Microsoft Sends In the Clouds at TechEd 2012

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) put its updated cloud offerings and business tools the spotlight Monday for the start of its annual TechEd Conference.

In the keynote address kicking off the confab, Satya Nadella, president Microsoft server and tools business, discussed Microsoft's focus helping consumers transition to cloud computing.

Nadella outlined the company's three various cloud solutions designed different types of customers. company recently released a cloud-optimized upgrade to Windows Server 2012, with updates storage, network scalability. Windows Azure also received an upgrade with additional support across several platforms.

The newest software release is the final shipping version of Windows Intune 3, adds management and security benefits on device management. Each PC covered Intune will receive a Windows 8 upgrade when that software launches.

It's twentieth annual TechEd North America conference, and more 10,000 IT professionals gathered in Orlando see what the company be rolling out this year. Microsoft hopes that the new cloud offerings it is showcasing the event can help steer an easy customer transition into cloud.

The company also showed its upcoming Windows 8 platform. The final version of the system is expected launch by the end of this year and feature greater mobile platform versatility previous versions. At TechEd Tuesday, Microsoft specifically highlighted the ways Windows 8 is "enterprise-ready design," touting its improved security and management features.

Together, the new Windows Server, Azure and Intune offerings meant to ease a gradual consumer shift the cloud. With many major software and hardware providers looking to also expand their cloud offerings, Microsoft needs identify the areas where it can become the industry standard, said Larry Carvalho, owner of RobustCloud, told TechNewsWorld.

"With the amount of existing customers already Exchange, Office 365 is a place that Microsoft shows an area where it currently leading," he said.

By rolling its three-pronged approach to cloud integration across public, private and hybrid clouds, Microsoft also showing it can be the cloud solution a variety of markets.

"Where it can be a leader is in Infrastructure a Service, especially with their support of multiple languages and frameworks," said. "The announcement shows Microsoft's understanding of marketplace demands and their strategy matches behind these needs."

That understanding of the market across multiple sectors sits well with developers, said Carvalho, could be a huge advantage for the seasoned company as it attempts a shift into the cloud computing area.

"Microsoft's experience in courting developers puts the chances their cloud success ahead Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), IBM (NYSE: IBM) and HP," said Carvalho.


Crossing Fingers for Windows 8

The arrival of Windows 8 is growing closer, and Microsoft focused the second day of TechEd promoting the OS enterprise IT developers.

Windows 8 will use Bitlocker Administration and Monitoring 2.0 simplify and improve its data protection, a huge concern large corporations depending security.

A beta version of the system available next month will give individuals the ability to change their devices Windows 7 and Windows 8 without having to reconfigure applications or settings. The flexibility could also be a draw large corporations reluctant undergo a massive transition to a new operating system.

Still, Microsoft has a way to go before it can prove Windows 8 is going truly be the system that the tech world been waiting, said Michael Silver, research vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner (NYSE: IT).

"Microsoft has a few challenges, and I'm not sure they will resolved by the end of week," he told TechNewsWorld. "Mid-large enterprises will largely skip Windows 8 for traditional PCs, but they may deploy it for tablets and hybrid or convertible devices. The real question is if Microsoft can improve its lot with consumers, which has been very difficult for them in the past."


Adapted from: TechNewWorld, June 12, 2012; Available at