Microsoft is reaching out to more managed services providers (MSPs), pitching Windows Intune as a forthcoming SaaS platform for remote Windows systems management. The effort has included private calls with selected MSPs in recent days, and Microsoft will likely hit the road over the next few weeks to potentially discuss Windows Intune at MSP-centric conferences. Plus, there’s a potential twist involving Windows 7 perks. Here’s the update.
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Microsoft Pitches Windows Intune Black Belt to MSPs
Posted September 22nd, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Can Microsoft Properly Host Its Own Cloud Applications?
Posted September 7th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri
Consider the following scenario: You’re a managed services provider. Instead of investing big bucks to build your own hosted applications, you entrust your end-customers to Microsoft’s cloud — including Exchange Online and SharePoint Online. But in the past few weeks, that Microsoft cloud — called BPOS (Business Productivity Online Suite) — has gone dark at least three times. The big question: Will end-customers remain patient amid Microsoft’s SaaS growing pains? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with Microsoft’s hosting strategy?
Microsoft vs. Google: Battle for Government SaaS Supremacy
Posted July 28th, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
The launch of Google Apps for Government goes beyond just answering some lingering concerns about the cloud: it marks the birth of a new SaaS battleground between the search giant and their rivals at Microsoft. Here’s why.
New Microsoft SaaS Campaign Attacks Google Apps
Posted June 22nd, 2010 by Matthew Weinberger
Google Apps is under fire over at the official Why Microsoft blog with the announcement of two enterprises jumping ship to Microsoft Online Services solutions. It’s not surprising that Microsoft is touting cloud customer wins. But the recent blog entry signals that Microsoft is finally ready to take the offensive in the battle for SaaS supremacy.
Dazed and Confused: Microsoft’s SaaS Brands and Subscription Services
Posted November 20th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As a blogger who watches the software as a service (SaaS) and cloud markets, I find it nearly impossible to keep track of the SaaS brands and subscription services Microsoft continually launches, kills or repositions.
Half of All Exchange Server Deployments Will Involve SaaS Within Five Years
Posted May 20th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
If you’re a Microsoft partner that’s skeptical about software as a service (SaaS), consider this: Half of all Exchange email inboxes will involve hosted systems within five years, notes Mary Jo Foley’s All About Microsoft blog. I’ve been alerting readers in recent weeks about Microsoft’s SaaS strategy for Exchange, Dynamics CRM and SharePoint. Ultimately, Microsoft will need to compete and cooperate with managed service providers (MSPs) that host those applications. Here’s how some Microsoft partners intend to cope with the software giant’s SaaS moves.
