In poker, when you say you're going all in, it means one of two things: Confidence you have the best hand, or a bluff that feigns that same strength. Last week, Fool.com analyst Eric Bleeker attended Microsoft's Worldwide Developers Conference and said the company picked no-bones about their cloud computing ambitions: They're all in, but can they deliver the goods?
Normally, the idea behind cloud computing means getting rid of your data center and letting a third party like Microsoft host you data and applications. However, Microsoft's also pushing to dominate the private cloud model. Private clouds enable companies to keep servers and equipment on premise, but it's more standardized, secure, and they can use Microsoft's cloud platform to develop and host new applications. At the conference, Microsoft made it clear they're serious about dominating the private cloud market. The company introduced both Dell
Also, almost all of Microsoft's business programs like Exchange for email, SharePoint for collaboration, and Office can now be hosted on the web, or have web based tie-ins. Microsoft is pushing tie-ins between the programs to make them work better together. It's an end-to-end solution that exceeds the ambitions of competitors, and through Microsoft's continued focus on its Dynamics line-ups, the competition with Oracle
So when Bleeker looks at Microsoft, they appear to be coming from a position of strength. The tie-ins between programs probably won't appeal as much to large businesses, especially those who consult with third parties like IBM
To see Bleeker's thoughts on the subject, click on the video below:
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