The blogs are full of reactions to Microsoft’s reallignment towards more web services.
Most discussions begin or focus around how these announcements reinforce, differ from, or completely miss Web 2.0.
I don’t really care.
Web 2.0 isn’t the issue to me.
For me it’s simple: I’d like to see more and better ways to leverage my computer as well as all that’s available via the Internet.
If something is better done on the client side, then keep it there. If it’s better done over the Internet, then put it there. And if I really had my choice I’d provide access through both. It’s not one or the other. Web 2.0 doesn’t mean 100% web-based–even if in reality I would use the web-based features 80% of the time.
That being said, there are a whole host of capabilties I’d really like to see hosted–especially where simplicity is more important than lets say personal control or flexibility.
Yeah, you’re probably thinking this is so old school. It’s obvious. And that the Web world has migrated far beyond this. Could be. But there’s so much value in the little infrastructure things–done well.
Let me lay out a scenario that illustrates the point. Take developer tools. This is a timely point of reference since Visual Studio 2005 was just launched. It’s a great desktop-bound IDE/compiler(s) and I’m hoping it’ll help me to be more productive, but really there should be more. Now to Microsoft’s credit (and through many ISVs) there are numerous solutions that can add to the developer experience. (In this case by developer I mean the small developer. Teams with 20 and under.) I’d like to see more. And I’d like to see things integrated into a loosely coupled solution that’s both browser, client/server and desktop focused.
In fact, I think a big picture solution like this could be quite powerful in the developer world. For instance, think about what it would be like if Google decided to help developers manage, search, and access their development projects and products. Already Google is the defacto standard for developer-oriented searching. What else might it provide? (Oh, yeah, Google getting into the developer tool business is unlikely, but just play along to see how powerful the package might be.)
So let’s say Google wants to attract more developers–maybe for no other reason than to misdirect the competition. Here are some possible steps:
* Buy SourceForge–sprinkle in a Windows archiving flair–which would provide a large, free platform for source code control for the developer masses. Provide third-party source code and data analytics solutions as feasible.
* Provide a free, web-based bug tracking solution that has an open architecture for third-party extensions and integrations.
* Provide a free, entry level, web-based CRM application for tracking customer issues and more importantly for customers to track responses. GMail is but just one part. Data analytics from third-parties is an upsell here too.
* Purchase CNet. Not for its editorial content, but for Downloads.com thereby providing an instant infrastructure for developers to sell and distribute their software. On day one, create a free version.
Google–or anyone else for that matter–could entice a large number of developers to come into its fold by providing services that span from archiving, source code control, bug tracking, CRM, and through selling a product and collecting money for it. Google could leave the IDE/compiler for Microsoft, Borland, or anyone else that wants it.
A key here is that all of these features need to have no-cost, low-end entry with serious, highly usable features. If there was something like this I’d use it.
Now why web-based–for all the reasons people promoted in the 90’s. One of the biggest is the no configuration issue. This is a big deal to little ventures.
Even though I’m a strong advocate of the desktop, I think I’m like most people in that I’ll use web-based solutions most of the time if they are good, free, and provide a majority of the features I need. I’ll pay for some things–but don’t count on that being the baseline.
And, yes, once again, this probably all sounds so 1.0, but what gets me is that there’s no big picture solution like this for the little developers. There are just bits and pieces. The value of the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts.
Anyway, it’s going to be very interesting to see where Microsoft goes from here. My guess? It’s going to give us plenty to blog about for the next couple years 🙂