Microsoft Chief Technical Architect Ray Ozzie kicked off the MIX07 event in Las Vegas, NV with an overview of Microsoft’s Software + Services strategy.
- The Web has often been trumpeted as a replacement for local software code.
- Over the course of the last 5 major platform shifts, disruptions have occurred. But when things settled down, the best solutions were integrated solutions.
- The simple concept of the Web is no longer simple. Consumer expectations have risen higher –they desire to transform the Web into a medium for rich interactions.
- Right now developers have to make a lot of choices: Web vs. the Desktop, Software vs. Service, Consumers vs. IT, etc.
- Universal Web applications: built in HTML, Ajax and designed for broad distribution, rely on advertising & need to work everywhere.
- Experience first applications: highly interactive, need to work offline, use most of ability of each device.
- The democratization of media is fueling the next generation of services. Explosion in media has driven interest in desktop software for creation/editing.
- We are seeing a resurgence of interest in service connected desktop applications. The software as service model now embraces client applications.
- The pendulum has swung from software to service, and now to software + service.
- Progressive sea change at Microsoft toward services and software + services.
- Universality or experience first? The best apps have parts of both but their balance of each varies.
- The goal is to create Software + Services solutions: apps that go across the Web, Desktop and Devices.
- Software + Services give you the best of all worlds. Local client: editing/managing assets. Web: distribution, sharing, finding. Device: location sensitive usage.
SilverLight
- Silverlight today is a product targeted at universal Web applications. Cross platform, cross browser run times optimized for seamless playback, standards based, low cost. Primarily focused on robust video delivery on the Web.
- Silverlight streaming: a companion service for Silverlight that allows you to post SilverLight applications for storage in the cloud (for free!). Consider this a sign of things to come.
- SilverLight for consumers: cross browser, cross platform, rich media platform, can be installed within 20 seconds.
- The new developing space is media + RIA (rich internet applications).
- Silverlight can work with any back-end implementation.
- Silverlight: HD 720p video quality. DVD interactivity & overlays, uses standards-based video codecs.
- Netflix: uses Silverlight to deliver online DVD viewing. Also, Netflix site features: add to queue, rate, more like this, built in 3 weeks, watch together feature with instant messaging.
- Designer/Developer collaboration is a key part of the Silverlight structure.