That’s the title of my latest post on ZDNet. I’m pointing to it here because Bloglines is for some reason not fetching the Web 2.0 Explorer feed, so the 56 people who’ve subscribed already in Bloglines (in just a couple of days – wow!) have not yet been notified of the new post.
In it I discuss the news of Microsoft’s Web 2.0 platform strategy, which will give developers access to MSN (Microsoft Network) and some of its other website properties via APIs and the like. It’s good news, but I’ve taken a different approach to it than other analysts:
“Microsoft hopes a large proportion of the population will use the Web via millions of its Internet-connected ‘devices’ – such as mobile phones, media centers in the home (e.g. controlled from your television set), games machines, even the good old traditional PC. These devices will run on, you guessed it, the Windows OS and they will be Microsoft’s interface into Web 2.0.”
Just after I wrote that, I came across Tim O’Reilly’s post Why Microsoft can’t best Google, based on Phil Wainewright’s post. I left a comment on Tim’s post that, like Google, Microsoft too will “extend its reach to any device that does go online”. That was my main point in the ZDNet post. So I think Microsoft can beat Google – they will adapt.
Also Alex Barnett from Microsoft offers his views on the news. I’m looking forward to Robert Scoble’s comments, especially after he’s just interviewed Bill Gates! I wonder if any Google employees will blog about it (yeah right).