Microsoft at CES 2010… What iPhone?
I saw Microsoft’s massive booth at CES and a giant Bing sign so, optimistically, I went on over to talk with them while our friends from WMExperts hit up the devices. The Bing folks were great, but had no specific knowledge about Bing for iPhone other than there was an app and it did stuff but was kinda beta outside the US. Fair enough. So I headed over to the main reception and asked if there was anyone there from the Microsoft iPhone team. And that’s when it got funny. “What iPhone team?”
Eventually they sent me over to the Windows Phone counter, who just laughed at me and got annoyed that I was sent there.
Why am I posting this? Microsoft is one of, if not still the, biggest software maker in the world. Whether they offer a competing mobile platform or not, there are probably approaching 70 million iPhones on the market, and Microsoft provides Exchange ActiveSync, and apps like SeaDragon (okay, Microsoft Labs, but still), and Bing (which they’d like to be a big deal). That there was no one from Microsoft’s iPhone team at Macworld last year was silly but understandable. That there’s no one here at CES 2010 this year — or at least if there is, they’re not at all discoverable — is just dumb.
If you’re not going to do integrated offerings, if you’re going to be the “network nervous system” that services everyone, if you’re going to offer software and services for other popular platforms — show up and evangelize them. If you want to compete against Google and be taken seriously, if you’re going to be in the game — have some players show up.
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Microsoft is pathetic.
Ummm…right.
I dont’t think too many vendors understand what you are trying to convey in your article. Clearly MS does not and that is a shame. While MS may not have the best OS their applications are generally very good and I would love to see some integration between the iPhone, Apple Mac OS X and MS apps.
Clearly MS doesn’t get it. Just look at Office 2007 for proof.
Microsoft is a bunch of Rednecks.
What’s wrong with Office 07? It just works.
Sorry guys but Windows wipes Apples borrowed OS out. The company I work for has an art department with 6 Macs and I just love it when they have a problem and I go in there and find other problems at the same time. I ask, how long have you had this problem. “Oh for months”. Mac guys like to claim they don’t have problems but really they are just turning and looking the other way. They aren’t perfect. No OS is. Just think of how hard it would be to conceal the problems if OSX has a meaningful market share. Probably 85% of the OSX users are probably fanboys. Of course they will ignore their faults.
MS is far from clueless. Give it up guys.
This is a nice rant from an Apple fanboy!! Honestly tho, Microsoft is the largest software company in the world and I find it funny that they did’nt bring the “Microsoft iphone team”. I doubt they are clueless, they are several steps ahead of you actually GO MICROSOFT!!!
Sort of agree. I’d buy MS Office for iPhone the second it was available, and I’d pay any asking price for it (within reason)
Though to be fair, they are still trying to compete directly with the iPhone, and CES isn’t really known for Apple products!
I do find it humorous that you approached them about it though Rene, nothing better than an Apple fan giving MS a bit of cheek!
Were is Apple at CES? With what Google and Microsoft are doing with there phone OS Apple should begin to get scared. Has it not dawned on Apple that the majority of users out there want to be able to pick and choose a device that appeals to them? You CANNOT accomplish this with the iPhone. The iPhone to date has had 3 versions which have better the last device. Wow, a different color or more memory… go Apple. Honestly, how about some different styles, physical keyboard maybe. Something that will attract to most and not a few.
May be apple is cooking gaming system to compete with xbox!!! Lmol
Remind me to ask for the iPhone Exchange developers at Macworld then.. to which I will be met with the same response.
Next.
Holy Cow! What an interesting collection of comments! My initial reaction to the post was, “MS, what fools!” – but I see that that’s too simplistic. Rene’s original point is valid – MS is stupid to ignore the iPhone (and the proof is how much they’ve made selling software for the Mac, especially to me). But on the other hand, why should they draw attention to their own shortcomings when Apple doesn’t? Of course, they shouldn’t (but they’re still shortcomings).
@Lady Kaede:
My take is that Microsoft has already figured out that chasing the fleeting profits of the App store is simply not worth their time and money.
The market for any office suite on the iphone is vanishingly small. Nobody really uses them other than as a parlor trick. Anyone trying to use any office suite on an iphone knows it is an emergency tool only, and a pretty pathetic one at that.
That leaves games and search. They have no rational reason to cannibalize their gaming platforms. Search is so new that they are still tuning.
So no, software sales to the mac are NOT a good analogy. True, 20 percent of Microsoft Office’s U.S retail sales are the Mac version, but that does not translate to the iPhone.
Doesn’t Bill Gates own a large share of Apple’s stock anyway?
someone feeling left out? =) sucks for those who use those MS apps i guess. i might try bing, maybe not
This article wasnt worth the time it took to read it. Since when has CES been about satisfying iPhone users? Why is it a necessity for Microsoft to have a representitive for a team who allow existing products to work on the iPhone without any innovation?
I think Rene forgot that CES is about innovation and what the future holds, and not about everything having to work with the iPhone.
Also, handhelds are only a very small part of the show, so why should Microsoft spend resources on an area that would draw very little interest?
@TBA – hello, this is the iPhone blog @icebike – yeah, my MS office related apps are a desperateeasure on the iPhone. You make a good point. But doesn’t MS have some way to earn revenue from millions of iPhone users? It just seems like a missed opportunity to me.
I’m guessing Microsoft’s solution to Office for iPhone will be Office 2010 Online for Mobile. If it supports WebKit, it’ll run on iPhone, Android, webOS, etc.
Mows sense to me. Still I wonder, do they care?
@ Lady Kaede
Then why did Rene post the news in the first place if it had nothing to do with the iPhone? He was merely trying to take something unrelated and make it about the iPhone. Its quite sad when you get that desperate for news…
Luckily they pumped out Windows 7 and Office 2010 is the bomb, they can’t get it right the first time but they second and or third is a charm for them. Give them til 2011, they’ll come around.
What is it that MS is supposed to be developing for the iPhone anyways? Why would they put time, effort, and money into a competing product?
Should Windows Mobile users complain about the lack of a Safari browser for their phones? Should BlackBerry users whine because Apple’s App store doesn’t have anything for their phones?
Am I being mean and unfair?
The answer to all of those questions is no. That was not a well considered post.
Microsoft SUCKS. PERIOD. Go Apple!!!
Microsoft > Apple
That is a hilarious posture. You are suggesting MS go to CES and promote its me too software for it’s arch rival’s platform? The marketing department would laugh coffee out their noses at this article. MS released a bing app for the iPhone in a bid to stay relevant in the search engine market because the iPhone is so ubiquitus. It is a necessary evil, not something to celebrate.
If I was you I would have told them to stop copying apple.. And to be thereselfs.. They like to copy other people!!!!! I so hate microsoft!!!
were there any Microsoft booths at Macworld? It goes both ways doesn’t it.
Microsoft ROCKS!!! I feel so bad when people say bad things about microsoft! Apple looks like a toy, and Microsoft is the best!