DISCUSSION

Windows Everywhere, or Nowhere

July 15, 2011Written by George Anderson

A recent speech given by a Microsoft executive has the blogosphere abuzz with speculation on whether Microsoft will brand Windows on just about everything it does or eliminate the brand altogether.

According to several sites, Andy Lees, president of Microsoft Windows Phone and the executive in question, spoke of a "single ecosystem" at the company's Worldwide Partner Conference. "We won't have an ecosystem for PCs, and an ecosystem for phones; one for tablets. They'll all come together."

Nilay Patel of the This is my next... website reported, "Our sources also tell us that Microsoft is seriously considering ditching the Windows brand name in favor of something new. ... The idea is to re-brand this new super-OS with something that better fits with Redmond's vision of the future. Obviously that could well change over the next few years as this plan takes shape -- Steve Ballmer (Microsoft CEO) in particular has always been quite enamored with the Windows brand -- but dropping the name is apparently at least on the table."

Numerous other sites quickly dismissed talk of Windows-no-more.

"Microsoft is not giving up the brand that built its company. It's not ditching the software that made many Microsofties millionaires (or billionaires) and that has made hundreds of millions of people around the world more productive," wrote Lance Ulanoff for PCMag.com.

Going by Mr. Ballmer's past statements, it seems Microsoft is more likely to follow a "Windows Everywhere" strategy than doing away with the brand. Speaking in Janaury before the Consumer Electronics Show, he said, "Whatever device you use, now or in the future, Windows will be there."

Discussion Thread0