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Microsoft’s Cloud Computing Strategy

Pankaj Gudimella — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:33:55 +0000

This is Microsoft’s cloud computing strategy whiteboarded by Steve Ballmer himself.

More here.

History of Business Intelligence

Pankaj Gudimella — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:48:02 +0000

A fascinating story from Nic at Microsoft BI

Hat tip:The BI Blog

The future according to Microsoft

Pankaj Gudimella — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:23:54 +0000

A scifi-isc video about Microsoft’s vision about the future presented by Stephen Elop at the Wharton Business Technology Conference.

Future Vision Montage

Microsoft braces for major customer shift to cloud computing

Pankaj Gudimella — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:28:27 +0000

Microsoft sees tens of millions of corporate email accounts moving to its data centers over the next five years, shifting to a business model that may thin profit margins but generate more revenue. In an interview, Chris Capossela, who manages Microsoft’s Office products, said the company will see more and more companies abandon their own in-house computer systems and shift to “cloud computing,” a less expensive alternative. Cloud computing is the trend by Internet powerhouses to array huge numbers of computers in centralized data centers to deliver Web-based applications to far-flung users.

Microsoft and Data Mining Dominance

Pankaj Gudimella — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:16:36 +0000

When it comes to data mining and predictive analytics, Microsoft Corp. might not be the first company that comes to mind.

That could change, however, especially if Donald Farmer, Redmond’s principal program manager for SQL Server Data Mining, has his way.

Microsoft has come a long way in the data mining and predictive analytics segment, Farmer says, and with a game-changing Excel 2007 release under its belt — and a promising SQL Server 2008 revision in the pipeline — Redmond hopes to challenge established powers SAS Institute Inc. and SPSS Inc. for data mining and predictive analytic bragging rights.

“[We don't] have all the functionality of something like a SAS or an SPSS, because that’s just not our market,” he conceded.

It comes down to a difference of scale, according to Farmer. SAS and SPSS typically target larger, more expensive deployments, typically with users well-versed in the usage of their tools. Microsoft is targeting a different kind of data mining consumer: the Excel analyst, for example, who might not have much (if any) experience with data mining, predictive analytics or statistical analysis, for that matter.

Farecast bought by Microsoft

Pankaj Gudimella — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:46:00 +0000

Microsoft bought Seattle-based airfare prediction and travel site Farecast earlier this month for around $115 million, according to a person familiar with the transaction.

A Microsoft spokeswoman would not comment on the terms of the deal, but did confirm the purchase, which closed April 9.

“Farecast has been a partner of ours on MSN Travel and we look forward to working closely with the Farecast team to incorporate and apply its technology in new and interesting ways,” Whitney Burk, a spokeswoman with Microsoft’s Online Services business, said in a statement.