Goal of Microsoft and Skype is to connect people all over the world through a unique platform and this agreement will help both giant corporations to meet the shared goals. Consumers as well as enterprise customers will be facilitated with improved level of communication for better working. After the completion of acquisition formalities Skype has been introduced as new business division of Microsoft.

CEO of Skype Tony Bates will report to CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer as President of Skype Division of Microsoft. Skype Division will keep on providing existing products to global consumers. CEO of Skype Tony Bates said, “By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we are committed to empowering consumers and businesses around the globe to connect in new ways. Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype’s goal to reach 1 billion users daily.”

Skype has a very interesting history of acquisitions; it was originated in 2003, eBay acquired it in 2005 and it was the first time when it gone through the process of acquisition. In 2009, Skype was acquired by investment group led by Silver Lake now the acquisition and official working of Skype as Microsoft division will further facilitate the people all over the world with better network and connectivity option.

In addition to this, Nokia has also collaborated with Microsoft and working to offer mobile device management of Symbian Belle devices via Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012.

Free Updates-Microsoft Apps

Theses free updates are called as Microsoft apps, these apps provides a set of productivity applications of Microsoft to Smartphones of Nokia which are compatible to it in order to enhance the widespread security and features of manageability in the existing Symbian belle. Microsoft apps do not require any added infrastructure and facilitate the users to add instant advantages of business to the very first Symbian belle gadget. A part from this, these apps also provides considerable added value to the business customers of Nokia who want to upgrade their apps to Symbian Belle.
VP business mobility of Nokia Purnima Kochikar said, “Work is an important part of personal lifestyle, aspiration and achievement for many people around the world. Just as Symbian Belle extends the everyday possibilities for social interaction, we wanted to extend the possibilities to manage personal work life for individuals and employers. Microsoft Apps is another example of Nokia’s ongoing commitment to continue delivering value and innovation to Symbian users.”

Availability of Microsoft Productivity Apps

Microsoft Productivity Apps will be available in the end of fourth quarter of 2011 and will be readily available to customers in the start of 2012. Microsoft Apps will offer collaboration and productivity tools which includes Microsoft Lync 2010 mobile, Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Document Connection and Microsoft PowerPoint Broadcast which offers Microsoft SharePoint access to Symbian Belle. Some more updates will be introduced in the first quarter of 2012 about Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Nokia Phones on which Microsoft Apps will work

Microsoft Apps will function on these phones of Nokia; Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01, Nokia E7, Nokia E6, Nokia X7, Nokia 700, Nokia Oro and Nokia 600.

Director of Product Management for Microsoft Hardware Scott Rockfeld said, “This is the first time we’ve married the control and precision of a mouse with the interactivity that touch delivers on your PC. We give you control of your PC that you can feel in your fingertips.”

What’s New in New Microsoft Touch Mouse?

The new Microsoft Touch Mouse is blend of good features of old mouse which has been in use since 1960. This Touch Mouse allows people to perform the functions which they love to perform through mouse i.e. point and click. You might be thinking what’s new which it offers? Actually this Touch Mouse helps the user to perform multi-touch functions which in turn facilitates them to conveniently and swiftly navigate the Windows 7 with just flick of fingers.

Researcher with Microsoft Research (MSR) Redmond Hrvoje Benko played a major role to develop the new Touch Mouse. He said, “This mouse is designed to optimize your experience with Windows 7. The tasks you do every day – minimizing and maximizing windows, scrolling through Web pages – all that functionality is available right at the top of the mouse with a touch of a finger.”

Multiple Ways to Navigate with Multi Touch Mouse

• If you are in a particular document, one finger let you to scroll 360 degree.
• The active windows you use can be managed with the other 2 fingers; in addition you can also maximize and minimize windows and can snap them left or right.
• 3 Fingers let you to manage your entire desktop by moving among different tasks or to clear all the opened windows.
• You can easily move forward or backward in programs like PowerPoint, Internet Explorer and Windows Photo Viewer with just a flick of the thumb.

View Point of Satya Nadella

President of the Server and Tools Business at Microsoft Satya Nadella said, “Cloud computing is as big a transformation as we have ever seen and, together with our partners, Microsoft will help customers through the shift. By betting on Microsoft’s comprehensive approach to cloud computing, partners can embrace this transformation and build strong and vibrant practices that will advance how business gets done.”

Success Stories of Global Companies

Satya Nadella publicized that now partners can advertise applications via marketplace of Windows Azure to cover more consumers and earn profits. Recently Microsoft conducted a research through Forrester consulting and came to a conclusion that software partners who organize solutions on Windows Azure are earning revenue from 20 percent to 250 percent by means of accessing the new customers. Most renowned global companies like e-Bay, HP and Fujitsu worked on Windows Azure Platform which helped them to offer outclass cloud services.

Continuous Adaptability with Innovation

Nadella is of the point of view that on location deployment is “must have” and it should be managed on continuous basis. He also discusses that how Microsoft Partners can employ private cloud solution of Microsoft based on Windows Server, Microsoft Hype-V as well as Microsoft System Center to assist customers in their changeover to cloud.

Upcoming Projects of Microsoft

Microsoft have also planned to launch novel Beta of System Center 2012 which will assist customers to create private clouds and organize applications for private as well as public cloud systems. In addition, Microsoft also presented a look of upcoming version of Windows Server and its code name is “Windows Server 8” which will be another step in private cloud computing.

Microsoft always keeps a vigilant eye on the changes in business and technological world and assists the corporations in adapting the new solutions for sake of continuous improvement. Cloud Computing has set new targets for the corporations and also offered them a reason so that they could compete with their rival in an enhanced way and better facilitate the customers by providing unique and innovative solutions.

Findwell and Microsoft Office 365

Kevin Lisota started his real state company in the crucial times of U.S. history in 2008 by the name of Findwell, just after its launch it flourished like anything. Findwell is a real state agency that integrates expertise and a progressive approach provide efficient services at lesser cost. It employs Office 365 in order to share documents and cloud based email to provide convenience to agents so that they can keep on accessing the information and also efficiently and effectively respond to customers.

Lisota said, “Commissions for agents had risen over the years, to the point where I felt the high cost to home sellers and buyers no longer reflected what was needed to help people through a successful real estate transaction. I was also frustrated with the level of service provided by many brokers; the experience had to be better.”

Grow with Microsoft Office 365

Due to Microsoft Office 365, Lista is growing its business and this service helps him to collaborate all of its corporate activities, now he has become free from unwilling duties regarding to the IT work and also presented a unique and effective solution to the team of Findwell because it can work in a better manner with different tools of technology which were never used previously. Lisota said, “Office 365 helps us stand out from the competition because clients can reach our agents virtually anytime and anyplace. Real estate is far from a desk job. We’re always on the move, showing customers houses, evaluating homes, sitting down with sellers to fill out paperwork, and holding client meetings at the local coffee shop. We close on many homes each month and need to be able to connect with clients, collaborate as a team and tap into information at a moment’s notice. Office 365 lets us do this.”

Role of Cloud Computing in Transition of Small Businesses to Midsize

Findwell kind of corporations have well utilized the phenomena of cloud computing and they are on the way of transition from small to mid size corporations. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said, “Small and midsize businesses are the heartbeat of the global economy, employing half the world’s workers and inventing new ways of doing business. The cloud makes it possible for smaller businesses to access big business technology in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago, allowing them to leap forward and help propel the economic recovery.”

Skpe came into being in 2003; it is Luxembourg based and has round about 663 million users worldwide. Last year, in August Skye unveiled some plans for the flotation of shares but this plan was not put into practice. eBay, the renowned auction site purchased the Skype for $2.6 billion in 2006. Major share holders of Skype include; Joltid (The tech firm) and the investment board of Canada Pension Plan.

Chief Executive of Skype Tony Bates will carry on as the business leader and will report directly to Steve Ballmer, who is the Chief Executive of Microsoft. He said, “Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world, together we will create the future of real time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleague anywhere in the world.”

Standpoint of Analysts

Collin Gillis the analyst of BGC Financial said, “It’s a strategic asset and defensive move for Microsoft. If they can put on Windows 8, it gives them an advantage; it helps them in the Tablet market.”

Some other Analysts are of the point of view that aim of Microsoft for this acquisition is to improve the video conferencing services of Skype.

Skype for 8.5 billion, Is it an Intelligent Deal?

Michael Clendenin, MD of a consulting firm said, “If you consider Skype was just valued at about $2.5billion 18 months ago when a chunk was sold off then $8.5bn seems generous. That means Microsoft has a high wall to climb to prove to investors that Skype is a necessary linchpin for the company’s online and mobile strategy.”

Time will decide either it is an intelligent take over or not and how effective this acquisition will be for Microsoft, coming months will be decisive to answer similar questions.

Microsoft’s Roger said, “On 18th April, a little over a month after the final release of IE9 to our Windows 7 and Windows Vista customers. We will offer IE9 to customers through a gradual rollout and expect the rollout to be largely complete by the end of June”. He further said, “Similar to our approach for IE8, we will use Windows update to deliver IE9 to users. IE9 will not install automatically on machines. Users will have to agree to install IE9”.

Microsoft organized a MIX conference to unveil the early stages on Internet Explorer 10. IE9 is already a great hit; hopefully IE10 will meet customer’s expectations.

With the launch of IE9, Microsoft tried to maintain its market share and reputation among customers. It is simply trying to dominate the Mozilla and Google Chrome with the largest market share.

Google has created a weird kind of monopoly in search market. Hegemony of Google has provoked many multinational giants. One among them is Microsoft Corporations. Microsoft is of the point of view that Google has prevented others to establish their competitive edge other Google.

Senior vice president of Microsoft, Brad Smith praised the innovative strategies of Google. On the other hand, it also criticized the strange competitive moves of this World renowned search engine. He said, “Over the past years, a growing numbers of advertisers, publishers, and consumers have expressed to us their concerns about the search market in Europe. The stakes are high for the European economy. On any given day, more than half of all the Europeans use the Internet, and more than 90% of them look for information about goods and services on the web”.

Smith further added that “It is therefore critical that search engines and online advertising move forward, in an open, fair and competitive manner.”

Microsoft in association with European Commission has planned to take steps, to encourage fair competition. As a matter of fact, Google holds 95% share of search market. On a very serious note Smith said, “In 2010 and again more recently, Google blocked Microsoft new Windows Phones from operating properly with YouTube. Google has enabled its own Android phones to access YouTube, so that users can search for video categories, find favorites, see ratings and so forth in the rich users interfaces offered by the those phones”.

Google answered to this complaint through its spokesperson and said that it will discuss the case with the European commission.

Internet Explorer 9 has hit the market with a boom, soon after its release; people have started to opt this new browser. Microsoft exposed that just after 24 hours of its release; over two million people replaced it with their older version of browser.

Internet Explorer 9, which released on Monday, has come up with some of its more advanced features and innovations, must say Internet Explorer 9 is ready to rule the web world. The most eminent feature is that it is HTML 5 friendly.

In the first 24 Hours Internet Explorer gained so much popularity that it has been downloaded 2.35 million times, after its Monday release. Microsoft’s Ryan Gavin said, “ That is over 27 downloads every second, or over 240 downloads every 9 seconds wow, we want to thank everyone around the World for downloading 1E9 and the enthusiastic reception, 2.3 million download in 24 hours is over double the million downloads we saw of the IE9 Beta”.

Internet explorer is leading the US market with 49 percent shares as compare the Firefox that own 28 percent pie. When Mozilla Firefox 3 was launched in 2008, it was downloaded 8 million times within first 24 hours. In December of 2010, Firefox was at leading position in Europe.

This spectacular arrival of IE9 predicts that it will break the previous records.

Microsoft has done a lot for the Web World. It is going to launch Internet Explorer 9 today (on 15th March 2011). With its launch, Microsoft is expecting something bigger this year. It will be a good addition in the family of Microsoft’s Browsers.

When IE9 was passed through beta stage, it was highly acknowledged by the people. Microsoft wants to retain its number 1 position in the World of Browsers. This next-generation web-browser is especially designed for the professionals. How come?

Privacy settings have been enhanced in IE9 with the addition of ActiveX filtering. Privacy changes are made in order to protect the vulnerable data and information. On the other side, Tracking protection and Tracking protection lists have also been enhanced. Privacy settings really matters to people, that’s why Microsoft worked a lot to make IE 9 a safest browser.

A part from these changes, less significant notifications have been set on mechanical discharge. This change is done to prioritize the vital alerts. It will help pinned sites to have multiple home pages.

Microsoft is in tough competitive stage with Google Chrome, Apple’s Safari and Firefox. Hopefully Internet Explorer 9 will help it to take a leading position once again.