Comments on: Microsoft’s Aborted Baby: the First Web-Office (Almost) http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/ Connecting the dots ... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:03:39 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: My del.icio.us bookmarks for June 8th | AccMan http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12096 My del.icio.us bookmarks for June 8th | AccMan Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:34:07 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12096 [...] Microsoft’s Aborted Baby: the First Web-Office (Almost)| Zoli’s Blog - As some people might say - fascinating [...] [...] Microsoft’s Aborted Baby: the First Web-Office (Almost)| Zoli’s Blog – As some people might say – fascinating [...]

]]> By: Global Nerdy | Zoli Erdos on Microsoft’s Web-Based Apps Debate http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12082 Global Nerdy | Zoli Erdos on Microsoft’s Web-Based Apps Debate Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:10:02 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12082 [...] Zoli Erdos says: “Eight years later web-based products still threaten to cannibalize Microsoft’s cash-cow, but they can no longer be ignored - largely because of Google and Zoho which now offer viable alternatives to users formerly ’stuck’ with Microsoft’s products. A costly debate, indeed.” [...] [...] Zoli Erdos says: “Eight years later web-based products still threaten to cannibalize Microsoft’s cash-cow, but they can no longer be ignored – largely because of Google and Zoho which now offer viable alternatives to users formerly ’stuck’ with Microsoft’s products. A costly debate, indeed.” [...]

]]> By: Global Nerdy | Why Microsoft Will Never Win (Again) http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12081 Global Nerdy | Why Microsoft Will Never Win (Again) Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:07:19 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12081 [...] Mathew Ingram, after reading the Wall Street Journal’s article Gates-Ballmer Clash Shaped Microsoft’s Coming Handover, suggests that Microsoft killed their future for the present by killing NetDocs, their web-based office apps suite so as not to cannibalize their cash cow, Microsoft Office. Zoli Erdos agrees, saying, “Eight years later web-based products still threaten to cannibalize Microsoft’s cash-cow, bu... [...] [...] Mathew Ingram, after reading the Wall Street Journal’s article Gates-Ballmer Clash Shaped Microsoft’s Coming Handover, suggests that Microsoft killed their future for the present by killing NetDocs, their web-based office apps suite so as not to cannibalize their cash cow, Microsoft Office. Zoli Erdos agrees, saying, “Eight years later web-based products still threaten to cannibalize Microsoft’s cash-cow, bu… [...]

]]> By: mikepk.com » Blog Archive » Innovation in a big corporation http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12068 mikepk.com » Blog Archive » Innovation in a big corporation Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:07:46 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12068 [...] was reading a post by Zoli Erdos about how Microsoft could have been first out of the gate with a web based office alternative but then cancele.... Then I saw Matthew Ingram followed up with a common interpretation of this kind of big company [...] [...] was reading a post by Zoli Erdos about how Microsoft could have been first out of the gate with a web based office alternative but then cancele…. Then I saw Matthew Ingram followed up with a common interpretation of this kind of big company [...]

]]> By: Why Microsoft will never win » mathewingram.com/work | http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12067 Why Microsoft will never win » mathewingram.com/work | Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:49:53 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12067 [...] and friend Steve Ballmer in front of the troops. But one of the things that jumped out at me (as it did at Zoli Erdos) was the part where the article describes the fate of NetDocs, an attempt by Microsoft to grapple [...] [...] and friend Steve Ballmer in front of the troops. But one of the things that jumped out at me (as it did at Zoli Erdos) was the part where the article describes the fate of NetDocs, an attempt by Microsoft to grapple [...]

]]> By: mikepk http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12065 mikepk Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:06:30 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2008/06/05/microsofts-aborted-baby-the-first-web-office-almost/#comment-12065 This happens *all the time* in big companies. I was involved in numerous research projects and aborted products that were way ahead of their time, only to be canceled due to business politics. As an aside, I think people are discounting silverlight as a platform for RIA without taking a longer view overlooking the office piece. I imagine what's going on inside MS right now, MS programmers are using .Net enabled silverlight to produce a compelling version of Office in the browser. With MS controlling a very capable (and in many ways more capable) Flash alternative coupled with the Office experience and codebase, and mix in the the existing Office user momentum and you have a very compelling product and a way for MS to make a big splash in the RIA space (and get SL penetration). I could be wrong, but if I was in strategy at MS, this would be my end goal with Office and silverlight. This happens *all the time* in big companies. I was involved in numerous research projects and aborted products that were way ahead of their time, only to be canceled due to business politics.

As an aside, I think people are discounting silverlight as a platform for RIA without taking a longer view overlooking the office piece. I imagine what’s going on inside MS right now, MS programmers are using .Net enabled silverlight to produce a compelling version of Office in the browser.

With MS controlling a very capable (and in many ways more capable) Flash alternative coupled with the Office experience and codebase, and mix in the the existing Office user momentum and you have a very compelling product and a way for MS to make a big splash in the RIA space (and get SL penetration). I could be wrong, but if I was in strategy at MS, this would be my end goal with Office and silverlight.

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