videoconferencing and instant messaging capabilities, tools that Microsoft said will save FHI 360 approximately $20,000 annually. He also said that by allowing Microsoft to manage patches and other features, FHI 360's IT staff had had more time to focus on business opportunities. The subscription model also permits the organization to flexibly activate or shut down licenses as staffing needs change around certain projects, Wilkins said. Though stories such as FHI 360's emphasize the diverse benefits Office 365 can deliver, Microsoft also presented most of the testimonials to highlight Google Apps' relative deficiencies. It noted that Arysta LifeScience, an agrochemical company with sales and services in 125 countries, initially adopted Google's suite, but switched to Office 365 because employees were "unhappy" with Google's shortcomings, such as limited calendar-sharing functions and watered-down offline access. This anti-Google messaging follows three recent blog posts -- one on <a href="http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft_office_365_blog/archive/2013/05/13/there-s-no-need-to-compromise-with-office-365.aspx">May 13</a>, and <a href="http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft_office_365_blog/archive/2013/05/10/office-is-a-team-player.aspx">two</a> on <a href="http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft_office_365_blog/archive/2013/05/10/google-docs-isn-t-worth-the-gamble.aspx ">May 10</a> -- in which Microsoft representatives have opined on the ways Office 365 outshines its competitor. The emphasis is somewhat curious; Microsoft enjoys a near-monopoly in this market, so much so that terms such as "dominant" don't do it justice. That said, if any competitor has nibbled -- even moderately -- into Microsoft's sales, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/04/04/google-microsoft-office-apps/2052069/">it's Google Apps</a>. Redmond, by turning Office to a cloud-oriented model, has successfully addressed -- at least for many businesses, if not also for some consumers -- one of the product's most glaring criticisms: Because earlier Office versions are adequate for most workers' needs, updates have become increasingly less necessary. Office 365's features have challenged this contention, and it remains likely that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/what-nook-could-buy-microsoft/240154548">additional Office enhancements are coming</a>. One can only assume that attempts to dismiss Google Apps before they pose a real threat are just another part of Microsoft's efforts to keep its flagship productivity products relevant in the so-called post-PC era.2013-05-14T09:06:00ZWhy Microsoft Should Make Windows Blue FreeWindows 8's gloomy narrative could be rewritten when Windows Blue arrives later this year. The first step is to give it away for free.http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/why-microsoft-should-make-windows-blue-f/240154750?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardwareOn May 10, Microsoft VP of Corporate Communications Frank X. Shaw <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2013/05/10/staying-centered.aspx">struck back</a> at claims that Windows Blue is essentially Redmond's de facto concession that Windows 8 has failed. His umbrage might be justified -- but ultimately, it also doesn't matter. What matters is whether Windows Blue meaningfully heats up the OS's heretofore <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/what-microsoft-windows-8-license-numbers/240154345">glacial adoption rate</a> -- and to do that, Redmond needs to make its forthcoming update not only a clear improvement over Win8, but also free. To be clear, I'm not unsympathetic to Shaw's position, which holds that some online commentators have described Windows 8 with "sensationalism and hyperbole" rather than "nuanced analysis." He's right; Windows 8's alleged failures have become somewhat mythologized, with alleged consequences frequently blown out of proportion. The OS actually lays some important foundations for the future. By forcing a desktop-oriented OS and a tablet-oriented OS into a single package, Redmond at first seemed to suggest it foresaw a future of all-in-one, do-it-all devices. But it's since become evident that the company envisions Windows 8 <a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/03/microsofts-envisioning-center-looks-to-a-surface-filled-voice-activated-future/">uniting devices of all shapes and sizes</a>, from <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/intel-outlines-smartphones-ultrabooks-vi/240145919">30-inch table-computer hybrids</a> to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/acer-reveals-windows-8-hybrid-tablets/240154151">8-inch tablets</a> and potentially even <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/17/4234294/microsoft-smartwatch-prototype-surface-connector">wearable technology</a>. The existing version of Windows 8 is already designed to facilitate seamless transitions among devices, and Windows Blue is rumored to push the concept to new lengths. Personal computing is <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/4-reasons-pc-market-wont-rebound/240154202">trending toward multi-screen experiences</a> , and Microsoft's investment in this shift could pay off as the next generation of mobile apps begin to appear. Given that Redmond made such forward-looking design choices, it's understandable that the company is upset about Windows 8's accomplishments getting less attention than its demerits. That the Win8 narrative has come to define Microsoft in general presumably only adds to the frustration. In April, for example, a ZDNet column <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-its-over-7000013964/">branded Redmond's leadership as a bunch of "idiots,"</a> a statement Fox News <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/04/16/windows-its-over-tech-site-declares ">found worthy of its own story</a>. Microsoft was at the time building new multi-billion dollar revenue streams from Office 365 and Azure, so this Win8-centric echo chamber must have felt like salt smashed into a wound. Windows 8 hadn't debuted well, but it's not like Microsoft is on the verge of collapse. [ How can Microsoft improve Windows 8? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-should-fix-in-windows/240154570?itc=edit_in_body_cross">8 Things Microsoft Should Fix In Windows Blue</a>. ] Even so, Microsoft hasn't helped itself out. The first Windows 8 devices were too costly to lure consumers. The company bungled its OEM relationships during its Surface debut, leading many of its partners to make unsupportive -- and widely reported -- comments about the new OS. Redmond didn't allow users to choose a start-up UI from the get-go. The list could go on, but at this point, it's not useful for Microsoft to point fingers at its tormentors, or for commentators to linger on Win8's initial shortcomings. Windows 8's legacy will be defined by whether Windows Blue makes us forget the OS's inauspicious start. To do that, it needs to be not only a strong update but also widely installed, so that today's negative buzz is quickly swept away by a new tide of positive word of mouth. The best way to guarantee Windows Blue this exposure is simply to give the update away. To Microsoft's credit, free upgrades have been <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/28/3693368/windows-blue-update-low-cost">part of Windows Blue rumors since they started last fall</a>. The most recent gossip has <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/are-microsoft-updates-like-blue-really-more-than-service-packs-7000015219/">reiterated this possibility</a> -- but no sources, officially or off-the-record, have confirmed if Redmond will follow through with this plan, or if Windows Blue will be accompanied by a nominal fee. To be fair, a nominal fee could work. But if Microsoft truly feels that the media is biased against Windows 8, the company has to recognize this: whether or not early Win8 adopters actually feel betrayed by a fee, some major publication or another will waste no time raising the possibility. Even if Windows Blue is a major improvement, in other words, upgrade fees will only provide additional fodder for Redmond's most dedicated critics. Given that Microsoft has been <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/microsoft-surface-pro-storage-snafu-does/240147419">prone to poor messaging</a> since Windows 8 debuted, it doesn't need to fight a PR battle if one can be avoided. Plus, whatever money Microsoft might recoup from Windows Blue upgrade fees would pale in comparison to the larger stakes at hand. Windows 8, as I suggested earlier, is about an ecosystem. It's not about one device or another, or even the Live Tiles UI; it's about customers buying into a unified experience that spans their various devices, from smartphones to tablets to desktops to whatever else comes next. A strong ecosystem becomes a virtuous cycle; once customers are invested, they not only continue to buy apps and new devices, but also feel increasingly hesitant to jump to a competing platform, where all the products and services they've purchased would have to be rebuilt from scratch. Ecosystems, though, demand customer loyalty. Microsoft commands loyalty from businesses but has yet to translate that success to the consumer market. If Windows 8 had been greeted as a delightful new experience, Microsoft could have charged for Windows Blue without fear. But, fairly or not, many already perceive that Win8 was only borderline usable, and that the update will turn the OS into what it should have been from the start. Redmond will encourage neither adoption nor positive buzz if it appears to be nickel and diming consumers. It should be noted that Microsoft is allegedly planning to release Windows Blue as a public preview before making the update commercially available. If the preview is a success, upgrade fees might be less of a concern. Even so, if Redmond considers Windows 8 an investment in its future consumer business, it needs to attract users -- so why place any barriers, even "nominal" ones, in their way?2013-05-13T09:58:00ZVegas Resorts Bet On Location-Based AppsLocation-based apps might be the wave of the future, but Cisco and MGM Resorts advise deployment must be preceded by careful planning.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/vegas-resorts-bet-on-location-based-apps/240154711?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardwareIn the movies, characters flow effortlessly through Las Vegas' neon-bathed streets. The real Sin City, though, is a different experience, marked by labyrinthine casinos, circuitous shopping malls and crowded escalator after crowded escalator. To bridge this disconnect, MGM Resorts has partnered with Cisco. The hospitality management firm, which operates close to half the major hotels on the Las Vegas strip, is using Wi-Fi and location-based mobile apps to bring some of the silver screen's simplicity to the real-world experience. Though most things that happen in Vegas stay in Vegas, the new tech's influence stretches far outside the city's glitz and glam, providing a case study for the questions and challenges businesses will face as they deploy an evolving generation of customer-facing apps. The MGM Resorts project involves two broad halves. First, the organization spent the last few years <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/jan/08/mgm-resorts-offering-free-wi-fi-las-vegas-resorts/">upgrading the Wi-Fi infrastructure</a> throughout its properties, enabling guests to connect their devices not only in their rooms, but also as they move from one of the management firm's properties to the next. Second, it has begun building mobile apps that leverage this pervasive connectivity to improve the guest experience. [ Does IT need a good dose of Stuart Smalley? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/infrastructure/management/its-self-image-needs-work-cisco-study-sh/240154578?itc=edit_in_body_cross">IT's Self Image Needs Work, Cisco Study Shows</a>. ] At face value, mobile apps and Wi-Fi aren't exceptional. But since last fall, Cisco has been touting how Wi-Fi can be used to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/news/big-data-analytics/cisco-acquires-thinksmart-for-locationb/240008167">improve in-venue experiences</a> by allowing apps to tailor their content to the customer's location. Thanks to the approach, a given app can move beyond generic information and instead offer <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/news/big-data-analytics/cisco-brings-locationbased-big-data-to/240142146">personalized, targeted content</a> at the exact moment it is most useful to the end user. As Cisco sees it, businesses stand to gain not only through increased sales from better-engaged consumers, but also by effectively monetizing the Wi-Fi infrastructures they already maintain for free. Cisco VP Rob Soderbery said during his <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/interop">Interop</a> conference keynote that these location-aware apps are part of a new breed that will change the way people <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/information-management/interop-cisco-nba-star-tout-internet-of/240154515">interact with devices and data</a>. For its part, MGM Resorts is moving methodically, starting with an app specifically for its Bellagio resort before moving on to its other properties. The app, which is available for iOS and Android, uses Meridian's AppMaker software and Secure Location Engine cloud server along with Cisco's Wi-Fi network to allow guests to <a href="http://blogs.cisco.com/wireless/mgm-resorts-international-bets-on-cisco-double-downs-on-wi-fi-connectivity">search the hotel's amenities and opt for location-specific alerts</a> -- such as when they're in the vicinity of a given type of restaurant, or a venue that's offering discounts. It also offers turn-by-turn navigation to visitors as they roam throughout the property. In an interview at Interop, John Bollen, senior VP and chief digital officer for MGM Resorts, suggested that for all the benefits new apps and technologies can offer, businesses must plan carefully before rushing in. MGM's process began, he said, when customers began carrying smartphones and tablets. When clunky laptops were the personal device of choice, Internet connections could be restricted to guest rooms. But as mobile devices proliferated, he explained, property-wide Wi-Fi access started to make sense. What made sense after Wi-Fi was deployed, though, was more subjective. "Everyone sees how they benefit from Wi-Fi," Bollen said, adding that he constantly tells business units, "Calm down. We can't do everything at once." For example, if an app tracks a guest's location and sends that guest a targeted message, who writes that message? Bollen explained individual hotels might want to alert guests to great deals -- but this could easily lead to one MGM property cannibalizing sales from another if the plan isn't executed with a corporate-level perspective. Bollen also mentioned the importance of "not creeping people out" and of deciding whether to give guests one consistent experience that encompasses entire properties or pockets of experience that focus on individual venues. Bollen also cautioned against using technology for its own sake. He said that one vendor suggested using near-field communication (NFC) technology to allow customers to pay restaurant bills. The waiter would bring the bill on one device, which would then use NFC to transfer the information to the customer's smartphone. The customer could then review the bill, input a tip and use NFC to transfer the information back to the waiter's device. Bollen asked why MGM would use such an approach when simply signing the bill, though old-fashioned, is so much simpler. Despite this planning, Bollen, who said the technology is still in early stages and could expand in many directions, is already seeing benefits. Even before the new app launched, for example, the improved Wi-Fi infrastructure had led to fewer customer complaints and fewer refunded resort fees. Mobile technology is changing the way we live, work and play. Attend <a href="http://www.mcommworld.com/sanfrancisco/?sourceCode=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Mobile Commerce World </a>, June 24-26 in San Francisco, to learn how to develop and deploy your company’s mobile commerce strategy. Spend three days learning from key players at Walmart, Amazon, Zappos, 1-800-FLOWERS, Advance Auto Parts, Alex and Ani, Groupon, REI, Vegas.com and more who are harnessing the power of mobile commerce. Register with code MP_BTMEDIWKAXE and save $200 on an All Access pass.2013-05-09T15:35:00ZWhat Nook Could Buy MicrosoftMicrosoft has reportedly made a $1 billion offer to buy Nook, Barnes & Noble's e-reader business. What could it gain from the deal?http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/what-nook-could-buy-microsoft/240154548?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/10-ways-microsoft-could-improve-the-surf/240154051"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/987/Microsoft-Surface-homepage_tn.jpg" alt="10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets" title="10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets</div> (click image for larger view and for slideshow) </div>  Microsoft has bid $1 billion to buy the digital assets of Nook Media, the e-book business led by Barnes & Noble, according to a report published late Wednesday.The news sparked immediate enthusiasm on Wall Street, where the bookseller's stock price was up 18% as of early Thursday afternoon. But, despite the excitement, an all-important question remains: If Microsoft goes on to consummate the rumored deal, what will it get out of the acquisition? TechCrunch broke the news, <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/08/microsoft-mulling-nook-media-llc-purchase-for-1-billion/">claiming it had acquired internal documents</a> that revealed not only Microsoft's offer, but also plans to phase out Nook's Android-based tablets by the end of 2014. An anonymous source told The New York Times that <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/barnes-noble-shares-jump-on-sign-of-microsoft-interest-in-nook/">the documents are authentic</a> and only a few weeks old. According to the Times, which noted that Nook was valued at $1.8 billion as recently as December, it is not yet clear if a deal will be closed. Microsoft has so far declined to comment, but the Times source claimed any announcements are at least weeks away. To an extent, Microsoft's ostensible interest in e-books is a natural evolution. It <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/microsoft-barnes-noble-strike-e-book-pa/232901148">invested $300 million in Nook Media</a> in April 2012, and Microsoft VP Andy Lees asserted that his company saw great potential in the partnership. "Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them," he said at the time. "We're at the cusp of a revolution in reading." [ Is cool Blue the antidote for fiery red anger? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-users-see-red-is-microsoft-lis/240154488?itc=edit_in_body_cross"> Windows 8 Users See Red: Is Microsoft Listening?</a> ] What the alleged revolution entails is still far from clear. To date, Microsoft's investment has produced only a Nook app for Windows 8, as well as occasional rumors that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-what-we-know/240152012?pgno=2">e-books could play a headline</a> role in future Surface devices. Nook took a beating during the holidays, slashing prices in the face of increased consumer preference for devices such as Apple's iPad and Amazon's Kindle Fire. Even so, the Barnes & Noble e-book ecosystem still boasts millions of users. Microsoft remains a dominant force in the enterprise but has <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/240153971">struggled to find similar success among consumers</a>, outside of its Xbox business. Redmond could perceive Nook as a useful asset as it attempts to rectify this imbalance. TechCrunch reported that once Nook hardware is discontinued, the company will distribute e-books via third-party apps. Which platforms will be privy to these apps is not yet clear. But even if Microsoft opens Nook to iOS and Android -- and doing so could certainly be profitable -- the software giant could still tailor its acquisition to drive Windows sales. The education market, for example, is shifting from physical books to tablets, and a Nook-optimized Windows 8 device could serve this market well. Even before the rumor broke, Microsoft's internal apps team was reportedly <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/should-and-could-microsoft-buy-nook-media-for-1-billion-7000015106/">working closely with its Nook counterpart</a>, suggesting that even if Barnes & Noble's e-books are available on all platforms, the Windows version might offer a differentiated, premium experience. Windows 8 still trails iOS and Android in total mobile apps, and though Microsoft has made recent progress in this regard, it still lacks a killer title to differentiate it from the competition -- i.e., Windows 8's version of Halo. The fact that Microsoft will soon offer <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/what-microsoft-windows-8-license-numbers/240154345?pgno=2">a complete OS at the iPad Mini's price point</a> could persuade consumers to join the Win8 bandwagon, but a well-executed Nook tie-in has potential of its own. There have also been indications that <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-office-web-apps-moving-ahead-with-gemini-wave-7000015084/">Nook might hook into Microsoft Office</a>, perhaps allowing users, for example, to publish to an online bookstore directly from a Word document. This sort of synergy could benefit Redmond in multiple ways. Though some users view older versions of Office as adequate for their needs, Microsoft has added features -- ranging from Bing apps to its Office 365 subscription model -- to compel customers to upgrade. The strategy has <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-office-server-sales-fuel-stron/240153251">already paid off</a>, and if Nook is integrated into the mix, the product suite's appeal will only be enhanced. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-05-09T14:07:00ZIT's Self Image Needs Work, Cisco Study ShowsIn Cisco study of IT leaders, just 36% of respondents call themselves "innovators," while 15% characterized themselves as "firefighters."http://www.informationweek.com/infrastructure/management/its-self-image-needs-work-cisco-study-sh/240154578?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/government/information-management/new-yorks-32-story-data-fortress/240151545"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/968/Intergate-Manhattan-Data-Center_01_tn.jpg" alt="New York's 32-Story Data 'Fortress'" title="New York's 32-Story Data 'Fortress'" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">New York's 32-Story Data 'Fortress'</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  As new technologies continue to enter the marketplace, many enterprise IT managers say they are ill-prepared to implement the growing number of application and infrastructure options now available. Some blame lack of funding. Others blame lack of interest among senior management. Some blame business units implementing new technologies without consulting IT. And one in four are honest enough to admit that their own procrastination is a factor. Those were some of the results that surfaced in <a href="http://newsroom.cisco.com/press-release-content?type=webcontent&articleId=1181737">Cisco's latest Global IT Impact Survey</a>, which was released Wednesday. And if the findings converge on a single message, it's this: If companies are going to succeed, IT departments and business units need to work together more closely. [ What is the future of software-defined networks? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/infrastructure/interop-cloud-experts-debate-sdns-future/240154473?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Interop Cloud Experts Debate SDN's Future</a>. ] It's no coincidence that Cisco's vision for next-gen networks plays into this theme. The San Jose, Calif.-based vendor has maintained for months that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/information-management/cisco-ceo-were-all-in-on-internet-of-eve/240149325">enterprises are on the verge of a technological inflection point</a>, driven by, among other things, software-defined networking (SDN), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud adoption and the proliferation of mobile devices. CEO John Chambers has predicted that more than $14 trillion in new revenue will be up for grabs between now and the end of the decade, and he believes the opportunities are abundant and diverse enough for virtually any company to benefit. They key question, based on Cisco's survey, is how many companies are prepared to ride the oncoming wave. The survey polled 1,300 IT professionals in 13 countries and suggests that businesses are broadly aware that technological disruptions are brewing. Some 78% of respondents said their networks are more critical for delivering applications than they were at this time a year ago, for example, and 71% reported that IT is deploying more applications -- and particularly mobile apps -- than ever before. That said, even if businesses have observed changes, the survey implies that many enterprises aren't sure how to adapt their strategies. While 71% declared intentions to implement an SDN solution in the next year, more than a third said they'd seen actual deployments of these programmable networks about as often as they've seen Bigfoot, Elvis or the Loch Ness Monster. Cost savings and infrastructure automation and scalability were the leading reasons for SDN interest. Cisco believes that SDN is only a <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/infrastructure/cisco-cto-internet-of-everything-much-mo/240150927">small piece of its broader IoT vision</a>, which involves embedding sensors and processers in everyday objects, and using the resulting onslaught of data to better connect people, automate processes and improve business decisions. Despite Cisco's bullishness, only about half of respondents see IoT as a major opportunity. Two out of five survey respondents admitted being only vaguely familiar with the concept. IT's challenges involve more than emerging technologies, though. Communication between system admins and business leaders is a prominent hurdle as well. On the bright side, almost 90% of those polled said they collaborate with business teams at least monthly. But nearly 40% said they are brought into planning and deployment conversations too late in the process, and three-quarters stated that business teams have rolled out new applications, many of them software-as-a-service products, without consulting IT. This disconnect between enterprise divisions manifests in both the way IT admins view themselves, and in how they gauge the quality of their work. Despite recent years' tech changes, only 36% of respondents chose "innovator" as the title that best describes their role while 15% characterized themselves as "firefighters"; "ghost" and "fortune teller" were each chosen by 7%. The survey found that around a quarter of respondents know they've done a good job when they "sleep at home instead of the office." During his <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/interop">Interop keynote</a>, which coincided with the release of the survey, Cisco VP Rob Soderbery said the company's new network architecture is intended to give overworked IT staffers relief by <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/interop-cisco-nba-star-tout-internet-of/240154515">offering a unified control plane</a> that will allow admins to spend less time on daily maintenance and more time pursuing new business projects. In an interview conducted during Interop, Raakhee Mistry, marketing manager for Cisco's routing products, said it's important that companies better align their IT and business units. "One of our SVPs said it really well. You can put the best jockey on a donkey, but they're not going to win the race," she stated. "If you hire the best and the brightest for your company, are you setting them up on an infrastructure that's going to allow them to sprint?" Indeed, 41% said their networks are not ready for BYOD, even though the movement has been making news for well over a year, and has spawned an <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/security/mobile/ibm-makes-enterprise-mobile-security-mov/240153882">entire industry focused on mobile device and application management</a>. Some 38%, meanwhile, said they are not ready to support cloud deployments, though 29% reported that cloud readiness is the most important of their ongoing network initiatives. Among factors contributing to the slow progress, budget concerns were the primary culprit, singled out by 34% of the surveyed field. 18% said they would rather break out of jail or train for a triathlon than ask for more money. That said, one-quarter admitted that procrastination was a major source of delay.2013-05-09T09:06:00ZInterop: Cisco, NBA Star Tout Internet Of ThingsCisco's network architecture can make Internet data feeds work for virtually any business, from hospitals to sports.http://www.informationweek.com/software/information-management/interop-cisco-nba-star-tout-internet-of/240154515?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/top-ipad-5-rumors/240153565"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/984/iPad5_NextGen_01_tn.jpg" alt="5 Apple iPad 5 Wishes" title="Top iPad 5 Rumors" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">5 Apple iPad 5 Wishes</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>When Cisco VP Robert Soderbery walked onstage for his Tuesday morning Interop keynote, his attire -- which combined conventional dress slacks with neon-blue basketball high-tops -- immediately indicated that he had more on his mind than software-defined networking (SDN), one of the conference's most-buzzed topics. Indeed, over the next half hour, he detailed why the Silicon Valley giant sees programmable networks not as ends in themselves but rather as <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/infrastructure/cisco-cto-internet-of-everything-much-mo/240150927">pieces in a larger puzzle</a> that include the Internet of Things, a new breed of applications and closer relationships between business units and IT. The role of Soderbery's footwear? Cisco believes its technology can transform virtually any industry, including not only predictable verticals such as medicine, financial services and manufacturing, but even -- as the shoes foreshadowed, and as a guest appearance by NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving confirmed -- professional sports. [ How to make sense of all the new data pouring in over the Internet? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/information-management/ibm-crunches-internet-of-things-data/240153834?itc=edit_in_body_cross">IBM Crunches Internet Of Things Data</a>. ] IT is undergoing a major transformation in which "a new kind of application" will deliver "benefits we've never seen before," said Soderbery. These applications, which rely on connected devices that produce unprecedented streams of raw data, will be network-centric, meaning that companies will benefit only if they give IT a bigger role in business and marketing projects, he said. "IT has been about connecting supply chains, finance, operations, logistics" and other back-office tasks, he said. "But now, IT is about the front office, about customer and client-facing applications, about B2B applications, about making things and distributing them around the world." These statements echo those made by Cisco CEO John Chambers earlier this year when he described the company's vision for the Internet of Things. He said that by connecting sensor-equipped objects to both people and one another, businesses can deliver the right information to the right person at the right time. This actionable data, he claimed, could aggregately add <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/information-management/cisco-ceo-were-all-in-on-internet-of-eve/240149325">$14 trillion in profits</a> to the global economy over the next decade. As an example, Soderbery described how MGM Resorts, which manages a number of hotels on the Las Vegas strip, has built a mobile app that uses a guest's location to provide personalized information about nearby attractions and amenities. To address potential privacy concerns, the app is opt-in and governed by user preferences. Cisco has <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/news/big-data-analytics/cisco-brings-locationbased-big-data-to/240142146">emphasized such privacy provisions</a> since it began touting location-based analytics last fall. For the hotels, the app is intended not only to make guests happier, but also, through the data the app collects, to provide better insights into merchandising and marketing initiatives. The app thus represents, Soderbery said, an IT-driven way for Cisco customers to monetize their existing Wi-Fi infrastructure through better consumer engagement and better collections of end user data. <div class="centeredStoryImage"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/news/2013/05/Irving_Soderbery_Interop2013.jpg" width="590" height="527" alt="NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving and Cisco VP Robert Soderbery" title="NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving and Cisco VP Robert Soderbery" /><div class="storyImageCaption">NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving and Cisco VP Robert Soderbery</div></div> For many IT staffers, though, most days are spent putting out fires, be they help desk tickets, security breaches, or any of a number of additional problems. If application-building is to become part of the IT purview, admins will need to free up time for such initiatives. Cisco believes its architecture can do exactly that, simplifying traditional management tasks while also opening the door to these new applications and opportunities. The architecture, called Cisco ONE, combines a number of products Cisco has launched over the last year, such as its Unified Access technology, which <a href="http://www.networkcomputing.com/data-networking-management/cisco-unifies-wireless-wired-management/240008573">unites wired and wireless networks</a> under a shared control interface, and its OnePK set of APIs, which <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/ciscos-one-controller-debuts-targets-sdn/240147798">open existing Cisco hardware</a> to new functions and programmability.Soderbery said that thanks to Cisco ONE, IT administrators can manage all aspects of the network from a single control plane, rather than, as is usually the case in legacy architectures, controlling single components and policies individually. Admins can also harness APIs in the control layer to deploy network-aware applications, hook into cloud services, stream video and more. To illustrate how these capabilities translate to better revenue or services, Soderbery highlighted benefits for several traditional verticals. The technology could allow healthcare professionals, for example, to remotely treat patients thousands of miles away, and, as <a href="http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7oSM/cisco-ambulance">Cisco's current ad campaign illustrates</a>, to better coordinate various medical workers -- EMTs, ER doctors, nurses -- during emergencies. But <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/news/big-data-analytics/cisco-futurists-plan-for-internet-of-eve/240146691">Cisco representatives</a> have been talking about these <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/peripherals/ciscos-internet-of-everything-plan-4-fac/240149795">sorts of advances for months</a>. Where does basketball fit in? Just as sensors might collect data in a manufacturing plant to optimize operations, they could also, as <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/baseball-meets-internet-of-things-bye-ba/240152409">researchers are already exploring in baseball</a>, be embedded in other objects, such as the connected basketball Soderbery showed off during his speech. Although it looks and handles like an ordinary basketball, it can measure factors such as arc and rotation in real time. Such variables might be useless to a sharpshooter like Steve Nash but could pinpoint correctable technique errors for the <a href="http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2013-04-04/dwight-howard-free-throws-los-angeles-lakers-steve-nash-kobe-bryant-pau-gasol">Dwight Howards</a> of the world. <a href="http://newsroom.cisco.com/feature-content?type=webcontent&articleId=1180985">Video-based analytics</a> is another way Cisco's technology could apply to sports. The presentation included an iPad app that analyzes footage to give coaches and fans real-time insight into the game. Such a data-heavy product would require a robust network architecture to link cameras, distributed intelligence and the end device -- but Soderbery argued all the gadgetry could pay off in big ways. The demonstration juxtaposed a video of Kyrie Irving driving to the basket with statistics ranging from his speed and how high he jumped to information about surrounding players. Advanced metrics are already <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/category/_/name/mit-sloan-2013">making their mark in sports</a>; there is, for example, the <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1290764-how-billy-beane-puts-moneyball-theory-into-practice">Oakland Athletics' embrace of "Moneyball,"</a> and the ongoing playoff run of the Memphis Grizzlies, whose VP of basketball operations John Hollinger is among <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1509204-nba-john-hollinger-already-making-his-mark-in-grizzlies-front-office">basketball's best-known number crunchers</a>. But most of these metrics are collected and analyzed after a game is over. With technology like Cisco's, coaches and fans could enjoy sophisticated insights in real time. For example, some questioned whether <a href="http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/ray-ratto/too-many-minutes-stephen-curry">Golden State coach Mark Jackson made the right decision</a> Monday night when he played star guard Stephen Curry for the entirety of a double overtime playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Critics reasoned that Curry tired down the stretch, and that he might have been more effective if he'd been given a brief rest. Such comments are largely subjective, but next-gen apps such as the one Cisco demonstrated could quantify fatigue in a way that meaningfully changes coaching decisions. As for Irving, he joined Soderbery onstage for the keynote's final minutes, following the app demonstration. The Cleveland Cavaliers point guard kept his remarks brief, endorsing technology such as Cisco's as a way to improve his game while connecting with fans. He also treated the audience to a quick game of horse against Soderbery. Irving won the contest in one-sided fashion, predictable given that few networking executives can go toe-to-toe with NBA All-Stars. But then again, if Cisco's architecture delivers on its promises, maybe Soderbery could pull off a few surprises if there's ever a rematch.2013-05-07T14:36:00ZWhat Microsoft Windows 8 License Numbers Don't SayMicrosoft says 100 million Windows 8 licenses have shipped to OEMs. There's a big difference between shipping licenses and gaining or even retaining customers.http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-sells-100-million-windows-8-li/240154345?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div>(click image for slideshow)</div>Microsoft revealed Monday that it has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses, a number that roughly matches Windows 7's sales volume at the same point in its lifecycle. The disclosure continues an ongoing war of emphasis between Microsoft and industry observers -- since the new OS launched, Microsoft has touted robust license sales, while analysts have emphasized Win8's modest market share and role in the slumping PC market. This time, however, the software giant acknowledged that many users have been dissatisfied with Windows 8. A significant change in tone, the concession emphasizes the importance of Windows Blue -- an update expected this summer -- in determining if Windows 8 joins the ignominious ranks of Windows Vista or climbs to the heights of Windows 7 and XP. [ Windows 8 convert? Here's how to outfit your laptop for less than $25 total. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/smb/hardware-software/8-windows-8-apps-under-25/240154177?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All?itc=edit_in_body_cross">8 Windows 8 Apps Under $25</a>. ] To date, public discussion of Windows 8 has followed a simple, two-step cycle: analysts and reviewers declare that the OS has underperformed, and a short time later, Microsoft insinuates the exact opposite. Win8 launched to middling reviews in October and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/windows-8-fails-to-lift-holiday-pc-sales/240146083">failed to make waves</a> over the traditionally lucrative holiday season, for example, but that didn't stop Microsoft from boasting in early January that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-license-sales-top-60-million/240145865">the newest Windows had sold 60 million licenses</a>, on par with the debut of its well-received predecessor, Windows 7. This back-and-forth has persisted throughout the spring: headlines proclaimed <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/pc-market-bleeds-windows-8-tablet-fix-ne/240152706">doom and gloom</a> for the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/4-reasons-pc-market-wont-rebound/240154202">ailing PC market</a> only to have Microsoft report <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-office-server-sales-fuel-stron/240153251">relatively decent Windows earnings</a>; multiple sources indicated that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/240153971">Windows 8's real-world adoption has been sluggish</a>, only to have Microsoft announce that 100 million licenses have been sold. And so on. Some of the dissonance stems from simple math. There are more PCs in the world today than there were when Windows 7 debuted. To match the previous version's market share growth, Windows 8 would have needed to sell substantially more licenses, not merely kept pace. Moreover, even if Windows 8 were the most praised OS in history, enterprise refresh cycles essentially prohibited it from bettering Windows 7's launch. Many businesses either just migrated or are in the process of migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7. Given that Win7 has come to be appreciated as a reliable performer, businesses had little incentive to investigate a new OS, especially because Windows 8's touch-oriented interface doesn't yet provide obvious benefits for the bulk of enterprise users. Windows 7 also had the benefit of following Windows Vista, which was generally panned by critics and abandoned by many users. Lacking a weak predecessor or immediate access into the enterprise, Windows 8 was limited from the start. Not all of Win8's struggles are easily excused, however. With widespread enterprise deployments at least a year away, Microsoft hoped consumers would embrace its newest offering. The company's decision to de-emphasize the traditional desktop UI in favor of touch-sensitive Live Tiles, for example, was motivated largely by tablets, whose popularity among consumers has contributed mightily to slowed PC sales. Despite Microsoft's ambitions, many found the OS's hybrid interface confusing. A dearth of both apps and attractive touch-enabled hardware only compounded these criticisms.In discussing the new license figures, Windows division CMO and CFO Tami Reller admitted to the New York Times that <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/after-bumpy-start-microsoft-rethinks-windows-8/">Win8's learning curve must be addressed</a>. Windows Blue, whose enhancements are expected to be announced at Microsoft's BUILD conference in late June, will help, but Reller also stressed that retail staffers are being trained to highlight not only the new Live Tile UI but also the continued importance of the familiar desktop. Early Windows Blue rumors suggested that the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-blue-demise-of-the-desktop/240151656">update would focus on touch capabilities</a>, sparking concern that Microsoft was forgetting its core audience of mouse-and-keyboard business users. Subsequent rumors, however, have suggested Microsoft is working to more <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-restoring-the-start-button/240153170">harmoniously unite the two interfaces</a>, and Reller's statements only reinforce this expectation. Despite her candor, Reller extended Microsoft's efforts to cast Windows 8 in a favorable light. She said that when Gartner, IDC and other research firms describe the slumping PC market, they're describing only the sales channel, not the number of customer activations. Online activations of new machines, she said, have actually exhibited growth. It's not clear how these activations break down among traditional PCs, tablets, Surface models and ultrabook convertibles. Nonetheless, that Microsoft has shipped 40 million additional licenses since January supports Reller's statement. Windows 8 discounts expired only a few weeks into 2013, making it unlikely that new licenses were being installed on old hardware. New devices, therefore, likely drove the majority of sales. Even so, there's a big difference between selling 100 million licenses and gaining, or even retaining, 100 million customers. Microsoft's license figures refer only to Windows 8 copies sold to OEMs. They do not reveal if these licenses have found their ways into consumers' homes, or if they remain in warehouses or on store shelves. Reller's statement somewhat supports the former possibility, while Windows 8's lowly market share more strongly endorses the latter. The 100 million licenses also <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-hits-100m-milestone-but-usage-remains-low-wheres-the-disconnect-7000014964/">excludes enterprise sales</a>. Technically, this means Microsoft might have sold substantially more than licenses than anyone has guessed. But business adoption has so far been muted, with most deployments limited to specific verticals that can benefit from mobility. Reller suggested that <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/05/07/a-humbled-microsoft-outlines-how-its-rebooting-windows-8/">Windows 8 would have fared better if more touch-equipped devices had been available at launch</a>. Such theories somewhat sidestep the extent to which UI dissatisfactions have hurt sales, however. The fact that Microsoft's Surface Pro has been only a good -- not great -- performer also diminishes Reller's claim. Even so, Microsoft and its partners are currently putting Reller's theory to the test. It's possible that many consumers want a Windows 8 Ultrabook but are deterred by generally high prices; if <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-store-slashes-windows-8-device/240153568">recent cost reductions drive sales</a>, the lack-of-hardware thesis will be validated. New touch-optimized models are also <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/acer-reveals-windows-8-hybrid-tablets/240154151">rolling into the market</a>, raising the possibility that consumers who weren't impressed by the first wave of Windows 8 devices might be more tempted by the second. If lower prices and a greater variety of options don't catapult Win8 to success? It will be up to not only Windows Blue but also a forthcoming range of mini-tablets. There have been indications that these <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/asus-chief-sees-hope-for-300-windows-8-tablets-plans-smaller-cheaper-slate-on-the-os-7000014985/">8-inch models could drop as low as $300</a>, potentially bringing the functionality of a full OS into a market segment currently dominated by the iPad Mini and a number of Android tablets. A new Surface model is rumored to be among these new devices, and thanks to Amazon jumping the gun with a since-removed product listing, it's already known that <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/details-of-acers-8-inch-380-windows-8-tablet-leak-7000014901/">Acer is readying a small Windows 8 device, too</a>. By this fall, new devices will include not only Windows Blue but also Intel's new Core and Atom processors, which are expected to offer substantially improved graphics and battery life, among other improvements. Between improved internals, a refined OS and more competitive prices, the forthcoming models should help Win8 improve its market standing. Businesses, many of which are currently too invested in Microsoft infrastructure to widely deploy anything else, could also join the Windows 8 party in the months and years that follow. If Microsoft ultimately retains its business audience while claiming a decent share of consumers, Windows 8, despite taking early lumps, will be hailed as a success. But if enterprises resist Win8 by clinging to Windows 7 as long as possible, and if consumers continue to purchase iOS and Android tablets in lieu of Windows 8 devices, it will be clear that Microsoft's touch-centric gamble isn't paying off.2013-05-07T10:49:00ZMicrosoft, Skype Patent Case: Big TargetCopyTele CEO Robert Berman, whose company filed two claims last week against Microsoft's Skype service, says his case is nuanced.http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/legal/microsoft-skype-patent-case-big-target/240154320?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/smb/hardware-software/8-windows-8-apps-under-25/240154177"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/989/Intro_01_tn.jpg" alt="8 Windows 8 Apps Under $25" title="8 Windows 8 Apps Under $25" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Windows 8 Apps Under $25</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>  From <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/government/policy/google-seeks-allies-against-patent-troll/240152433">Google</a> to President Obama, more than a few powerful voices have spoken up recently against the U.S. patent system. Particular criticism has been directed at patent trolls, or firms that generate revenue by claiming their broadly drawn patents have been violated by others' seemingly unrelated inventions. But according to CopyTele CEO Robert Berman, whose company filed two patent infringement claims last week against Microsoft's Skype service, the situation is more nuanced than it has popularly been portrayed. "Patents can be a great equalizer, and can give a small company a lot of strength against a large one," he said in an interview. "Each patent case needs to be judged on its own merits. It's unfair with a broad brush to say anytime someone sues somebody, it's in bad faith." In the case of Microsoft and Skype, one of the alleged offenses involves the video-chat service's reliance on a "secure Web-based peer-to-peer communications" method that uses "a microprocessor-based device that provides secure peer-to-peer communications over a communications network." The other complaint similarly stems from Skype's use of "microprocessor-based devices that provide secure peer-to-peer communications with other devices over a network." [ Besides fighting lawsuits, what is Skype up to? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/skype-gets-more-versatile/240153931?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Skype Gets More Versatile</a>. ] If the language sounds overly broad, it speaks to the controversial nature of patent assertion. If offending parties include all services that use microprocessor-based devices connected to a network, are there any tech companies that don't violate the patents? Skype is a big target, to be sure; Microsoft <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-to-buy-skype-for-85-billion/229403154">purchased the company for $8.5 billion</a>, a huge sum even for an enterprise as large as Redmond, and has since begun to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/skype-gets-more-versatile/240153931">integrate the service in its larger set of product offerings</a>. CopyTele could reap millions if its suit prevails -- but given the language in the patent complaints, Microsoft might be only the beginning. "It's not our policy to call out potential infringers by name, but we think there are a substantial number of companies that are infringing," said Berman, who added that CopyTele is unlikely to wait for the Skype case's resolution before filing additional suits. The range of potential litigants includes some obvious targets. Google and Cisco also have large stakes in the kind of videoconferencing arguably covered by the patent, for example. To Berman, such suits against large companies represent smaller players' only hope of competing. "I'm a big believer that in today's environment, it is almost impossible in consumer products or electronics to bring a product to market," he said. "If Apple was started today, they would have to partner with a much larger company." He pointed out that the suit is "going after one of the largest, most sophisticated companies out there," calling it a "David vs. Goliath confrontation" and remarking, "I don't think anybody in their right mind can accuse us of picking on small companies." Still, when patents use such all-encompassing terms, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/technology/patent-wars-among-tech-giants-can-stifle-competition.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">minor players are sometimes the casualties</a>. Big companies have the legal resources to fight back; fledgling startups often don't. When asked if CopyTele's efforts will include suits against smaller companies, Berman said, "We are not in the business of bringing nuisance lawsuits" but countered, "However, if there are small infringers -- and there are some we believe are infringing these patents -- they will be hearing from us." Berman said that legitimate suits have to address what the inventor intended when he or she filed the patent. But given that some cases claim that patents from decades ago apply to recently developed technology, the creator's intentions are open to a degree of interpretation. "Patents are a bunch of words on a piece of paper," he said. "Lawyers are great at twisting words." Even so, Berman suggested that most patent suits aren't the work of dishonest and greedy attorneys. That is, the lawyers are simply defending their clients' intellectual property, and working within the confines of the system as it is currently defined. Still, when it came to revisions in that system, Berman did not focus on the laws themselves, but rather on other players in the process. When patents go awry, he argued, the blame should fall to Congress, whose underfunding of the Patent Office has led to patents being issued when they shouldn't have been. Berman did not criticize the lawyers who defend these questionable patents but instead cast additional criticism on the companies being sued. "Large companies can search the Patent Office for potential patents that apply to products and services they offer," he stated. "In most cases, they choose not to do that. In my view, you can't put your head in the sand, ignore the intellectual property you know is out there, and then scream bloody murder when [lawyers] come to you after the fact."2013-05-06T09:50:00Z4 Reasons PC Market Won't ReboundPCs aren't dead, but laptops and desktops have seen their best days.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/4-reasons-pc-market-wont-rebound/240154202?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardwareThe traditional PC is far from dead, but its continued decline is inexorable. The reason? Choice. After the PC became a household item, its status went unchallenged for years. Yes, there were innovations: laptops came along, computers gradually got smaller, high-speed Wi-Fi replaced tedious cables and dial-up modems. But upgrades were driven by Moore's Law and the commoditization of components, not changes in the basic premise. PCs are still more powerful than competing computing devices, and they're essential for tasks that none of these alternatives can manage. But smartphones and tablets are powerful in their own right. PCs might be fixtures in the workplace, but for years, most of the time users spent in front of those screens was dedicated to surfing the Internet, reading email or watching videos. Mobile devices handle these -- the most common of user tasks -- more conveniently and intuitively than their PC forefathers, and they represent the first time that consumers have had a fundamental choice in their computing options; that is, the ability to purchase a device that doesn't look like the machines at work. The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon is a result of this choice. At first, new gadgets simply provided another way to read and watch digital content, leaving the PC's dominance as a production tool unchallenged. But choice permitted workers and businesses to come at productivity from new angles, and to develop workflows suited for the new devices. PCs still rule the enterprise empire, but where there was something akin to a technological hegemony only a few years ago, there's now a growing number of disruptions in the making. [ HTC's One is another promising Android phone to watch. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/for-htc-the-one-cant-come-soon-enough/240150122?itc=edit_in_body_cross">For HTC, The One Can't Come Soon Enough</a>. ] That's why the traditional PC will never rebound. The tablet explosion isn't an end in and of itself; it's the first phase of a larger shift in computing. Not convinced? Consider the following four facts: 1. All-in-ones are nice -- but the multi-screen experience is here to stay. There's clearly demand for a device that does it all -- something like the Surface Pro, or for some users, the iPad. But as Forrester analyst JP Gownder recently noted, <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/the-tablet-market-is-fragmenting-into-subcategories-7000013764/">even the upstart mobile market is becoming increasingly fragmented and difficult to define</a>. Some of this has to do with user preference for one operating system over another. Cost is another factor. But there's also <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/jp_gownder/13-03-28-tablets_hold_their_own_and_then_some_in_work_related_application_usage">mounting evidence</a> that both consumers and employees are happy to own multiple devices. The reason? Users like to <a href="http://www.google.com/think/research-studies/the-new-multi-screen-world-study.html">choose the best option -- or combination of options -- for a given task or situation</a>. To some extent, this trend causes cannibalization; that the PC market has stalled while the tablet market soars attests to as much. And as much as people might want to use multiple devices, there are obviously limits to how much any given person or business is able to spend. But in the course of a single day, an average person might use a smartphone for email and light reading, a tablet for games or to watch Hulu, and a traditional computer for "serious" work. The variety of devices will only increase as new phablets and an anticipated wave of 8-inch Windows 8 tablets hits the market. Mobile devices are not only cheaper than new PCs but also more likely -- at least for now -- to offer attractive generation-over-generation enhancements. This has led many users to upgrade their mobile devices at regular intervals, a trend that's likely to continue. Conventional computers face a different reality; they will still have a big place, but their diminished role and higher prices will give consumers less incentive to frequently replace aging models. PCs will endure in some form as part of a multi-screen ecosystem, but their best days are behind them. 2. Tablets will continue to encroach on the PC's territory. The extent to which new devices can replace PCs is limited. Adobe, for example, is <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/02/lightroom-ios-preview-video/">preparing to bring Lightroom</a>, one of its most popular products for photographers, to iOS. But the iPad Mini's screen is too small to be ideally suited to the heavy photo-editing for which the program is known. Can the software retain its granular functionality when translated to a touch-based interface? The vast majority of legacy tasks face these kinds of questions, and in many cases, such as programming or document creation, a mouse and keyboard make more sense than a touchscreen and finger. At the same time, although many business people use tablets for mostly email or on-the-go access to shared documents, tablets also have allowed doctors to speed up turnarounds between patients, enabled field workers go where no laptop can venture, and retail to do business faster. PCs will remain indispensable in the workplace for the foreseeable future, but their erosion will continue.There might be hybrid devices that eventually meet a lot of users' needs by offering Windows 8-like access to both desktop and tablet environments. But these devices would still be used in tablet mode to a huge extent, so much so that it would be a stretch to refer to them as traditional PCs, regardless of how IDC or Gartner ultimately decided to classify their sales. And unless they can magically resize themselves and/or multiply on command, do-it-all devices will stop neither the multi-screen trend nor the need for different sizes of gadgets. Put another way, the tablet market is poised to overtake the PC market, even <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-sells-best-on-new-tablets/240153686">without much help from Microsoft or Windows 8</a>. The iPad is only three years old, and even if tablets have infiltrated only a fraction of companies, the fact that they've made a mark at all in such a short time is impressive. As the technology evolves, apps and workflows will arise that allow tablets to invade the workplace even further. PCs might retain a big chunk of their tasks, but all the small losses add up. 3. Tablets are just the beginning. Tablets and smartphones are only the first wave of technologies that will eat into the traditional PC market. Widespread adoption of wearable technology, whether it ends up looking like <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/peripherals/google-glass-first-impressions/240153936">Google Glass</a>, is coming. It's also now possible to stick a sensor and processor in <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/baseball-meets-internet-of-things-bye-ba/240152409">just about anything</a>. Just as touch has changed the computing world, so too will developing technologies, such as voice- or gesture-based interfaces. TVs and computers will gradually merge together, becoming something that won't properly fit either of those categories as we know them today. The list could go on. The implication for PCs? These new technologies will absorb a few more of the tasks for which we currently use other devices, not only laptops and desktops but probably smartphones and tablets, too. But the most profound impact won't involve the re-appropriation of earlier devices' duties but rather a new breed of apps. Such apps could rely on anything from <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/intel-cto-smart-sensors-wearable-tech-co/240146405">augmented reality to analytics</a> derived from pervasive sensors linked via the cloud to big data backends. It's difficult to predict how such bleeding-edge technology will develop, but one thing is certain: new categories of apps and devices are unlikely to kill the PC, but they won't do it any favors, either. 4. The tech powers have already conceded the future. In their decisions, the major tech players have already conceded the low likelihood of a PC resurgence. Microsoft's increased interest in mini-tablets is one indication. The diversity of devices that will use Intel chips, once virtually synonymous with Windows and PCs, is another. OEMs such as Samsung, HP and Acer are no longer building devices around a single platform but rather producing options that run the gamut: Chrome OS, Android, Windows and so on. Dell's decision to go private is another sign; the move was presumably compelled by a need to shift its revenue balance away from PCs, which are still lucrative but not to the extent that they can support a big company. Dell is also among a growing number of companies investing in virtualization and cloud products to mitigate the need for enterprises to standardize their infrastructures around a single operating system. Industry powers are demonstrating, in short, than an era of diverse computing has dawned. Indeed, Gartner projects that <a href="http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2466615">half of all companies will implement mandatory BYOD programs by 2017</a>. Not all of these programs will be motivated by business use cases or leaps in productivity, but they reiterate the new prominence of consumer choice. These choices are only expected to increase, and a multi-device philosophy has become part of our computing culture. As a result, consumers and businesses will continue to find new workflows and new approaches to old problems. That won't kill the traditional PC any time soon. But it guarantees that the PC won't rebound either.2013-05-03T15:15:00ZAcer Reveals Windows 8 Hybrid TabletsAcer's new Win8 hybrids exhibit design flair -- but with next-gen devices expected soon, will customers care?http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/acer-reveals-windows-8-hybrid-tablets/240154151?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  When Windows 8 made <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/windows-8-fails-to-lift-holiday-pc-sales/240146083">nary a whimper</a> during the holidays, commentators blamed both the OS's controversial Metro interface and also Microsoft's OEM partners, few of which had brought to market touch-oriented hardware suited to Win8's changes. Devices such as the Surface Pro have since reached interested customers, but attractive Windows 8 options are still limited, and the OS's overall <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/240153971">adoption has remained stagnant</a>. With Friday's announcement of two new laptop-tablet hybrids, Acer hopes to shake things up. The devices could address some of the late-2012 OEM criticisms, but with potentially superior alternatives on the horizon, and with Win8's UI complaints still a factor, it's not clear if now is an ideal time for Microsoft's device partners to strike. The Aspire R7, the less conventional of the new offerings, is a 15.6-inch laptop that converts into a plus-size tablet via what Acer calls an "ezel" hinge. When in laptop mode, the hinge vaguely resembles the monitor support on the back of an iMac. That said, the Aspire R7 is much more adjustable than Apple's all-in-one desktop, allowing the user to reposition the screen as needed. This feature could appeal to those frustrated by the Surface Pro's kickstand, whose fixed design can result in awkward viewing angles. In tablet mode, meanwhile, the R7's touchscreen, which boasts full-HD resolution, slides down over the keyboard. The R7 is a relatively hefty device, weighing 5.2 pounds and measuring 1.12 inches thick. The extra bulk helps accommodate three USB ports and an HDMI port, and the internals are run by either an i5 or i7 Intel processer. The hybrid will hit the market in mid-May at a price of $999. [ What do you think about Windows 8 hardware? Is <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/microsoft-surface-pro-right-for-you/240148291?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Microsoft Surface Pro Right For You?</a> ] Acer also unveiled the Aspire P3. Available immediately, the $799 device boasts an 11-inch touchscreen with 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, up to 4 GB of RAM, 60 or 120 GB of SSD storage, and either an i3 or i5 Intel processor. Acer calls the device a convertible ultrabook, but given that the P3 is a tablet that snaps into a keyboard case, it shares more DNA with the Surface Pro than with most of its ultrabook brethren. Indeed, its specs and features closely match those of Microsoft's much-hyped Win8 tablet, including an optional stylus. Though most PC makers have taken a hit as <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/microsoft-preps-7-inch-win8-tablets-to-s/240152706">tablets eat into sales of traditional PCs</a>, Acer has sustained more damage than most; according to IDC, the company's Q1 shipments were <a href="http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24065413#.UWaw3q562So">down more than 30%</a>, year-over-year. Given these struggles, Acer's decision to swing for the fences with new form factors is a bold move that could inject life into the company's sales. Even so, Acer's new computers -- and, indeed, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-store-slashes-windows-8-device/240153568">all current Win8 models</a> -- face challenges. The R7 and P3 might boast modern designs, but they still run the same version of Windows 8 that has polarized users since its launch last fall. They also rely on Intel's aging Ivy Bridge Core technology, which is powerful, but limits both battery life and how thin and light a device can be. Microsoft is currently readying Windows 8.1, an update that was previously codenamed Windows Blue and which is <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-restoring-the-start-button/240153170">expected to address many of the OS's most maligned UI quirks</a>. Acer's new products will be eligible to upgrade, but, given Windows 8's stalled sales, it's not clear if on-the-fence buyers will be persuaded until Win8.1's features, or some other new enticements, have been confirmed. Intel, meanwhile, will <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/new-intel-ceo-faces-mobile-battle/240154066">soon release new Core and Atom chips</a>. The former set of processors, codenamed Haswell, is expected to endow current ultrabooks, which generally get only four to six hours of battery life, with the tablet-like ability to run all day without a charge. The latter processor family, codenamed Bay Trail, will likely end up in both <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-office-server-sales-fuel-stron/240153251">smartphones and also ultrathin, competitively priced 8-inch tablets</a>. The lucrative mini-tablet market is growing fast, and Microsoft presumably hopes to make a splash by bringing a full OS experience to a market segment currently dominated by iOS and Android. In short, Acer's new models are relatively attractive at present, and they could be attractive options for buyers who need to make an immediate purchase. They could also be outdated in only a few months, however. Given the R7 and P3's respective prices, it might be worthwhile to wait.2013-05-03T11:38:00ZInterop Las Vegas: 10 Cool StartupsWill one of the startups at the 2013 Interop Las Vegas conference launch the next big thing in enterprise IT? Take a look at some contenders.http://www.informationweek.com/software/interop-las-vegas-10-cool-startups/240154142?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardwareThe Interop IT Conference and Expo <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/">begins on Monday</a>, bringing IT professionals from throughout the world to Las Vegas for a week-long look at the business world's most prominent tech trends. As they explore topics ranging from enterprise mobility and BYOD to changing network architecture and SDN, attendees will hear from leaders at many of the industry's most influential companies, such as Cisco and Samsung. Interop's reach stretches beyond the established powers, however, and includes a variety of innovative startups. Is one of these new kids on the block developing the next big thing in enterprise IT? Here are 10 of the coolest companies hoping to make a splash. Lacuna Systems What It Makes: Application monitoring appliances. Why It's Cool: Lacuna Systems makes Indico, an app monitoring appliance designed to detect issues before they affect end users and to help businesses embrace the cloud. It gathers metrics at the load balancer level in order to pinpoint a problem's location and to generate data suited to modern, high-volume demands. Indico can ameliorate application sprawl, for example, by correlating applications and throughput to determine which applications are installed but not in use. Lacuna Systems, whose technology partners include Citrix, believes this insight into applications' locations and performance levels empowers business to more confidently move to the cloud, assured that mission-critical applications won't be blindsided by an undetected issue. [ For ongoing, complete Interop Las Vegas 2013 coverage, see InformationWeek's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/interop?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Interop Special Report</a>. ] Napatech What It Makes: Real-time network analysis tools. Why It's Cool: Napatech produces intelligent adapters designed to help appliance vendors deliver real-time network analytics. Designed for use in standard servers, Napatech products -- which draw on partnerships with large makers of Deep Packet Inspection software, such as Qosmos and Procera Networks -- help networks run smoothly by speeding up admins' decision making. Napatech's analytics tools also require relatively little CPU firepower and are highly configurable, allowing real-time data to be distributed at any time on up to 32 CPU cores. The company's technology can be applied to a range of network needs, from appliances with 100 Gbps of throughput performance to mobile network analysis solutions involving GTP tunneling support. Tail-f Systems What It Makes: SDN controller technology. Why It's Cool: Tail-f Systems provides network service programmability products for both traditional and software-defined networks. Its Network Control System (NCS) allows customers, who now include <a href="http://www.tail-f.com/moving-networks-forward-tail-f-deutsche-telekom-terastream/">telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom</a>, to simplify the provisioning and control of network applications and services. NCS was <a href="http://www.tail-f.com/tail-f-systems-presents-multi-vendor-sdn-at-interop-2013/"> selected as the SDN controller for this year's InteropNet network operations center</a> and provides a unified interface for a range of network devices, including hardware-based, software-based, and Openflow-based varieties. PathSolutions What It Makes: Network monitoring tools. Why It's Cool: PathSolutions makes Network Performance Manager, a networking monitoring product that is not only a <a href="http://www.pathsolutions.com/pathsolutions-network-performance-monitor-is-a-best-of-interop-2013-finalist/">Best of Interop 2013 finalist</a> but also an important component in the InteropNet network. Network Performance Manager offers total network visibility within 12 minutes of deployment, including performance monitoring of every interface on every device in the network and tools that diagnose the root cause of network problems and provide plain-English descriptions of the errors. This speed and accessibility could be a major selling point for more than a few companies. Engineers, after all, are at their best when they're solving problems, not searching for them. Blue Jeans Network What It Makes: Video collaboration tools. Why It's Cool: The proliferation of enterprise mobility initiatives is one of IT's biggest ongoing stories. BlueJeans Networks, which will be <a href="http://bluejeans.com/blog/blue-jeans-interop-las-vegas">participating in Interop's "Disruptive Trends in Enterprise Video" panel</a>, sees collaboration as a big part of this trend. The company believes its video conferencing technology has the power to redefine the board room by bringing unified meeting experiences to a variety of endpoints, including both on-premises and mobile workers equipped with iPads and iPhones. Aryaka What It Makes: WAN optimization technologies. Why It's Cool: Aryaka is best known for its WAN optimization controllers, technology that recently <a href="http://www.aryaka.com/news-events/press-releases-2013/aryaka-positioned-in-the-visionaries-quadrant-of-gartners-2013-magic-quadrant-for-wan-optimization-controllers/">earned the company a spot in the Visionary Quadrant in Gartner's 2013 Magic Quadrant</a>. The platform relies on a multi-segment architecture to accelerate cloud services. It uses a private network that connects multiple points of presence spread throughout the world, allowing customers to avoid deploying WAN Optimization hardware at each customer location. Aryaka has extended this underlying technology in additional directions, including application delivery tools that offer access to centralized resources both inside and outside the firewall. ScaleArc What It Makes: Database software. Why It's Cool: ScaleArc iDB is intended to simplify how databases are deployed and managed. The software enables instant scalability and higher availability for SQL databases with dynamic clusters, read-write splits, database load balancing and surge protection, and it also provides instant visibility into all database traffic. ScaleArc iDB is available for MySQL, SQL Server and Oracle. Ipanema Technologies What It Makes: Application performance optimization products. Why It's Cool: Networks have to support more applications than ever, and Ipanema Technologies seeks to help businesses manage the load. The company's products go beyond WAN optimization and increased bandwidth, which are common solutions to the application problem, and instead adopt a more granular approach that provides insight at the application level. With such a precise scope, Ipanema hopes to gain an edge in guaranteeing the performance of business-critical applications. Xpress Send What It Makes: Network automation tools. Why It's Cool: Xpress Send makes automation products that allow administrators to remotely execute jobs on all the computers they manage. The company's technology is available in both on-premises and cloud-based varieties, and on-the-go users can access the system at any time via a Web interface. Built on open-source technology to keep prices low, Xpress Send's products require no configuration changes to existing infrastructure, making it simple for customers to deploy them and immediately begin scheduling automated tasks. nfina What It Makes: Cloud servers. Why It's Cool: nfina develops and manufactures cloud server products designed for mission-critical cloud applications. Although data center requirements have grown more demanding as more tasks are moved to the cloud, nfina maintains ease of use by offering a complete turnkey solution that includes both hardware and software for the server's cloud controller, hypervisor, SAN and backup. The servers are also built for scalability; adding memory, processing capacity, network speed, or disk space requires only a few mouse clicks, allowing users to upgrade VM resources in minutes. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-05-02T13:35:00ZNew Intel CEO Faces Mobile BattleIntel announces new CEO, along with more details about its upcoming Haswell chips. But Intel's smartphone and tablet rivals continue to gain power.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/new-intel-ceo-faces-mobile-battle/240154066?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div> (click image for slideshow) </div> Intel on Thursday announced that Brian Krzanich, the chipmaker's current COO, will replace Paul Otellini as CEO, effective May 16. The news arrived only hours after the company released data to tout its forthcoming Haswell chips' improved graphics power and energy management. The new processors have been widely linked to the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/pc-market-bleeds-windows-8-tablet-fix-ne/240152706">sagging PC industry's chance for resurgence</a>, and to Intel's continued dominance. But with Intel playing from behind on the mobile scene while also feeling pressure on its server business, Krzanich will face several challenges as he takes the reins. In a statement, <a href="http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_newsroom/blog/2013/05/02/intel-board-elects-brian-krzanich-as-ceo">Krzanich emphasized Intel's desire to infiltrate the mobile market</a>. "We have amazing assets, tremendous talent, and an unmatched legacy of innovation and execution," he said. "I look forward to working with our leadership team and employees worldwide to continue our proud legacy, while moving even faster into ultra-mobility, to lead Intel into the next era." This focus on mobility is nothing new. Tablets and smartphones, most of which run on ARM processors, have cut deeply into the market for traditional PCs. Last fall, prior to the release of Windows 8, Intel representatives argued that thin form factors, low power consumption and robust graphics performance were <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/6-reasons-to-want-windows-8-ultrabooks/240012634">prerequisites to the PC's resurgence</a>, and that the company's Ultrabook line was intended to deliver precisely these qualities. The Ultrabooks that followed, however, have failed so far to reverse the declining sales of traditional computers, making Haswell one of several key factors -- Windows Blue, <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-restoring-the-start-button/240153170">Microsoft's upcoming update to Windows 8</a>, is another -- in the PC market's future. [ Microsoft's Surface tablets haven't exactly taken the world by storm. How could the company change that? Read <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-ways-microsoft-could-improve-surface/240154051?itc=edit_in_body_cross">10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets</a>. ] Haswell, the fourth generation of Intel's Core processor family, is expected to <a href="http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_newsroom/blog/2013/04/26/chip-shot-4th-generation-intel-core-coming-soon">officially debut in June</a>, in time for the Computex trade show in Taipei, China. Devices with updated silicon, which brings a new fabrication process to the Core line, could hit the market by this summer. Intel began <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/intels-tech-roadmap-visual-tour/240007078">teasing Haswell last fall</a>, promising that the chips would deliver the greatest generation-over-generation improvements in energy consumption in the company's history. On Wednesday, shortly before Krzanich's appointment was announced, Intel divulged additional details about the chips' graphics performance, revealing that Haswell GPUs will come in five varieties, up from three in the current lineup, and that the most powerful versions will offer nearly three times the performance of existing models. Such huge leaps won't come to all Haswell models, however; different versions of the chip are aimed at different types of devices. Some of the processors, for example, will offer computing muscle comparable to today's models while also boosting graphics firepower and drawing less energy. Other chips will continue to consume as much or more power than the current Ivy Bridge processors but will provide tremendous performance gains. The variety is intended to give OEMs the flexibility to pursue wildly different form factors – from ultrathin tablets to no-compromise desktops – without skimping on processing power. Though Haswell will find its way into traditional computers, it promises to advance Intel's mobile agenda by endowing Ultrabooks with tablet-like battery life. Current Windows 8 mobile devices have absorbed criticism on a number of fronts, many of them related to the OS, which is a radical departure from previous Windows editions. Battery life, however, has been a major concern. The Surface Pro might offer a full-blown OS experience in a portable, well-built package, but for many users its four-hour battery life makes it a non-starter. Thanks to Haswell, OEMs should have more flexibility to avoid such design compromises. Whereas some of today's top laptops require both an Intel CPU but and a discrete graphics processor, fourth-generation Core devices won't necessarily need the extra components. Fewer internal pieces means even ultrathin devices will be able to accommodate larger batteries, which, in combination with Haswell's other optimizations, should produce Ultrabooks that run all day without being recharged. But even if Haswell delivers on all counts, Krzanich will still be taking over during a period of industry-wide transition. Intel has long provided its chips to non-Windows devices, such as Apple's Mac lineup, but the chipmaker's relationship with Microsoft has traditionally been close and symbiotic. Commentators have long referred to the two companies as a single entity -- "Wintel" -- due to their mutual stake in the marketplace. That relationship, however, has begun to change. Intel's Core chips are now running not only in Windows and Mac devices, but also in new competitors such as Chromebooks. Many of Redmond's OEM partners, such as HP and Samsung, have likewise begun to explore OSes other than Windows. Microsoft, meanwhile, chose to put an ARM processor in its Surface RT tablet. As the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/240153971">marketplace has become fragmented</a> between traditional PCs and ultra-mobile devices as well as within the evolving mobile segment itself, the odds that any given OS will dominate have dramatically decreased. The days of Windows ruling 90% of personal computing devices are over, and both Microsoft and Intel are attempting to adjust to the changing dynamics. ARM is a major factor in the mix. These processors power most of the world's smartphones as well as many tablets, such as the iPad. ARM chips have traditionally lacked the raw processing power offered by Intel's x86 processors -- but ARM has compensated by delivering strong graphics performance and long battery life. Haswell stands to close this gap to a degree, allowing Intel to maintain its lead in core CPU power while catching up in energy management. Even so, after dominating the traditional PC space for years, Intel has struggled to establish a presence in the smartphone and tablet space. Tablets are expected to outsell traditional PCs for the foreseeable future, and Intel could fall behind some of its upstart rivals if it doesn't make moves. Indeed, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/arm-earnings-rise-as-pc-market-falls/240153475">ARM is intruding even on Intel's server business</a>. Intel's next-generation Atom chips, code-named Bay Trail, are a response to the ARM upsurge. These chips will appear in smartphones as well as tablets, which, unlike ARM offerings, can run a full desktop OS. This enables OEMs to build ultra-portable form factors that, because they don't require a fan for cooling, will be thinner than current devices but still able to run legacy applications. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-office-server-sales-fuel-stron/240153251">Competitively priced 8-inch Windows 8 tablets</a> that utilize Bay Trail are expected to hit the market in coming months, potentially boosting Microsoft's BYOD hopes. The scope of Krzanich's challenges will become clearer once devices with the new chips start shipping and users have had a chance to judge Windows Blue's improvements. In the meantime, the new chips' promised improvements are cause for optimism, not only for Intel but arguably for OEMs and Microsoft as well. As shown in Intel's new ad campaign, in which <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11jwSUANnlI">aging machines are cast aside in favor of new Ultrabooks</a>, the chipmaker believes that traditional PCs are being replaced by a new breed of computing devices. That's undoubtedly true. The question, though, is whether the most popular of these new devices will use chips from Intel, Qualcomm, Apple or someone else, and whether they will run Windows 8, iOS or Android. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-05-01T15:52:00ZWindows 8 Wins Maine SchoolsMaine chooses a Windows-based laptop from HP as the preferred computer for middle school children, replacing Apple computers.http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/windows-8-wins-maine-schools/240154021?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  The state of Maine has provided free laptops to its middle school students for more than a decade and, so far, nearly every one of those machines has been an Apple product. That will change with the next wave of devices, however, as Governor Paul LePage announced last week that the Maine Department of Education had chosen Hewlett Packard as its preferred contractor. Thousands of HP's ProBook 4440 laptops will enter Maine classrooms under the deal. These computers, which ship with Windows 8 pre-installed but are not touch-enabled, could signal an interesting reversal for Redmond and its rival in Cupertino. As iOS, Android and OS X have invaded the enterprise, Microsoft has seen its <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/24015397">longtime stronghold become fragmented</a> by BYOD forces. Windows 8 has so far been the company's foremost response. Apple, meanwhile, has traditionally been a strong education player. Maine's HP contract doesn't change that, but it gives other schools something to think about; LePage implied that Windows machines are better than Macs when it comes to preparing students for the tasks and interfaces they'll most commonly face in workplace. [ How important are prices? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-store-slashes-windows-8-device/240153568?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Microsoft Store Slashes Windows 8 Device Prices</a>. ] "It is important that our students are using technology that they will see and use in the workplace," <a href="http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/MEGOV-787e40">said LePage in a statement</a>, adding that HP's laptops will give students experience with "the same technology they will see in their future careers." The increased use of tablets in the enterprise, particularly the iPad, certainly challenges this notion. And the fact that the state chose a Windows 8 device -- Windows 7 is a far more prevalent business OS -- could also be fodder for debate. Still, Microsoft has been <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/Training/Innovative_educator/Pages/default.aspx">working to engage educators</a> and to demonstrate <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/leadership/p/Pages/windows-in-the-classroom.aspx">how Windows can be used in the classroom</a>. If schools outside Maine find these efforts persuasive, Redmond could strengthen a lucrative revenue stream, buying Windows 8 some breathing room until Windows Blue and new devices help the platform find its consumer footing. A strong Win8 presence in schools will only help the consumer process along, as it will condition young users to the new Windows user interface known as Metro. The OS's critics have lambasted Metro as awkward and counterintuitive but its defenders say the new interface can be powerful if users commit to a short learning curve. Those defenders also say that touchscreens are an essential part of the Metro experience, however, so the ProBook's potential for success in this regard might be limited. In a blog post that coincided with Maine's announcement, Microsoft VP Margo Day <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_in_education/archive/2013/04/30/the-state-of-maine-switches-to-windows-pcs-for-statewide-1-1-learning.aspx">touted the company's growth in the education market</a>, writing that Microsoft's share of the tablet market has quadrupled since Windows 8 was released, and that U.S. schools have been among the early adopters. Though it's reasonable to assume that middle schoolers will gain workplace skills by using Windows, LePage suggested that economics were also a driving factor, noting that HP submitted the lowest bid. He also said schools will not be forced to use the ProBooks. Rather, they can choose from a range of devices that include iPads, MacBook Airs, and other Windows 8 tablets. That said, if a school chooses a device that costs more than the HP laptop, the school will have to pay the difference. A report by the Maine Public Broadcasting Network stated that a <a href="http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNewsArchive/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3475/ItemId/27706/Default.aspx">number of teachers are uneasy about the change</a>, citing prior professional development with OS X and affection for the Apple machines as the primary sources of discontent. Apple's original contract with Maine began in 2002 and was <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/01/04/classroom-technology-education">reportedly worth $37 million</a>. It was extended in 2006 and 2009. Outside of the recent development in Maine, <a href="https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/news/apples-education-phenomenon-ipad/240145351">Apple's education business has been robust</a>. In 2012, Mac sales in the segment reached an all-time high, helping Apple to outperform the sagging PC market. Even more importantly, the company sold twice as many iPads to schools as it did Macs. Indeed, analysts began to suggest last fall that the iPad had cannibalized the PC's education sales. If Maine's attitude proves contagious, Microsoft could be in position to gain back its lost ground.2013-05-01T13:39:00ZWindows 8 Adoption Limps OnWindows 8 is making only marginal progress and Windows RT continues to flop. That adds to the pressure on Windows Blue.http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-8-adoption-limps-on/240153971?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div>(click image for slideshow) </div>Windows 8 adoption picked up slightly in April but <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=8&qpcustomd=0"> remained sluggish overall</a>, according to the latest findings from market-tracking firm Net Applications. Falling in line with recent reports of the PC market's ongoing struggles, the data reasserts that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/windows-8-did-not-cause-pc-sales-slump/240152856">tablets have cut into the market</a> for traditional computers. Despite this shift in consumer preference, and despite recent indications that Win8 has accrued momentum among tablet users, the report also suggests that Microsoft has yet to gain traction in the emerging mobile computing market. Net Applications found that all Windows versions except Windows 8 lost ground in April. Windows 7 remained the top OS in the world, with a 44.72% share, and Windows XP was second, with 38.31%. Windows Vista continued its inexorable march toward obsolescence but still hung on to 4.75% of the field. Windows 8 reached an all-time high of 3.82%, up from 3.17% at the end of March. [ Curious about the next Windows operating system? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-what-we-know/240152012?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows Blue: What We Know</a>. ] For Microsoft, the data contains several silver linings. After debuting inauspiciously last fall, Windows 8 suffered declines in adoption rate throughout the holidays and early 2013. The controversial OS gained some momentum in February, however, and has since continued to make incremental progress. Win8's current market share represents a 20.5% improvement over its share at the end of March, giving the OS its best month-over-month growth of 2013. Microsoft is probably encouraged by Windows XP's longevity as well. Support for the OS will end in less than a year, which means that many businesses will spend the rest of 2013 upgrading to a new platform. Given Microsoft's prominent role in existing IT infrastructure, many of these upgrades will involve a newer version of Windows. Windows 8's balance between legacy desktop tasks and touch-oriented tablet apps still has many enterprises cautious. Windows 7, in contrast, is a proven commodity. Win8 is also at a disadvantage because of its touch-centric design; to get the most out of the new OS, businesses would need to invest in costly new hardware. Windows 7, on the other hand, can simply be installed on many of the machines currently running XP. Still, the report speaks more to Microsoft's challenges than its opportunities. Earlier this month, a Strategy Analytics report suggested that Windows 8, though an underperformer on traditional PCs, had made <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-sells-best-on-new-tablets/240153686">solid inroads on tablets</a>. Net Applications, however, came to bleaker conclusions; it reported that "Windows 8 Touch" and "Windows 8 RT Touch," categories that were tracked separately from the main "Windows 8" subset, accounted for only .02% and .00% of the market, respectively. To be clear, this grim appraisal from Net Applications doesn't contradict the Strategy Analytics research as much as re-contextualize it. The earlier report found that Windows 8 tablets accounted for 7.5% of all tablets sold in the first quarter of 2013. This number seemingly belies the OS's lowly rank in the Net Applications data -- but divergent survey methodologies explain much of the difference. Strategy Analytics studied the number of Windows 8 units shipped from Microsoft and its OEMs, which isn't a clear indication of how many devices were actually purchased. Net Applications, in contrast, tracks Web traffic from individual users, arguably providing a clearer picture of platform popularity. The Net Applications data also contextualizes each OS within the scope of all active products, making it fundamentally dissimilar from the Strategy Analytics report. The latter study was confined to tablets and a three-month sales window, making the data a measure of Windows 8's progress relative to the concurrent progress of competing mobile platforms. The Net Applications report, in contrast, compares Win8 to platforms that have had years to build a user base -- a juxtaposition that few new products are likely to win. The bottom line? The takeaway from the two reports is that although Win8 has made modest progress, possibly with extra momentum from tablets, it is still a minor player in the overall computing landscape.On a related theme, the report reasserts that though Windows remains the most dominant OS, Microsoft's empire is slowly eroding. Net Applications found that 91.78% of computers and hybrids run some form of Windows. The product line's share hasn't been above 92% since July 2012 and hasn't been above 93% since July 2011. The various versions of OS X, meanwhile, accounted for less than 6% of users in July 2011 but now account for more than 7%. Such shifts do not amount to a major power realignment, but their sustained duration, along with Apple's market-beating performance throughout the PC slump, suggest that Windows is doing little to improve Microsoft's industry influence. If the world were still focused only on PCs, Microsoft would have nothing to worry about. But analysts expect <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/pc-market-bleeds-windows-8-tablet-fix-ne/240152706">tablets to outsell traditional PCs</a> for the foreseeable future. Even if Microsoft remains the preferred OS for desktop users, the company will need to make strides in the mobile market if Windows is to maintain its <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsofts-influence-fading-fast-gartner/240152342">overall industry clout</a>. Microsoft will almost certainly remain a powerhouse no matter what happens, but it's one thing to be the industry's sole superpower, and quite another to be one of several. With Google, Apple, Samsung and others all more firmly established among tablet-minded consumers, the overall OS landscape -- including the loyalties of developers -- is in motion. Indeed, even Windows 7 speaks to the increasingly fragmented market. As mentioned, Microsoft's most popular OS stands to gain even more ground as Windows XP is retired. But XP claimed more than 80% of the market at its peak. Windows 7 is unlikely to reach this number, not only because its current share is so much less than 80% but also, to a lesser extent, because some XP machines will be replaced with Macs, Chromebooks, or Android or iOS devices. Windows 8's struggles also speak to this fragmentation, and to how it affects assessments of a given OS's performance. Win8 has amassed much less than the 12% market share Windows 7 had snared through the same point in its release cycle, but the number of active PCs in the world has also increased over time. This increase inflates the extent to which newer Windows versions appear to trail their predecessors. For Windows 7 to improve on Windows XP's market share, the newer OS will need to sell substantially more licenses. Likewise, Windows 8 would have needed to outperform Windows 7 just to achieve the same market penetration. All in all, the new numbers leave Windows 8's prospects more or less where they were before: reliant on both new devices with next-generation Intel chips, and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-restoring-the-start-button/240153170">Windows Blue, a major OS update expected by this fall</a>. If the new offerings are a hit, Windows 8's early missteps could soon be forgotten. But if Win8 adoption continues to be slow through the end of the year, Microsoft will face more criticism than ever.2013-04-30T16:02:00ZSkype Gets More VersatileWill Outlook.com integration and other new Skype features boost Microsoft's user base?http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/skype-gets-more-versatile/240153931?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div>(click image for slideshow) </div>When <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-to-buy-skype-for-85-billion/229403154">Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion</a> -- a huge sum, even by Redmond's standards -- <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/5-ways-skype-buy-helps-microsoft/231900824">commentators were instantly abuzz</a> with the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/why-microsoft-plus-skype-is-an-enterpris/229403202">possibilities and risks implicit in the deal</a>. Questions ranged from how Microsoft could integrate the popular VoIP platform into its existing products to whether Skype's multi-platform identity would survive the merger intact, and even now, nearly two years later, Microsoft's plans are still taking shape. The company took two notable steps forward this week with upgrades to its Outlook.com and video messaging services. On Monday, Microsoft <a href="http://blogs.skype.com/2013/04/29/type-less-talk-more-make-skype-calls-directly-from-your-outlook-com-inbox/#fbid=8UKiOwAeOHi">unrolled a preview version of Skype for Outlook.com</a>, an update that brings email, instant messaging and video calls into one interface. U.K. users are the first to gain access to the new tools, but Microsoft plans to include the U.S. and Germany in coming weeks, with the rest of Outlook.com's worldwide user base to follow soon thereafter. Microsoft said it will <a href="http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-outlook/archive/2013/04/29/skype-comes-to-outlook-com.aspx">gather user feedback and refine the experience</a> as it expands Skype integration to additional markets. The preview integrates Skype contacts into Outlook.com, allowing users to engage friends, family and colleagues from within the browser interface, just as they do when using the service's standard email functions. Blending Skype into Outlook requires one-time installation of a plug-in, however, and the new features support only the most recent versions of Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox. Microsoft told ZDnet that expanded browser support is coming but <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/uk/outlook-com-now-offers-skype-video-calling-directly-from-the-inbox-7000014700/">declined to say whether Apple's Safari is part of the company's agenda</a>. [ Skype might be the market leader, but it's not the only game in town. Read <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/telecom/voip/6-skype-alternatives-worth-considering/240153014?itc=edit_in_body_cross">6 Skype Alternatives Worth Considering</a>. ] Following the first announcement, Microsoft on Tuesday <a href="http://blogs.skype.com/2013/04/30/skype-video-messaging-preview-for-windows-desktop-users/#fbid=8UKiOwAeOHi">released a preview version of Skype Video Messaging for Windows 7 desktops</a>, and promised that support for Windows 8 will be added "shortly." The feature allows users to record a video message and send it to Skype contacts at any time, even when the recipient is not online. Oddly, preview versions of Skype Video Messaging have been active for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android users since February, with Microsoft's in-house OSes only now gaining support. Windows Phone and Windows 8 users can receive video messages already but until Microsoft releases another update, these users will not gain the ability to record and transmit videos of their own. For Microsoft, the Skype announcements aren't game-changers, but they provide some hints about how VoIP might be integrated elsewhere in the Microsoft portfolio. Its Office suite has been a strong, widely-used performer for a long time, which has led some customers to question whether new versions are worth the cost and effort. One aspect of Microsoft's response has involved an increased emphasis on mobility, cloud storage and collaboration. Skype integration fits nicely into this trend and could persuade users to upgrade rather than sticking with an old version or -- even worse for Microsoft -- exploring alternatives such as Google Docs. Windows will no doubt see heavier Skype integration in coming months as well, so for fans of online video calls, Microsoft is just getting started. It remains to be seen whether beefed-up Skype offerings attract new customers or simply provide new tools for existing ones. Since bringing the revamped Outlook.com out of preview mode in February, Microsoft has touted the platform as not only a wild success but also <a href=http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-outlook-making-progress-vs-gma/240148911>a potential drain on Google's market share</a>. Microsoft <a href="http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-outlook/archive/2013/02/18/outlook-com-leaves-preview-as-fastest-growing-email-service.aspx">claims its webmail service has more than 60 million active users</a>, and that around a third of accounts were established by those who also use Gmail. Skype could catalyze Microsoft's momentum -- but with competitors unlikely to stand pat, and with technologies such as WebRTC <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/telecom/voip/plantronics-says-webrtc-eases-virtual-me/240142934">poised to make browser-based video chats a commoditized feature</a>, the battle lines are still being drawn. It's also noteworthy that users must merge their Microsoft and Skype accounts in order to enable video chat within Outlook.com. Free services such as Gmail and iTunes have helped Google and Apple to expand the number of users in their respective ecosystems, and to translate many of these users into paying customers. Given that Windows 8 represents a massive shift in Microsoft's design philosophy, ecosystem building is in the subtext of virtually all consumer-facing Microsoft initiatives, with Outlook.com to some extent charting a Google- or Apple-like course. Microsoft's efforts to grow its user base have taken some criticism. Many users took umbrage, for example, with standalone Office 2013 pricing policies that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/microsoft-tweaks-office-2013-licensing-a/240150180">initially strong-armed customers into adopting the subscription-based Office 365</a>. Customer messaging will thus be important as Redmond continues to bring the Skype community into its fold. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-04-30T09:40:00ZIBM Makes Enterprise Mobile Security MoveIBM partners with mobile security vendor Arxan Technologies to secure apps created with its Worklight platform against malware and other attacks.http://www.informationweek.com/security/mobile/ibm-makes-enterprise-mobile-security-mov/240153882?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-galaxy-s-4-11-clever-tricks/240153554"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/983/galaxy-s4-keyboard_tn.jpg" alt="Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks" title="Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  Since <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/development/mobility/ibm-acquires-mobile-specialist-worklight/232500829">purchasing Worklight in January 2012</a>, IBM has quickly made the app-building platform the centerpiece of its enterprise mobility catalog, now one of the most comprehensive on the market. Big Blue continued that trend Monday, <a href="http://www.arxan.com/arxan-announces-mobile-application-integrity-protection-for-ibm-mobilefirst-customers-to-safeguard-apps-against-hacking-attacks-and-malware-exploits/">partnering with mobile security vendor Arxan Technologies</a> to make apps created with Worklight more impervious to malware and other attacks. As a standalone news item, the deal adds another ostensibly attractive piece to IBM's offerings. Perhaps just as significantly, it also adds a new fork to the increasingly complicated path businesses must weave as they attempt to integrate smartphones, tablets and the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon into the workplace. For Worklight developers, the new product -- tongue-twistingly called Arxan Mobile Application Integrity Protection for IBM Worklight Apps -- adds beefed-up mobile app security without disrupting existing workflows. Though iOS's centralized app store gives it a security advantage over Android's looser rules and malware-prone unofficial marketplaces, Arxan VP of business development Jukka Alanen said in an interview that virtually any mobile app can be cracked in just a few minutes. Virus-injected versions of popular apps are freely available, and blithely installed by users, he said, from sources throughout cyberspace. The IBM-Arxan union seeks to protect Worklight apps from these threats via a variety of defenses. Apps can detect illicit behavior, for example, and both shut themselves down if they observe a problem and also issue alerts. [ Unpatched devices are often security risks. Read why <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/security/mobile/android-smartphone-sellers-should-patch/240153205?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Android Smartphone Sellers Should Patch, Refund Or Perish</a>. ] In addition to thwarting attacks while they happen, the product is also designed to make apps tougher to crack in the first place. Alanen said that even unskilled hackers can make progress against unfortified apps thanks to rootkits and other black market malware tools. But with the randomization applied by the Arxan-infused Worklight, he said, the task of decompiling and cracking apps turns into an intense and time-consuming technical challenge that few malware authors can manage. This protection is applied via "guards" in the binary code that obfuscate the app's programming, apply extra encryption and otherwise make it more difficult for hackers to see how the app can be exploited. Hundreds of these guards can be implemented into a single app, if the developer chooses, with each one occupying a small, seemingly innocuous footprint that is difficult to detect within the overall body of code. The fact that each guard can independently apply obfuscation only extends this effect; each one can disguise itself in thousands of ways, meaning multi-guard networks can offer millions of permutations of defense. To businesses such as financial institutions, whose apps transmit particularly sensitive data, products such as Worklight have an obvious place. But is this sort of proactive security a necessity for all enterprises? That's the urgent, and potentially expensive, question many businesses face as they attempt to turn smartphones and tablets from employee-friendly endpoints into productivity-enabling business devices. The decisions are numerous. For a company whose mobile needs involve mostly document-sharing or light collaboration, Worklight represents a particularly costly and complicated solution. Depending on the sensitivity of the data, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/infrastructure/dropbox-for-business-right-for-you/240152788">Dropbox</a>, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/software/teambox-brings-collaboration-behind-the/240153818">Teambox</a>, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/microsoft-office-365-how-one-company-sav/240150383">Office 365</a> and other cloud-based approaches might be a better investment. When mobility plans start to include more complicated apps that need to hook into varied corporate backends, however, the challenges multiply. Are off-the-shelf apps adequate? If they need to be independently developed, is it better to work in-house or to hire a contractor? Should the apps be native, or is it practical to avoid OS fragmentation by relying on HTML5?As though the above weren't enough, the extent to which sensitive content will be accessed is another consideration. IT admins might need no more than remote-wipe capabilities for employees who use smartphones to view low-level docs. But users whose on-the-go work involves streaming valuable data or running a variety of business apps might necessitate not only remote wipe, but a fleet of additional mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM) capabilities. Those might include geo-fencing, which restricts a device's access if it leaves a pre-defined area; app containers, which separate corporate data from the user's personal data; corporate storefronts for the secure deployment of line-of-business apps; secure browsers for accessing the corporate Intranet; and micro-VPNs for securely linking apps to a business's data center, among others. The complexity has exploded over the last year. When BYOD forces thrust iPhones and Android tablets into environments more accustomed to BlackBerry phones and Windows PCs, IT vendors scrambled to simply secure the devices, and an MDM industry sprang up to accommodate. Businesses quickly learned that mobility can be as much about boosting productivity or changing workflows as meeting employee preference, however, which pushed the focus toward apps. Companies also became more aware that devices are usually less valuable than the information they access, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/six-tips-for-navigating-the-mdm-jungle/240008085">prompting MDM to morph into MAM</a>. With cloud technology, antivirus software and virtualization also in the mix, and with the BYOD market packed with an increasing number of operating systems, businesses have had to juggle more and more as they enact mobility initiatives. At the same time, MDM and MAM vendors have been forced to add differentiating features. Essential functions such as remote wipe became ubiquitous as enterprise mobility exploded, so with <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomkemp/2013/02/19/as-mobile-device-management-becomes-commoditized-whats-next-for-mdm/">the bare minimums effectively commoditized</a>, startups had to innovate, hope for a buyout from a big company, or fold. Established PC players were similarly forced to make moves to accommodate the growing diversity of enterprise computing devices. Recent examples of this trend have been numerous and varied. Earlier this month, <a href="http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/symantec-mobile-management-suite-now-more-seamless-and-secure-single-sign-ssl-policing-and-sec">Symantec updated its mobile suite</a> to include not only its trademark malware protection but also a unified MDM/MAM console, a secure email client and single sign-on capabilities. Last week, Dell touted how its numerous software acquisitions now <a href="http://www.dell.com/Learn/us/en/uscorp1/press-releases/2013-04-24-dell-byod-mobility-portfolio">constitute an end-to-end BYOD-enablement platform</a>. Absolute Software, whose Computrace technology is already built into the firmware of many PCs, has expanded its end-point management tools to include single-console control of iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices. The company also introduced a <a href="http://blogs.absolute.com/blog/absolutes-certificate-authentication-process-improves-security-for-byod/">certificate-based authentication</a> method that allows users to access the corporate network without repeatedly entering passwords. It also <a href="http://blogs.absolute.com/blog/absolute-software-announces-global-partnership-with-samsung-electronics/">partnered with Samsung</a>, bolstering the South Korean giant's Knox platform, which is intended to make its smartphones and tablets enterprise ready. MDM vendor AirWatch <a href="http://www.air-watch.com/company/news-room/press-releases/2013/02/airwatch-integrates-with-samsung-knox">also signed on with Samsung Knox</a>, and notable mobility players Zenprise and IonGrid were <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/security/mobile/citrix-buys-zenprise-whats-next-in-byod/240144028">snapped up by Citrix</a> and <a href="https://www.iongrid.com/blog/2013/02/13/iongrid-has-joined-netapp">NetApp</a>, respectively. The enterprise mobility industry, in other words, looks a lot different today than it did even a year ago. Navigating this landscape is increasingly challenging, and it's become clear that companies need to plan before entering the changing terrain. The key to making mobility a good investment, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/have-you-really-started-a-mobile-strateg/240152742">as InformationWeek's Chris Murphy recently suggested</a>, is to define the opportunities and problems at the start, and establish a strategy before heading in.2013-04-29T15:04:00ZTeambox Brings Collaboration Behind the FirewallTeambox On-Premise allows healthcare, financial and other highly regulated industries to take advantage of cloud collaboration technologies.http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/software/teambox-brings-collaboration-behind-the/240153818?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/storage/data-protection/8-great-cloud-storage-services/240151180"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/967/Cloud_Storage_Services_01_tn.jpg" alt="8 Great Cloud Storage Services" title="8 Great Cloud Storage Services" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Great Cloud Storage Services</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>  For avid tech industry followers, it's hard to go more than a few days without seeing another article about the benefits companies can gain by taking business into the cloud. These benefits, such as the ability to better connect remote or mobile workers, can lead to legitimate gains in an organization's efficiency and bottom line. Nevertheless, cloud resources often demand that sensitive data be housed on an outside party's servers, so many institutions and enterprises are cautious about, if not prohibited from, adopting the new technology. Teambox believes its newest offering, <a href="http://teambox.com/on-premise/">Teambox On-Premise</a>, can help more businesses climb onto the cloud bandwagon. Released earlier this month, the product brings the capabilities of the Barcelona-based company's cloud platform behind the corporate firewall, allowing users to harness the file-sharing and collaboration advantages of the cloud while still meeting internal security and compliance requirements. The enterprise-oriented cloud market grows more competitive every week, but for organizations in highly regulated industries, Teambox On-Premise could offer the secure ladder into the cloud that they've been looking for. Some cloud services focus on online storage, but Teambox has cultivated a name for itself by integrating not only <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_private_platforms/240005013">hooks to other cloud repositories</a>, such as Google Docs, Dropbox and Box, but also <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/news/teambox-bundles-box-storage-with-social/240144578">a host of collaboration tools</a> for sharing and working on the stored files. [ Effective collaboration takes more than just software. Learn <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/10-ways-to-foster-effective-social-emplo/240150131?itc=edit_in_body_cross">10 Ways To Foster Effective Social Employees</a>. ] The approach has attracted a variety of customers, including not only brand names such as Square and Groupon but also <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/education/online-learning/higher-education-taps-teambox-for-social/240153396">an impressive list of universities</a>. For certain industries, such as healthcare and financial services, however, Teambox's tools have been, like all cloud products, too risky for broad deployment. Teambox On-Premise was developed to solve this problem. According to statements made <a href="http://vimeo.com/64392826">during a recent webinar</a> by David Ovadia, the company's VP of marketing, the new product was created to address the regulatory needs of a few "key customers." Healthcare institutions are bound by HIPAA requirements, publicly traded companies by Sarbanes-Oxley and credit card-processing businesses by PCI, he said, noting that these requirements prohibit data from being stored or moved without robust protections. Teambox had to let these customers "use their own authentication systems, use their own processes for security, and use their own processes for backing and up maintaining data," Ovadia said. To do so, Teambox On-Premise brings all of the platform's resources, which include not only Yammer-like chat functions and note-taking tools reminiscent of Evernote, but also its APIs and mobile apps, inside an enterprise's existing infrastructure and workflows. Essentially, it's meant to provide the agility and efficiency of a more conventional cloud service without burdening users with the typical security and compliance headaches. In an interview, Teambox CEO Dan Schoenbaum said the product was essentially a virtual machine that can run on VMware or Oracle hypervisors. "Customers are up and running in less than an hour, with almost no intervention or assistance from us," he stated. "It's designed to be self-service. It's just a VM you drop in." Despite this simplicity and attention to security, Teambox is not the only company aiming to transition cautious businesses into the cloud. Dell, for example, touted last week how its growing software catalog allows medical organizations such as Green Clinic in Rustin, La., to use <a href="http://www.dell.com/Learn/us/en/uscorp1/press-releases/2013-04-24-dell-byod-mobility-portfolio">HIPAA-compliant cloud tools</a>. Vendors such as Dropbox, meanwhile, are busily working to expand their consumer success <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/infrastructure/dropbox-for-business-right-for-you/240152788">farther into the business landscape</a>. "File storage is gaining traction but it's also becoming more commoditized," Schoenbaum said of this shift toward more specialized and robust cloud functionality. He added that Teambox's strategy is "not to compete with Dropbox and Google Drive but to augment what they do" by "layering on a collection of lightweight apps for collaborating." For at least one early customer, the strategy boasts obvious appeal. Shawn Stevens, senior IT administrator for GeoEnergy, said in an interview that Teambox On-Premise, which his company adopted a few months prior to the product's general release, has facilitated "big-time changes." The centralized sets of collaboration tools, he stated, is intuitive for "regular users who don't have much experience" and a boon for teamwork. Just as importantly, Stevens -- who considered alternatives such as Basecamp and Teamwork Project Manager -- also found Teambox On-Premise appropriately secure. "Our company deals with oil companies that like to be very secretive about their stuff, so it was almost a requirement for us to have an on-premises solution," he said. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-04-26T09:06:00ZWindows 8 Sells Best On New TabletsNew reports reveal what Microsoft would not in its recent earnings meeting: Windows 8's share of the tablet space is double its overall market penetration.http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-sells-best-on-new-tablets/240153686?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div>(click image for slideshow) </div>When Microsoft announced in its recent earnings report that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-office-server-sales-fuel-stron/240153251">Windows revenue had increased</a>, the company scored an ostensible victory over the many critics lambasting its newest operating system, Windows 8. It was a hollow victory, however, given that the gains relied on deferred revenue, and that Microsoft declined to dissect how much of the revenue came from Windows 7. For the purposes of assessing Windows 8's progress, in other words, the earnings report offered few new details. Separate studies published this week by research firms Forrester and Strategy Analytics seek to fill in some of the gaps in Microsoft's report, and although the news isn't stellar for Windows 8, it's not that bad, either. Forrester found that although <a href="http://www.forrester.com/Navigating+Diversity+In+Operating+Systems+And+Browsers/fulltext/-/E-RES94521">Windows 7 is the most popular OS in the enterprise</a>, with 47.5% of the market, almost two out of every five machines still run its predecessor, Windows XP. The subtext, given that Microsoft will stop supporting XP in less than a year, is that a lot of companies are still scrambling to update their aging systems. With Windows 8 still a niche player in the workplace, the setting is right for Windows 7 to maintain robust sales. This is good news for Microsoft in the short term, as it means Win8 has been able to endure growing pains without negatively affecting Microsoft's bottom line. Even so, Windows 7 sales don't silence ongoing uncertainty regarding Windows 8's long-term viability. [ Many are giving touch-enable Windows 8 a wide berth. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/smb/hardware-software/tell-me-again-why-rush-into-windows-8/240151839?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Tell Me Again: Why Rush Into Windows 8?</a>. ] Microsoft claimed in January that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-license-sales-top-60-million/240145865">60 million Windows 8 licenses had shipped</a> and that the OS was broadly keeping pace with Windows 7. This optimism seemed incongruous with external viewpoints, which have cited poor PC sales and a variety of other factors to argue <a href="www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-momentum-sputters/240152051">Win8's real-world impact has been substantially more mild</a>. There also have been indications that, among enterprise customers, few XP holdouts are jumping directly to Windows 8, whose touch-oriented interface has so far struck business users as more burdensome than empowering. The result is that Win8 has been able to struggle without negatively affecting Microsoft's bottom line. But with the new OS's potential unclear, Microsoft's long-term outlook is more enigmatic. That's where the Strategy Analytics data enters the equation. The firm found that <a href="http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=pressreleaseviewer&a0=5351">3 million Windows 8 tablets were sold in the first three months of 2013</a>, and that the OS commanded <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/ipad-loses-share-to-android-windows-tabl/240153587">7.5% of the tablet market</a>. This number is by no means a home run; Apple sold 19.5 million iPads during the same period, and Android is poised to surpass Apple for the industry's overall lead. But based on separate estimates released in March by market watchers Net Applications and StatCounter, Win8's 7.5% share of the tablet space is around double its overall market penetration. Windows 8 defenders have argued that the OS is best enjoyed on touch-enabled devices. With PC sales down, however, many Win8 licenses have been installed, to lackluster effect, on previous-generation hardware. That the OS's tablet momentum evidently outpaces its overall growth by such a wide margin reasserts this notion. As a Windows 7 replacement, in other words, Microsoft's newest offering hasn't performed well. But as a foray into the tablet space, Windows 8 has actually fared decently. There are many reasons to expect this growth will continue. One is Windows 8.1, a forthcoming update, previously code named Windows Blue, that is expected to improve many of the UI's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-restoring-the-start-button/240153170">most divisive elements</a>, including potentially reinstating the Start button and more smoothly integrating its traditional desktop environment with its tactile-themed Live Tiles UI. Small tablets are another avenue for sustained growth. Win8's current tablet share has been amassed without an entrant in the industry's fastest-growing race: the market for small, cheap devices, currently dominated by the iPad Mini, Nexus 7 and similar models. But Microsoft has acknowledged, after <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/windows-8-tablets-why-microsoft-must-sla/240152511">months of rumors</a>, that 8-inch Windows 8 tablets are coming. Outgoing Intel CEO Paul Otellini suggested these new products will be priced <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57579935-92/touch-devices-to-drop-to-$200-says-intel-ceo/">aggressively</a>. Between Windows Blue and a slew of new devices, the platform should only expand its reach into the mobile arena. The question is, by how much? Windows 8 has a lot of ground to make up. It would be surprising if the OS can challenge Apple for second place in the tablet market, even if Microsoft and its partners' new offerings deliver. Between the mediocre Win8 outlook at the consumer level and a lack of enthusiasm for the OS among enterprises, Microsoft continues to face unanswered questions. Analysts expect Microsoft to be a huge player for years to come, but <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsofts-influence-fading-fast-gartner/240152342">few anticipate Microsoft can remain as dominant as it's been in the past</a>. Tapping into this theme, Forrester's report emphasizes that Windows 7, although a phenomenal success by any measure, is not as ubiquitous as Windows XP was during its heyday. XP once claimed more than 80% of business desktops, and even with a number of enterprises currently updating their systems, it's not clear if Win7 can reach such stratospheric heights. Forrester noted that OS X, though not a challenger to the Windows majority, has become more accepted as a business platform. Such erosion in Microsoft's traditional user base, as well Windows 8's modest gains in the consumer and bring-your-own-device segments, reiterates what many analysts said after Microsoft announced its earnings: at most businesses, IT departments will have to support multi-OS environments because the days of a de facto Windows monopoly are over. Some version of Windows will be one of these supported platforms, of course, and for certain users, Microsoft's flagship product will continue to be the only realistic option for years to come. But as more platforms jostle for enterprise adoption and influence, and as consumerization trends continue to affect IT policies, it's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/pc-market-bleeds-windows-8-tablet-fix-ne/240152706">not clear where in the pecking order Microsoft will ultimately land</a>.2013-04-24T15:15:00ZMicrosoft Store Slashes Windows 8 Device PricesWindows 8 devices with touchscreens are getting more affordable. But with new, more powerful models on the horizon, is now the time to buy?http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/microsoft-store-slashes-windows-8-device/240153568?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Desktops/PCs_hardware<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div>(click image for slideshow)</div>Consumers have shrugged off most of the Windows 8 devices that have been released so far. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-momentum-sputters/240152051">A variety of factors</a>, from the omitted Start button to the lack of Modern UI apps, have hampered adoption of the new OS -- but the high cost of touch-enabled hardware has been one of the biggest deterrents. If price is all that's stood between you and a new Windows 8 device, it might be time to make a purchase, as the Microsoft Store has slashed prices on a number of models. Don't hit the "buy" button too quickly, though; with new and improved tablets and ultrabooks on the horizon, buying one of the discounted offerings now could quickly lead to a case of buyers' remorse. The price cuts, <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57581096-75/windows-8-touch-ultrabooks-see-price-cuts-at-microsoft-store/">originally spotted by CNET</a>, extend to ultrabook and laptop models from a variety of manufacturers. Acer's Aspire S7, which boasts a 13.3-inch full HD display and a 1.8-GHz i7 processor, has been slashed more than 20%, from $1,649 to $1,299. The Sony VAIO T Series family also has been discounted, with the high-end 13-inch i7 model dropping from $1299 to $999, and the less-powerful i5 model dropping from $899 to $799. Additional price reductions include HP's Spectre XT TouchSmart, which dropped from $1349 to $1249 and offers a large 15.6-inch screen; and the TouchSmart Sleekbook, which dropped $100 to $599 and is, even after the cuts, one of the only legitimate low-budget options among Windows 8 devices with traditional clamshell designs. The Microsoft Store's lowered ultrabook prices follow a number of <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57577634-75/microsoft-store-slashes-prices-on-windows-8-tablets-hybrids/">price reductions earlier this month to Windows 8 tablets and convertibles</a>. Discounted models ranged from the pricey Toshiba Satellite Convertible Ultrabook, which dropped from a wallet-busting $1149 to a more palatable $799; to an Acer Iconia tablet, now priced at a relatively affordable $399. [ Don't blame Windows 8 for the PC's marketplace woes. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/windows-8-did-not-cause-pc-sales-slump/240152856?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows 8 Did Not Cause PC Sales Slump</a>. ] To traditional desktop users, Windows 8, with its massively overhauled interface, has been more a frustration than an improvement. But the OS has gained a bit more traction among users of touch-enabled software, at whom its Live Tile environment is aimed. By making these devices cheaper, Microsoft could make its newest platform more attractive. Cautious buyers beware, though: the Microsoft Store might be offering good deals today, but better deals could be just around the corner. Windows 8.1, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-restoring-the-start-button/240153170">the forthcoming update previously called Windows Blue</a>, is one major distinction between current options and those expected to be available by the fall. To be clear, current models should have access to the update, so this difference might not seem significant. But Windows Blue rumors have suggested the OS has been tailored to Intel's forthcoming Haswell chipset, the energy-efficient family of processors that will fuel the most powerful batch of future Win8 devices. So even if one of the current models is upgraded to Windows 8.1 in a few months, it is unlikely to gain many of update's headline enhancements, such as substantially improved battery life. Moreover, Intel has suggested that at least some Haswell ultrabooks will be priced below $600, so the new models could offer not only improved performance but also prices that undercut the current discounts. Microsoft and its partners also are readying a fleet of low-cost 8-inch tablets to compete with the iPad Mini. Such devices have been <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/windows-8-tablets-why-microsoft-must-sla/240152511">rumored for months</a>, and Microsoft, without providing any new details, acknowledged during its recent earnings call that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-office-server-sales-fuel-stron/240153251">the devices are coming</a>. Indeed, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/22/4252994/photos-8-inch-acer-tablet-windows-8-new-screen-sizes">images of an upcoming 8-inch Acer tablet are already circulating online</a>, after appearing <a href="http://www.minimachines.net/a-la-une/exclu-acer-iconia-w3-une-tablette-8-windows-8-pour-la-rentree-6732">briefly on the French site MiniMachines.net</a>. The device is expected to use Intel's current-generation Atom technology, which allows the full Windows 8 OS, rather than the Live Tile-oriented Windows RT version, to run in a thin, fan-less device. Intel's forthcoming Bay Trail Atom chips should only improve this capability, and the chipmaker has suggested that Bay Trail tablets will be priced very aggressively. If you need a Windows 8 device immediately, the reduced prices should be a welcome development. But if you're still on the fence about a new purchase, it could pay off to remain patient for a few more months. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. 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