Microsoft’s Tablet Move More Than Scratches the ‘Surface’
We are all waiting for it. It was the worst-kept secret in the IT industry. But with much fanfare, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) officially introduced its new Windows 8-based Surface tablet line putting Apple directly in its crosshairs.
And to all those Apple loyalists who believe nothing can stop the iPad momentum, guess again: Microsoft’s tablet product has the potential to meet both the needs of consumers and businesses and solution providers should be excited about it.
And by the way, it has nothing to do with selling the actual product. Solution providers aren’t all that excited at the opportunity to resell Surface tablets and PCs. What they want is to use their expertise to service, support and integrate all the Surface tablets consumers are going to bring into the workplace. Apple helped push the consumerization of IT behavior, basically forcing corporate IT departments to support personal devices brought in by employees. That snowball is rolling downhill fast and getting bigger. The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon is here to stay.
Microsoft is banking on this and will brand the consumer as well businesses. And because the Windows OS still remains much more open than the Apple OS, consumers and corporations will bite big time because they will be able to add more customized, business-oriented apps to create the ulitmate entertainment device and serious business tool.
“Microsoft’s genius with this is that it is first to offer one completely unified and consistent user interface on all form factors, handheld Windows Phone 7, PC with Windows 8, tabletop, and now tablet,” said Howard Cohen, Senior Resultant at HMC and longtime channel expert. “I think including the keyboard in the cover is genius. I think the kickstand is genius. And Windows 8 is the ideal OS for it. Yes, I do believe this will win huge market share in the next few years as the tablet market flies by the PC.”
Cohen and other channel executives I talked to agreed that no piece of hardware will ever define the channel, but that doesn’t mean this announcement isn’t loaded with opportunities. Microsoft will make these devices available everywhere and anywhere. It will be up the channel to do what the channel does best: innovate on the new platform, integrate it into corporate networks and secure it.
“The big channel play is BYOD and the ease of doing that in a Microsoft-friendly environment, so that could be a big win,” said another channel expert.
This is what many solution providers who are tired of competing with the so-called geniuses at the Apple Stores have been clamoring for. Now they got it.
Knock em alive!
