Experience matters. And that is what Microsoft is harping on this time. The
company has changed its date-based naming scheme–Office 97 and Office 2000–and
instead used a shorter and spunkier ‘XP’ for its latest version of Windows
and office Suit. Short for ‘experience’, XP symbolizes a richer and extended
user experience that Windows and Office have to offer. And this, by embracing
Web services that span a broad range of devices.
The Desi XP-rience |
Exactly 73 days after the global launch of Office XP, According to Microsoft, with Office XP Indian language –SP |
Announcing the name of the new version early February, Bill Gates, chairman
and chief software architect of Microsoft had this to say: ‘‘The coming
generation of XP range of Windows and Office will enable customers to
communicate and collaborate more effectively, be more creative and at the same
time have fun with technology.’’
The two products are in fact being considered as an important step toward the
company’s .NET vision of moving beyond disconnected applications, services and
devices. The idea is to deliver a complete, connected, computing experience for
redefining relationship between people, software and the Internet. However, that
is not the only reason for the XP range.
However, there is another more pressing compulsion to this. The software
industry is headed for a paradigm shift in the way products are delivered and
used (read licensed). Microsoft is right in visualizing the movement of software
to the Internet through the ‘apps on taps’ model. But where does Office XP,
that has already been launched on May 31, fit in the whole scheme of things?
Experts rave about Office XP being a completely new experience–it looks and
feels very much like the web. This is an attempt by Microsoft to prepare its
users for the coming years. In other words, this is the groundwork for Office on
the web that would allow one to work on documents from home or work or school.
All that users would be required to do is to log in to the Website and start
working from where they had left. However, one would need to remember paying the
monthly bill.
For companies like Microsoft it makes a perfect business sense. Online
distribution system would not only curb piracy; but also pull down the
manufacturing and distribution costs substantially. For users, it would be
original software at a lower cost and freedom from worrying about patches or
updates.
The Office suite has traditionally focused on providing individual
productivity improvements. Office XP is a step further from this. "It takes
productivity to the next level by enabling new experiences that allow people to
richly communicate, collaborate, and harness and re-use information in an
integrated manner,’’ says Rajiv Kaul, MD Microsoft Corporation India. ‘‘The
idea is to shift our focus from product features to a rich computing
experience," he says.
Experts agree. But, according to a Giga Information Group report on Office XP
migration plan, despite its favorable position in the OS and Office upgrade
cycles, XP adoption rate will be 10-15% less than the predicted 50% mark.
SHUBHENDU PARTH in New Delhi