Microsoft to Partners: Displace iPads with Windows 7 Tablets
It’s no secret that the some of our bloggers have an affinity for Apple products, but that doesn’t mean we dislike Microsoft. In fact, we’re trying to keep an open mind as Microsoft attempts to rally channel partners against the iPad. According to some newly discovered slides, Microsoft resellers are being ‘educated’ on the faults of the iPad and urged to promote Microsoft alternatives.
A tip of the hat goes to ZDnet for posting the slide deck that Microsoft distributed to its resellers. It’s part of Microsoft’s way of helping resellers describe Microsoft’s business strategy to their clients.
The deck features instructions on how resellers can sell tablet computers running Windows 7 into companies by demonstrating a plethora of ‘problems’ with the iPad. What’s more, the slide deck contains suggestions on how resellers can lure iPad-wielding Jedi over to the Dark Side (aka, Microsoft).
After a sub-par keynote by CEO Steve Ballmer at CES 2011 and an apparent lack of focus for making Windows Phone 7 tablet-enabled, I believe Microsoft lacks a truly direct response to Google Android and Apple iOS. Microsoft seems to think its users have blinders on and faithfully believe that Windows 7 tablets are magical wonderful happy devices, but I’ve yet to meet a single soul who would tell me so.
I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: A desktop OS environment should not be adapted to a tablet. Too many problems are brought in from the root use-case of the OS. Microsoft needs to start from the ground up. If it was smart — which we know Microsoft is — Microsoft would beat Apple and Google at their own game by introducing pricey iOS/Android software or licensing that would provide Microsoft revenue on services for the iPad and Android devices.
Bottom line? Microsoft is still playing the “me too” game. Won’t somebody in Redmond sit down with Ballmer and explain how it could revive the Microsoft name if the company just got back to its roots as a software company and built software that ran on all devices?
Microsoft has already started down the path with OneNote for the iPhone. What would it take for the company to finish the journey?
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Best of luck on that path, Microsoft. As anyone who operates in the channel knows “fighting big new trends” and advising customers not to deploy and use popular new products is a useless battle, and one which no sane company will take on.
Let’s see how the discussion goes, if Microsoft can convince anyone to pitch Windows 7 Tabs to customers:
Customer: “We have a ton of iphone and now ipad usage, and demand from users, to be able to use them with our IT systems. Help me make sense of it. Mr VAR/computer expert-guy, what can you do for me?”.
Mr VAR: “Well first thing I can do is to advise you tell all your idiot employees that they should return their iphones and ipads, and instead buy Windows 7 tablets and maybe a Microsoft Kin phone, oh wait no, forget that part, I forgot that product got killed.”
Customer: “What the Heck. Who let your dumb ass in the door. Get out before I throw my coffee on you.”
Bill: On the one hand your comment is a bit far-fetched and some of the language is not family appropriate (and The VAR Guy tries to run a family-friendly site). But on the other hand The VAR Guy did laugh just a little. There’s wisdom in your comment.
Microsoft should be positioning Windows Azure, BPOS and other cloud services as the absolute best back-end systems for all mobile devices… including iPad and iPhone.
-TVG
Sorry for the racy language (though not sure you really have under-age readers ?)
Anyway, I find a humorous anecdote often helps make the point.
One of the things that this post reminded of is what I tell several vendors who want the “channels” help. I make sure they understand they are not just competing with their competition for mindshare of the channel advisers to end users (in this case apple and the ipad/iphone), they are competing with every other possible product or area of focus that a channel member can focus on to add value and make money.
I have found only 5% of the vendors get this point, and drone on and on how they are better than their top competitor…
will try to clean up my act in the future on the language side. Also, kinda like and appreciate the color scheme for sponsored article vs. more editorial-like content. Also thankful the blatant Oracle sponsored guys have not been posting their “leaning into the wind” posts recently. Even though they are sponsored someone should advise them when they are not in reality – just a thought…