Windows 8: Driven by the Mobilocracy
Friday, June 3rd, 2011 Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor
As I started an article wrap-up for Windows 8 for Tablets, Evan Kaplan (our CEO) and I came to the same conclusion around the same time:
Windows 8 is driven by the Mobilocracy.
Perhaps Tony Bradley of PC World, Windows 8 Will Be a Tough Sell for Businesses, is thinking that IT is the tough sell, particularly in industries with desk-bound workers. However, mobile workers are consumers and are driving sales for the devices of their choice. We found that 94% of mobile workers have a smartphone and the same percentage use their smartphone for both work and personal. Many carry more than one phone (almost three devices total), so that they can have the “toy” of their choice. In another 6 months, 75% report that they should have a tablet.
They are bringing them into the workplace and driving the choices of IT.
This time, Microsoft uses the phone’s (the new laptop!) touch-paradigm, to guide development. And so, the mobile workforce has spoken.
It’s also intriguing, says Danny Sullivan, that the OS could be the same across the mobile stack – phone, tablet and laptop. Data and apps in the cloud already ease the transition between devices, but this can go into hardware sharing as well.
For those business users who don’t like change, the old Windows paradigm still exists. But, as Lance Ulanoff, Windows 8 Is Just What Microsoft Needs, writes: “Tablets, mobile, and social are three of the fastest growing and most critical tech sectors of our time and Microsoft is trailing, in some cases badly…”
Microsoft is realizing the power of the Mobilocracy and merging the new touch, social and mobile trends with its business underpinnings.
More articles on Windows 8:
First Official Pictures of Windows 8 for Tablets and They Look Pretty Cool, Business Insider
Microsoft details specs for Windows 8 tablets, shows off hardware by Peter Bright
With Windows 8, Microsoft is paying far more attention to the hardware, and providing far more guidance to hardware manufacturers.
What Windows 8 means for laptops by Dan Ackerman for CNET – Lack of compelling laptop features – Is this skippable like Vista?.
Microsoft even has a set of videos on building Windows 8, that you can view on their YouTube Channel.
