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Disaggregation in the next-generation datacenter and HP’s Moonshot approach for the upcoming HP CloudSystem “private cloud in-a-box” with the promised HP Cloud OS based on the 4 years old OpenStack effort with others

December 10, 2013 5:04 pm / Leave a comment

My Software defined server without Microsoft: HP Moonshot [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, April 10, 2013 – updated Dec 6, 2013] post already introduced the HP Moonshot System. This post is discussing Moonshot in a much wider context, as well as providing the information which came after Dec 6, 2013, particularly at the HP Discover Barcelona 2013 event:
1. The essence of IT industry’s state-of-the-art regarding the datacenter and the cloud
2. Recent academic research: the disaggregated datacenter phenomenon
3. Details about HP’s converged systems and next-gen cloud technology
4. Latest details about HP’s Moonshot technology

The essence of IT industry’s state-of-the-art regarding the datacenter and the cloud

There is a new way of thinking in the IT industry which is best represented by No silo left behind: Convergence in the age of virtualization, cloud, and Big Data [HP Discover YouTube channel, recorded on Dec 10, 11:20 AM – 12:20 PM; published on Dec 11, 2013] presentation by HP on its HP Discover Barcelona 2013 event:

Join Tom Joyce, Senior Vice President, Converged Systems, as he highlights the latest HP innovations and solutions that are leading the new end-to-end revolution.

As far as the cloud is concerned today’s issue is Making hybrid real for IT and business success [HP Discover YouTube channel, recorded on Dec 10, 12:40 PM – 1:40 PM; published on Dec 11, 2013]

Join Saar Gillai, senior vice president and general manager, HP Cloud, in this provocative, hype-busting session to learn what IT and business leaders can do today to set their organizations on a successful path to the cloud. [IMHO the part mentioning “traditional apps put into the cloud via virtualization” (typically via VMware) vs. modern “scale-out apps” is especially important. Starting at [10:45]!]

Then one should at least briefly understand HP Cloud strategy and benefit of leveraging a portfolio of solutions [HP Discover YouTube channel, Dec 12, 2013]

[Margaret Dawson, VP Marketing, HP Cloud] HP Cloud is designed to run and operate next gen web services at scale on a global basis. HP’s Converged Cloud strategy approach provides customers a common architecture allowing them to integrate private, managed and public cloud with traditional IT infrastructures.

And HP is just about half year from the point (in time) when it will have its final answer to the question: How open source will reinvent cloud computing – again [HP Discover YouTube channel, Dec 12, 2013], the presentation which was originally announced under the title “The Rise of Open Source Clouds” and finally delivered with the following slides (to wet your apetite for watching the record of the presentation following next):

“Different delivery models being private, manage and public. … On the top you can the see six workload areas. These areas are basicaly we’ll build our product portfolio against. So we’ll be moving away from just sort of a catalogue of SKUs and piece parts into building offers in a workload base, things like dev test, business continuity, technical computing or HPC, and of course things like analytics and infrastructure.”

Bill Hilf, Vice President of Product Management for HP Cloud, will walk you through HP’s strategy and innovation with OpenStack and how it helps customers deploy, manage, and secure cloud environments.

Now we can take a brief Tour of the Cloud Booth at HP Discover Barcelona [hpcloud YouTube channel, Dec 11, 2013] in order to understand the cloud-related announcements made by HP (some of these will be detailed in this post later as related to the title of post)

And Moonshot-specific announcements are briefly summarized in HP Moonshot latest innovations allow your business can embrace the new style of IT [HP Discover YouTube channel, Dec 12, 2013]

HP has defined and led the industry standard server market for years. HP’s John Gromala and Janet Bartleson discuss how HP has taken HP Moonshot to the next level with the latest innovations and how they can benefit you. The idea is simple: Using energy efficient CPUs in architecture tailored for a specific application results in radical power, space, and cost savings when run at scale.

Finally The future according to HP Labs [HP Discover YouTube channel, Dec 12, 2013]

HP Discover is all about the future. HP Labs — HP’s central research arm — is all about the far future. Come and hear how three of HP’s most senior technologists see the IT landscape evolving and how it will transform all our lives.

This is the essence of IT industry’s state-of-the-art regarding the datacenter and the cloud.

2. On the other hand recent academic research has just been awakening to, what they are calling, the disaggregated datacenter phenomenon already happening as the “next big thing” in the industry, as evidenced by the following excerpts from the Network Support for Resource Disaggregation in Next-Generation Datacenters [research paper* on HotNets-XII**, Nov 21-22, 2013]

Datacenters have traditionally been architected as a collection of servers wherein each server aggregates a fixed amount of computing, memory, storage, and communication resources. In this paper, we advocate an alternative construction in which the resources within a server are disaggregated and the datacenter is instead architected as a collection of standalone resources.

Disaggregation brings greater modularity to datacenter infrastructure, allowing operators to optimize their deployments for improved efficiency and performance. However, the key enabling or blocking factor for disaggregation will be the network since communication that was previously contained within a single server now traverses the datacenter fabric. This paper thus explores the question of whether we can build networks that enable disaggregation at datacenter scales.

…

Figure 2: Architectural differences
between server-centric and resource-centric datacenters***

As illustrated in Figure 2, the high-level idea behind diaggregation is to develop standalone hardware “blades”for each resource type including CPUs, memory, storage, and network interfaces as well as specialized components (GPUs, various ASIC accelerators, etc.). Those resource
blades are interconnected by a datacenter-wide network fabric. Understanding the speciﬁcations and nature of this network fabric is our focus in this paper.

Abbreviations used above for Figure 2. (in addition to “C” for CPU and “M” for Memory):

QPI: QuickPath Interconnect (Intel)
IOH: I/O Hub (an Intel chipset architecture)
PCIe: PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
SATA: Serial ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment)
NIC: Network Interface Controller

SAN: Storage Area Network
NAS: Network-Attached Storage
GPU: Graphics Processing Unit
FPGA: Field-Programmable Gate Array
ASIC: Application-Specific Integrated Circuit

Martin Fink, CTO and Director of HP Labs, speaks at NTH Generation’s 13th Annual Symposium.

* Sangjin Han (U.C.Berkeley), Norbert Egi (Huawei Corp.), Aurojit Panda, Sylvia Ratnasamy (U.C.Berkeley), Guangyu Shi (Huawei Corp.), Scott Shenker (U.C.Berkeley and ICSI)
Twelfth ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Networks
* I should emphasize here that a disaggregated datacenter with shared disaggregated memory (as on the (b) part of the Figure 2. above) is NOT a kind of academic exageration but a relatively “near term reality” of the future. It became somewhat obvious from the recent The future according to HP Labs video included in the end of the first section above, especially when Moonshot was mentioned. To provide more evidence watch the Tectonic shifts: Where the future of convergence is taking us [NTH Generation Computing, Inc. YuTube channel, recorded on Aug 1; published on Aug 20, 2013] keynote presentation above. In this HP’s CTO Martin Fink said that a new type of device HP has been working on for years, called memristor, could be made into a non-volatile and non-hierarchical, i.e. universal memory system, replacing both DRAM and flash, as well as magnetic storage in perspective. He also hinted at specialised Moonshot cartridges, possibly using memristor memory instead of DRAM, linked by terabit-class photonic connects to memristor storage arrays. He was already showing a prototype memristor wafer as well. There is no wonder therefore that according to HP’s own Six IT technologies to watch [Enterprise 20/20 Blog, Sept 5, 2013] article:

Such a device could store up to 1 petabit of information per square centimeter and could replace both memory and storage, speeding up access to data and allowing order of magnitude increase in the amount of data stored. Since HP has been busy preparing production of these devices. First production units should be available towards the end of 2013 or early in 2014. It will transform our storage approaches completely.

The Future of Big Data – an interview with John Sontag, VP and director of HP Labs’ Systems Research [HP Enterprise Business Community, Nov 14, 2013] is providing even bigger prospects as:

If Moonshot is helping us make computers smaller and less energy-hungry, then our work on memristors will allow us to collapse the old processor/memory/storage hierarchy, and put processing right next to the data.

Next, our work on photonics will help collapse the communication fabric and bring these very large scales into closer proximity. That lets us combine systems in new and interesting ways.

On top of all that, we need to reduce costs – if we tried to process all the data that we’re predicting we’ll want to at today’s prices, we’d collapse the world economy – and we need to think about how we secure and manage that data, and how we deliver algorithms that let us transform it fast enough so that you can conduct experiments on this data literally as fast as we can think them up.

The combination of non-volatile, memristor-powered memory and very large scales is causing the people who think about storage and algorithms to realize that the tradeoff has changed. For the last 50 years, we’ve had to think of every bit of data that we process as something that eventually has to get put on a disk drive if you intend to keep it. That means you have to think about the time to fetch it, to re-sort it into whatever way you want it to rest in memory, and to put it back when you’re done as one of your costs of doing business.

If you don’t have those issues to worry about, you can leave things in memory – graphs, for example, which are powerful expressions of complex data – that at present you have to spend a lot of compute time and effort pulling apart for storage. The same goes for processing. Right now we have to worry about how we break data up, what questions we ask it and how many of us are asking it at the same time. It makes experimentation hard because you don’t know whether the answer’s going to come immediately or an hour later.

Our vision is that you can sit at your desk and know you’ll get your answer instantly. Today we can do that for small scale problems, but we want to make that happen for all of the problems that you care about. What’s great is that we can begin to do this with some questions that we have right now. We don’t have to wait for this to change all at once. We can go at it in an incremental way and have pieces at multiple stages of evolution concurrently – which is exactly what we’re doing.

There are people who have given up on thinking about certain problems because there’s no way to compactly express them with the systems we have today. They’re going to be able to look at those problems again – it’s already happening with Moonshot and HAVEn [HP’s Big Data platform], and at each stage of this evolution we’re going to allow another set of people to realize that the problem they thought was impossible is now within reach.

One example of where this already happened is aircraft design. When we moved to 64-bit processors that fit on your desktop and that could hold more than four gigabytes of memory, the people who built software that modeled the mechanical stresses on aircraft realized that they could write completely different algorithms. Instead of having to have a supercomputer to run just a part of their query, they could do it on their desktop. They could hold an entire problem in memory, and then they could look at it differently. From that we got the Airbus A380, the Boing 777 and 787, and, jumping industries, most new cars.

Now back to the academic research for Network Support for Resource Disaggregation in Next-Generation Datacenters [presentation slides on HotNets-XII*, Nov 21-22, 2013] to illustrate their understandin of the trends

The Trends: Disaggregation

HP MoonShot
–  Shared cooling/casing/power/mgmt for server blades
[Note that Moonshot is much more than that, as it was already presented in all detail in my Software defined server without Microsoft: HP Moonshot [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, April 10, 2013 – updated Dec 6, 2013] post.]

AMD SeaMicro
–  Virtualized I/O

[from the research paper:]
SeaMicro’s server architecture [6] uses a looser coupling of components within a single server … the network in SeaMicro’s architecture implements a 3D torus interconnect, which only disaggregate I/O and does not scale beyond the rack … [6] SeaMicro Technology Overview.

Intel Rack Scale Architecture

[from the research paper: SeaMicro’s server architecture [6] uses a looser coupling of components within a single server,] while Intel’s Rack Scale
Architecture (RSA) [15] extends this approach to rack scales. …
[15] Intel Newsroom. Intel, Facebook Collaborate on Future Data Center Rack Technologies.

Open Compute Project

Closing Remarks

Disaggregated datacenter will be “the next big thing”
– Already happening. We [i.e. the academic research] need to catch up!

3. And next continue with the details about HP’s converged systems and next-gen cloud technology:

Why HP uses its own Converged Infrastructure solutions [Enterprise CIO Forum YouTube channel, Nov 11, 2013]

HP’s CIO, Ramon Baez, tells us about the benefits HP has found in using its own Converged Infrastructure solutions, including Networking, Storage, and Moonshot servers. For more, see hp.com/ci

From “Sharks” in the press at HP Discover, Barcelona – Day One coverage [HP Converged Infrastructure blog, Dec 10, 2013]

… we were hosting a large press announcement that went out over the wire on Monday at 3 pm local time (CET).

Here’s a brief summary of the announcement that was presented by Tom Joyce, Senior Vice President and General Manager, HP Converged Systems. The HP ConvergedSystem is a new product line completely reengineered up based on 21st-century assets and architectures for the New Style of IT. This is an important point as Tom emphasized – this is not a collection of piece parts, this is a completely new engineered solution, built on core building that are workload-optimized systems which are easy to buy, manage, and support – order to operations in as few as 20 days, with ONE tool to manage and most importantly having ONE point of accountability.

Built using HP Converged Infrastructure’s best-in-class servers, storage, networking, software and services, the new HP ConvergedSystem family of products deliver a total systems experience “out of the box.”

HP ConvergedSystem for Virtualization helps clients easily scale computing resources to meet business needs with preconfigured, modular virtualization systems supporting 50 to 1,000 virtual machines at twice the performance, and at an entry price 25 percent lower than competitive offerings.
HP ConvergedSystem 300 for Vertica speeds big data analytics, helping organizations turn data into actionable insights at 50 to 1,000 times faster performance and 70 percent lower cost per terabyte than legacy data warehouses.
HP ConvergedSystem 100 for Hosted Desktops, based on the award-winning HP Moonshot server, delivers a superior desktop experience compared to traditional virtual desktop infrastructure. This first PC on a chip for the data center delivers six times faster graphics performance and 44 percent lower total cost of ownership

The physical press release in my opinion was pretty cool, and one of the better ones I have attended. The new HP ConvergedSystem for Virtualization 300 and 700 debuted on stage with the theme from Jaws, with much snapping of camera flashes. Tom explained why the sharks theme was so integral to this particular system with core attributes of most “efficient”, ”best in class”, extremely “fast”, very “agile” and that it “never sleeps”!!

The best one liner from Tom Joyce during the session was “If I were VCE [VMware/Cisco/EMC combination] I would be getting out of the water!!” which was capture on the HP live streaming video s found here. Check it out as it is worth watching. I have also included the full “HP Shark” press release HP Introduces Innovations Built for the Data Center of the Future.

Here is a detailed press report on that: HP Targets VCE With Converged System Lineup [Dec 10, 2013].

HP ConvergedSystem: Innovation to reduce the complexity of technology integration [HP Discover YouTube channel, Dec 11, 2013]

Tom Joyce, Senior Vice President of HP ConvergedSystem business unit talks about how over the last two decades, IT has been forced to focus too many products, too many tools, and overly complex processes and spending too many resources on maintenance and not enough on innovation. To break free, IT must move from infrastructure craftsmen to business service experts with workload-optimized, engineered systems that are easy to procure, manage, and support and enable their business to quickly capitalize on new applications like big data and new delivery models such as cloud.

The HP “Sharks” are in the Water [HP Converged Infrastructure blog, Dec 9, 2013]

Written by guest blogger Tom Joyce, Senior Vice President and General Manager, HP Converged Systems

Seven months ago HP announced the formation of our new Converged Systems business unit. I was excited to be asked to lead this new team because so many of our customers had told us they needed truly converged platforms for their datacenters. Over the last five years HP had developed Converged Infrastructure technologies for storage, networking and servers that enabled better and more cost effective solutions, but it was time to take it to the next level. We needed to bring all those technologies together in a way that collapsed the cost of IT infrastructure and made everything faster and easier.

Starting last summer, we built our team. We hired the best of the best from within HP and from elsewhere. We put in place an operating model and set of processes that allow us to do agile product development and deliver products to market rapidly and with high quality. And we got really creative in our thinking. We were also fortunate to get a lot of time with Meg [Whitman, HP CEO] and other top people throughout HP. This was critical because to deliver a game changing set of new products, we had to break down or change a lot of established processes in development, manufacturing, support and go-to-market. We had to break some glass, and Meg helped us do that by making this a high priority.

Based on the customer input, there were some critical things I knew we needed to do.

Move fast. The IT market is changing quickly, and I wanted to get our first set of products out by the end of the calendar year.
Do more than just combine existing server, storage, networking and software components. We needed to engineer these new products to deliver more with less infrastructure, and to handle the most important customer workloads exceptionally well.
Everything had to be simple – the ordering process, the system design, management, support, easy upgrades – everything.
Think about the “whole offer” and experience for the customer, not just the product itself. This meant providing a better process from end to end.
Deliver exceptional economics. The new product had to be priced to market with a clear return on investment for the customer.
Most importantly, we needed to make sure that our channel partners could make money selling this product, and could provide specialize services around it.

After developing our plan, we started “Project Sharks”. We called it this because if you think about it, a shark is perfectly engineered to accomplish its mission – it is the ideal hunting machine. When I was a kid I was fascinated by sharks. People tend to think of sharks as primitive creatures, but they are actually extremely sophisticated. Everything is designed with a purpose, and there is no waste. Sharks have a unique hydroskeleton, musculature, and skin. All these parts are connected to maximize thrust so that the animal can move fast, like a torpedo. Sharks are noted for being able to sense blood in the water, but beyond that they have an amazingly complete set of sensors – perhaps the most sophisticated set of “sensors in the sea.” 🙂

Our goal with “project sharks” was to build a perfectly designed virtual infrastructure machine. This week at HP Discover, Barcelona, we announced the new HP ConvergedSystem for Virtualization. Click here to find out more information. The two models are designed to be core building blocks for constructing a converged data center. They are very fast and efficient, delivering better raw IOPS for virtualization at a great cost point. They can handle a lot more virtual machines than a traditional configuration. They can also deliver about a 58% lower cost per VM over a 3 year period, as compared to our closest competitor.

Perhaps more important, we redesigned our whole delivery process as part of “project sharks”. The result is that HP or a channel partner can actually produce a configuration and quote for an HP ConvergedSystem in about 20 minutes, and the whole thing will be on one sheet of paper. HP ConvergedSystem 300 and the 700 installed and in production in a customer data center in as few as 20 days. We have also fully integrated the management, to make it simple, and the support. If support is needed, only one call to HP is required; you don’t need to deal with a server vendor, a storage vendor, etc. When it is time for firmware upgrades, the process for the whole system is integrated. And when you need additional capacity, we can ship a module out from our factory in one day, and it will be up and running in about five days.

These new “sharks” are not just for virtualization. We also announced that the HP ConvergedSystem 300 for Vertica as a new platform for big data analytics. The HP ConvergedSystem 100 is based on HP Moonshot servers, and ships as a Citrix XenDesktop system.

In the future the HP ConvergedSystem products will support additional workloads and ISV applications, and will be used as building blocks for HP CloudSystem private clouds, so stay tuned for more.

Our new Converged Systems business unit team is very excited about the opportunity to unleash these new “sharks”, and put them in the water. We are looking forward to hearing from our customers and partners about what they want us to do next, because the spirit of innovation is alive and well at HP.

On the Dec 10 HP Discover Barcelona 2013 keynote HP’s hybrid cloud strategy was presented with the following slides, with comments made by the presenter added only for the HP CloudSystem private clouds part:

Bill Hilf Vice President, Converged Cloud Products and Services, is driving HP’s entire cloud roadmap (who came to HP 6 months ago from Microsoft where he was GM of Windows Azure Product Management): “HP Next Gen CloudSystem … to be released in the 1st half of 2014” with the following major characteristics:
Consistency – Choice – Confidence

More information:
– HP Unveils Innovations in Cloud to help Customers Thrive in a Hybrid World [The HP Blogs Hub, Dec 11, 2013] in which it is stated “As the foundation of a hybrid cloud solution, HP CloudSystem bursts to multiple public cloud platforms, including three new ones: Microsoft® Windows® Azure, and platforms from Arsys, a European-based cloud computing provider, and SFR, a French telecommunications company. “
– A press release of similar title with additional lead and closing “Pricing and availability” parts
– HP CloudSystems stand apart [HP Enterprise Business community blog, Dec 10, 2013]
– How HP CloudSystem stacks up against competitors [Porter Consulting, June 14, 2013] Comparison of offerings from HP, IBM [PureSystems], and VCE [formed as a joint venture by Cisco and EMC, with minor investments from VMware and Intel; resulting in Vblock products based on Cisco UCS servers, Cisco network components, EMC storage arrays, and the VMware virtualization suite]

“We created a killer interface. An easy to use, consumer inspired interface that is consistent across multiple types of experiences (from classic PC, administration, to mobile experiences). We also designed and optimized the interface for the different types of roles in the organization (from architect who might be designing a service, to end user or consumer of that service, as well as for IT operator and adminstrator).”

More information: Empowering users and the new face of cloud [HP Enterprise Business community blog, Dec 11, 2013] written by Ken Spear, Senior Marketing Manager (HP CloudSystem and OneView)

“We spent considerable effort and energy an choice and ability to really give customers the heterogeneous workload support they need. And now we are taking openess to an entirely new level. And so for the first time with CloudSystem we are shipping HP Cloud OS which is our enterprise class, OpenStack**** platform which gives customers the great innovation from OpenStack to build modern cloud workloads. But we are also supporting the power of matrix, so that you can bridge today’s and
tomorrow’s workloads on the same system.”

**** OpenStack APIs are compatible with Amazon EC2 (see Nova/APIFeatureComparison) and Amazon S3 (see Swift/APIFeatureComparison) and thus client applications written for Amazon Web Services can be used with OpenStack with minimal porting effort. Note that HP nixes Amazon EC2 API support — at least in its public cloud [Gigaom, Dec 6, 2013] “based upon significant input from developers and customers” as “customers want to avoid getting locked in to what he called, ‘Amazon’s spider web’ ”. Tier 1 Research analyst Carl Brooks said via email: “HP doesn’t need to support AWS APIs — OpenStack will do that for them to the limited extent it already does”.

“And finally we’re giving customers and partners more confidence
than they’ve ever had before in this type of solution. … And that will be available in both a quick-ship, channel-ready fixed configuration as well as in a highly customizable solution. In addition CloudSystem will ship with cloud service automation (CSA), the industry-leading orchestration and hybrid cloud management software [read NEW! HP’s solution for managing private and hybrid clouds] that gives an easy experience and easy management of next hybrid cloud environment. That could be clouds delivered in any physical infrastructure: public, managed or private. And lastly, when customers use clouds as to build private cloud there is boundless growth, because you can extend CloudSystem with public cloud resources: from the HP public cloud, or Amazon, or Savvis. And this week we are also announcing support for Windows Azure, as well as two very important European partners: SFR and arsys, a service provider right here in Spain.

More information:
– HP Cloud Service Automation – See new, do new at HP Discover! [HP Enterprise Business community blog, Dec 11, 2013]
– HP Unveils Innovations in Cloud to help Customers Thrive in a Hybrid World [The HP Blogs Hub, Dec 11, 2013] in which it is stated “As the foundation of a hybrid cloud solution, HP CloudSystem bursts to multiple public cloud platforms, including three new ones: Microsoft® Windows® Azure, and platforms from Arsys, a European-based cloud computing provider, and SFR, a French telecommunications company. “
– A press release of similar title with additional lead and closing “Pricing and availability” parts

Underlying core technologies:

HP Converged Cloud brings OpenStack to the Enterprise [HewlettPackardVideos YouTube channel, Nov 6, 2013]

HP Converged Cloud delivers choice, confidence, and consistency. Learn how HP Cloud OS as part of the HP Converged Cloud portfolio leverages OpenStack to enable workload portability, simplified installation, and enhanced service lifecycle management.http://hp.com/cloud

HP Moonshot Demo with HP Cloud OS [hpcloud YouTube channel, Dec 12, 2013]

Live demonstration of the HP Moonshot server running HP Cloud OS based on OpenStack at HP DIscover Barcelona 2013

Open source clouds and the enterprise [The HP Blog Hub, Nov 24, 2013]

Open source has long been linked to innovation. With a history tracing back to the origins of the public web, the concept of open source relies on the assumption that shared knowledge produces more and better innovation, which is better for everyone—as well as the business world.

Some pundits believe that it is the combination of cloud and the power of the open source community that has enabled such rapid cloud development, adoption, and innovation.

OpenStack: cloud source code at the ready

OpenStack® provides the building blocks for developing private and public cloud infrastructures. OpenStack comprises a series of interrelated projects, characterized by their powerful capabilities and massive scalability.

Like all open source projects, OpenStack is a group collaboration, consisting of a global community of developers and cloud computing technologists. HP is a top contributor and driving force behind OpenStack, helping it to become a leading software for open cloud platforms.

In other words, there’s a bright future for OpenStack, which is why HP chose it as the foundation for its hybrid cloud solutions.

HP Cloud OS

HP Cloud OS is the world’s first OpenStack-based cloud technology platform for hybrid delivery. HP Cloud OS enables our existing cloud solutions portfolio and new innovative offerings by providing a common architecture that is flexible, scalable, and easy to build on.

“We are in a new phase of cloud computing. Enterprises, government agencies, and industry are all placing demands on cloud computing technologies that exceed a singular, one-size-fits all delivery model,” says Bill Hilf, vice president of product management for HP Cloud. “HP Cloud OS, built on the power of OpenStack, is the foundation for the HP Cloud portfolio and a key part of the HP solutions that enable real customer choice and consistency.”

Watch the HP Cloud OS story at HP Discover

Attendees at HP Discover 2013 in Barcelona, don’t miss this opportunity to hear the inside story of HP’s development of HP Cloud OS. Join the Innovation Theater session:

IT3261 – The rise of open source clouds

In this session, Bill Hilf will walk you through his experiences working with large public cloud systems, the rise of open source clouds in the enterprise, and HP’s strategy and innovation with OpenStack, including a discussion of HP Cloud OS (Wednesday, 12/11/13, 4:30 pm).

Highlights from the presentation include:

How open source has affected the development of the cloud
The requirements of enterprises related to cloud computing
How OpenStack enables HP’s cloud platform
Top ten lessons learned when building HP’s public cloud
HP’s overall cloud strategy

William Franklin on HP Cloud and OpenStack Strategy for HP [hpcloud YouTube channel, Nov 5, 2013]

Discussion with William Franklin, VP OpenStack & Technology Enablement talks about HP Cloud and our open source strategy with OpenStack at the OpenStack Summit Hong Kong 2013.

OpenStack Technology [HewlettPackardVideos YouTube channel, Oct 29, 2013]

Monty Taylor, Distinguished Technologist and OpenStack Guru, talks about the OpenStack community, HP’s contributions to Havana and OpenStack projects, and the future of OpenStack.

Gartner’s Allessandro Perilli’s latest observations about the OpenStack (he is focusing on private cloud computing in the Gartner for Technical Professionals (GTP) division):
– What I saw at the OpenStack Summit [Nov 12, 2013] in which he is particularly describing how OpenStack vendors are divided into two camps that I called “purists” and “pragmatists”. He notes that purists tend to ignore the fact that many large enterprises are interested in OpenStack for the reason of reducing their dependency from VMware and frightened by rewriting their traditional multi-tier LoB applications into new cloud-aware applications advocated by purists.
– Why vendors can’t sell OpenStack to enterprises [Nov 19, 2013] where he notes that: “In fact, for the largest part, vendors don’t know how to articulate the OpenStack story to win enterprises. They simply don’t know how to sell it.” Then he gives at least four reasons for why vendors can’t tell a resonating story about OpenStack to enterprise prospects:
1. “Lack of clarity about what OpenStack does and does not.”
2. “Lack of transparency about the business model around OpenStack.”
3. “Lack of vision and long term differentiation.”
4. “Lack of pragmatism”, i.e. “purist” approach described in his previous post.

HP Cloud OS [Technology Preview] Technical Overview [hpcloud YouTube channel, Nov 5, 2013]

J.R. Horton, HP CloudOS Sr. Product Manager details the HP Cloud OS technology preview allowing developers access to a complete enterprise-grade OpenStack package for fast installation and deployment.

Converged Cloud: HP Cloud OS Whiteboard Demo [hpcloud YouTube channel, June 12, 2013]

[Mark Perreira, Chief Architect of HP Cloud OS:] This video demonstrates how HP Cloud OS can help simplify delivery, enhance lifecycle management and optimize workloads for your cloud environment. It includes information on Cloud OS architecture, kernel and base services, and administrative tools.

HP Cloud OS Whiteboard Demo – Hybrid Cloud [hpcloud YouTube channel, Oct 29, 2013]

Mark Perreira, Chief Architect of HP Cloud OS, whiteboards the hybrid provisioning capabilities in HP Cloud OS.

An Open Architecture for Hybrid Cloud Delivery [hpcloud YouTube channel, Dec 10, 2013]

J.R. Horton, HP Cloud OS Sr. Product Manager presents the HP Cloud architecture at HP Discover in Barcelona 2013. [Note that in addition to HP other OpenStack Foundation Platinum Members (providing a significant portion of the funding) are: AT&T, Canonical, IBM, Nebula, Rackspace, Red Hat, Inc., SUSE. Just today the news came as well that Oracle raised its membership to Platinum level.]

4. Finally latest details about HP’s Moonshot technology:

Moonshot: one of the “INFRA” (see above in the “HP Cloud OS Whiteboard Demo” video) building blocks for the HP CloudOS, actually the most future-oriented one

The Power of Moonshot [HP Discover YouTube channel, Dec 10, 2013]

“Like many companies, HP was a victim of IT sprawl — with more than 85 data centers in 29 countries. We decided to make a change and took on a total network redesign, cutting our principle worldwide data centers down to six and housing all of them in the United States. With the addition of four EcoPODs and Moonshot servers, we are in the perfect position to build out our private cloud and provide our businesses with the speed and quality of innovation they need.”

My Software defined server without Microsoft: HP Moonshot [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, April 10, 2013 – updated Dec 6, 2013] post introduced the HP Moonshot System as follows:

On the right is the Moonshot System with the very first Moonshot servers (“microservers/server appliances” as called by the industry) based on Intel® Atom S1200 processors and for supporting web-hosting workloads (see also on right part of the image below). Currently there is also a storage cartridge (on the left of the below image) and a multinode for highly dense computing solutions (see in the hands of presenter on the image below). Many more are to come later on.

Also the Dec 6 update to the above post already provided significant roadmap information:

With Martin Fink, CTO and Director of HP Labs, Hewlett-Packard Company [Oct 29, 2013] saying

We’ve actually announced three ARM-based cartridges. These are available in our Discovery Labs now, and they’ll be shipping next year with new processor technology. [When talking about the slide shown above.]

For the details about the ARM SoC technologies behind that go to the Software defined server without Microsoft: HP Moonshot [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, April 10, 2013 – updated Dec 6, 2013] post!

But the initial Moonshot System launched in April’13 had support just for light workloads, such as such as website front ends and simple content delivery. This meant, nevertheless, a lot in the hosting space as evidenced by serverCONDO Builds its Business on Moonshot [Janet Bartleson YouTube channel, Dec 9, 2013] video:

serverCONDO President John Brown wanted to expand to offer dedicated hosting, and traditional 1U servers looked pretty good, until the team discovered HP Moonshot. Hear more about what he was looking for and the results serverCONDO achieved. http://www.servercondo.com http://www.hp.com/go/moonshot

More information from the same source:
– Why serverCONDO is in the Dedicated Hosting Business
– Old School and New School Cloud Servers (serverCONDO)

OR taking a true large-scale example watch this HP.com Takes 3M Hits on Moonshot [Janet Bartleson YouTube channel, Nov 26, 2013] video:

Volker Otto talks about the results of using Moonshot for HP.com’s web site, caching, and ftp downloads. http://www.hp.com/go/moonshot

According to Meg Whitman’s keynote at Discover 2013 on Dec 10 they would be able to go from 6 datacenters to 4 thanks to Moonshot, even considering the future needs and workloads. Something as dramatic as when HP moved previously (3 years ago) from 86 datacenters to 6 datacenters.

So, to appreciate the full potential of Moonshot one should, on the other hand, understand the following system architecture information provided in the HP Moonshot System, the world’s first software defined servers [April 10, 2013] technical whitepaper:

HP Moonshot System

HP Moonshot System is the world’s first software defined server accelerating innovation while delivering breakthrough efficiency and scale with a unique federated environment, and processor-neutral architecture. Traditional servers rely on dedicated components, including management, networking, storage, power cords and cooling fans in a single enclosure. In contrast, the HP Moonshot System shares these enclosure components. The HP Moonshot 1500 Chassis has a maximum capacity of 1800 servers per 47U rack with quad server cartridges. This gives you more compute power in a smaller footprint, while significantly driving down complexity, energy use and costs.

The first server available on HP Moonshot System is HP ProLiant Moonshot Server based on Intel® Atom™ processor S1260, and it provides an ideal solution for web serving, offline analytics and hosting.

HP Moonshot 1500 Chassis design

The HP Moonshot 1500 Chassis incorporates independent component design and hosts 45 cartridges, two network switches, and the infrastructure components within the chassis. The Moonshot 1500 Chassis’ electrically passive design makes this completely hot pluggable design possible. The Moonshot 1500 Chassis uses no active electrical components, other than EEPROMs required for manufacturing and configuration control purposes.

Figure 1 shows the elements of the Moonshot 1500 Chassis. HP controls the design on all elements of the chassis except for the server (initial server contain a single server) and the network switch module which may be designed by the Moonshot server or network switch partners.

Figure 1.

The HP Moonshot 1500 Chassis accommodates up to 45 individually serviceable hot plug cartridges. Two high-density, low-power HP Moonshot 45G Switch Modules, each with a 10g x6 HP Moonshot 6SFP Uplink Module, handle network communication for all cartridges in the chassis. These switches use Layer 2/Layer 3 routing, QoS management (CLI, SFLOW), and require no license keys. The dual network switches and I/O modules provide traffic isolation, or stacking capability for resiliency. Rack level stacking simplifies the management domain.

The Moonshot System uses the HP Moonshot 1500 Chassis Management module (CM) module for complete chassis management, including power management with shared cooling. The server platform is powered by four 1200W Common Slot Power Supplies in an N+1 configuration and cooled by five hot pluggable fans also in an N+1 configuration. The CM uses component-based satellite controllers to communicate with and manage chassis elements. The modular faceplate design allows for future feature development.

…

HP ProLiant Moonshot Server

Each software defined server contains its own dedicated memory, storage, storage controller, and two NICs [Network Interface Controllers] (1Gb). For monitoring and management, each server contains management logic in the form of a Satellite Controller with a dedicated internal network connection (100 Mb). Figure 5 shows HP ProLiant Moonshot Server with a single Intel® Atom™ processor S1260and a single SFF drive.

Figure 5. HP ProLiant Moonshot Server and functional block diagram

These servers provide the base hardware functionality of the system. Future software defined servers can take the following forms:

One or more discrete server with separate compute, storage, memory and I/O
One or more complete cartridge designs with integrated compute, storage, memory, and I/O
One or more forms of storage accessible to adjacent cartridges

Future servers will incorporate these descriptions to provide a wide degree of flexibility for customizing and tuning based on the desired performance, cost, density, and power constraints.

The available ProLiant Moonshot server design includes one processor and a single HDD or SDD. This server is ideal for application workloads such as website front ends and simple content delivery. Table 1 gives you the current server component descriptions.

The Intel Atom is the world’s first 6-watt server-class processor. In addition to lower power requirements, it includes data-center-class features such as 64-bit support, error correcting code (ECC) memory, increased performance, and broad software ecosystem. These features, coupled with the revolutionary HP Moonshot System design are ideal for workloads using many extreme low-energy servers densely packed into a small footprint can be much more efficient than fewer standalone servers.

Intel® Atom™ processor S1260 integrates two CPU cores, single-channel memory controller, and PCI Express 2.0 interface. Each CPU core will has its own dedicated 32KB instruction and 24 KB data L1 caches, and 512 KB L2 cache. The processors incorporate Hyper-Threading, which allows them to run up to 4 threads simultaneously. Additionally, the chips have VT-x virtualization enabled.

Each Moonshot server boots from a local hard drive, or the network using PXE [Preboot eXecution Environment]. The Moonshot System use HP BIOS and “headless” operation (no video or USB). No additional HP software is required to run the cartridge. NIC, storage, and other drivers are included in the compatible Linux distributions (described later in the OS management section).

…

Fabrics and topology

We designed the HP Moonshot System to provide application-specific processing for targeted workloads. Creating a fabric infrastructure capable of accommodating a wide range of application-specific workloads requires highly flexible fabric connectivity. This flexibility allows the Moonshot System fabric architecture to adapt to changing requirements of hyperscale workload interconnectivity.

The Moonshot System design includes three physical production fabrics, the Radial Fabric, the Storage Fabric, and the 2D Torus Mesh Fabric. The fabrics are connected to 45 cartridges slots, two slots for the network switches, and two corresponding I/O modules.

Figure 9 shows the eight 10Gb lanes routed from each of the cartridge slots to the pair of core network fabric slots in the center of the Moonshot 1500 chassis. Four lanes from each cartridge go to one core network fabric slot and four to the other (A and B). From each core fabric slot there are 16 10Gb lanes routed to the back of the chassis to attach to an I/O module.

Figure 9.

Radial Fabric

The Radial Fabric provides a high-speed interface between each cartridge and the two core fabric slots.

The Radial fabric includes these links:
• 2x GbE channels
• One port to each network switch

Figure 10 illustrates a torus topology interlinking cartridge to cartridge in combination with the radial topology linking to the network switches.

Figure 10.

The Radial fabric handles all Ethernet-based traffic between the cartridge and external targets. The exception is iLO* management network traffic using the dedicated iLO port.

*[iLO: Integrated Lights-Out]

Storage fabric

A Moonshot System Storage Fabric will use existing Moonshot 1500 Chassis connections to span each 3×3 cartridge slot subsection within the chassis baseboard (Figure 11). The Storage Fabric will be part of future HP Moonshot System releases. This fabric implementation will use the Storage Fabric as a connection between servers and local storage devices.

Figure 11.

In this implementation, SAS/SATA is sent over lanes between each adjacent cartridge for primary storage along with additional lanes to other cartridges in the subsection for redundancy or other storage requirements. Although the figure shows a specific configuration of compute and storage nodes, there is flexibility to configure the subsections in different ways as long it does not violate the rules of the interface or storage technology. While the example in Figure 11 shows the proximal fabric being used for SAS/SATA, any type of communication is possible due to the dynamic nature of the fabric.

2D Torus Mesh Fabric

Like the Storage Fabric, future releases of the HP Moonshot System will use existing Moonshot 1500 Chassis connections to implement the 2D Torus Mesh Fabric, providing a high speed general purpose interface among the cartridges for those applications that benefit from high bandwidth node-to-node communication. The 2D Torus Mesh fabric can be used as Ethernet, PCIe, or any other interface protocol. At chassis power on, the CM [Chassis Management] ensures the compatibility on all interfaces before allowing the cartridges to power on.

The 2D Torus Mesh fabric is routed as torus ring configuration capable of providing four 10Gb bandwidths in each direction to its north, south, east and west neighbors. This allows the HP Moonshot System to meet many unique HPC [High-Performance Computing] applications where efficient localized traffic is needed.

16 lanes from each cartridge
Four up, four down, four left, and four right
Can support speeds up to 10Gb

Topologies

Topologies utilize the physical fabric infrastructure to achieve a desired configuration. In this case, Radial and 2D Torus Mesh fabrics are the desired Moonshot topologies. The Radial Fabric pathways are optimized for a network topology utilizing two Ethernet switches. The 2DTorus Mesh fabric pathways are passive copper connections negotiated with neighbors and optimized for topology protocols that change over time to accommodate future Moonshot System releases.

Moonshot System network configurations

Moonshot System network switches and uplink modules provide resiliency and efficiency when configured as stand-alone or stackable networks. This feature allows you to connect up to nine Moonshot 1500 Chassis and then to your core network, eliminating the need for a top of rack (TOR) switch.

Dual switches provide traffic isolation or can be stacked
Rack level stacking simplifies management domain
Redundant switch configurations provide a more resilient infrastructure
Layer 2, Layer 3 Routing & QoS, Management (CLI, SNMP, SFLOW). No license keys

Moonshot 1500 Chassis stacking

Stacking allows you to select a tradeoff between overall performance and cost of TOR switches. Stacking can eliminate the cost of TOR switches for workloads able to tolerate extra latency. The switch firmware architecture elects a master management processor to control all stacked switches. Stacking does not scale in a linear way; stacking size is constrained by the capability of a single management processor. The P2020 [switch management] processor is sized to reliably stack nine network switches (405 ports).

We can create two stacked switches in a single rack with no performance issues. Up to nine modules can be stacked to form a single logical switch. A simple loop consumes two ports per I/O module in this Figure 12 layout.

Figure 12.

Management

The HP Moonshot System relies on a federated iLO system. Federation requires the physical or logical sharing of compute, storage or networking resources within the Moonshot 1500 Chassis. The chassis shares four individual iLO4 ASICs [Application-Specific Integrated Circuits] in the CM module with high-speed connections to the management network through a single management port uplink.

The CM provides a single point of management for up to 45 cartridges, and all other components in the Moonshot 1500 Chassis, using Ethernet connections to the internal private network. Each hot pluggable component includes a resident satellite controller. The CM and satellite controllers use data structures embedded in non-volatile memory for discovery, monitoring, and control of each component.

HP Moonshot 1500 Chassis Management module

The CM includes four iLO processors sharing the management responsibility for 45 cartridges, the power and cooling processor, two networks switches and Moonshot 1500 chassis management. We’ve federated the iLO system functionality by assigning certain iLO processors responsibility for managing certain hardware interfaces. We balanced the workload among the three cartridge zones in the chassis (physically separated by network switches), and dedicated one iLO processor to manage chassis hardware and the switches. Communication between the CM and the Satellite Controllers is an internal private Ethernet network. This eliminates the requirements for a large number of IP addresses being used on the production network.

The iLO subsystem includes an intelligent microprocessor, separate memory, and a dedicated network interface. iLO uses the management logic on each cartridge and module, and up to 1,500 sensors within the Moonshot 1500 Chassis, to monitor component thermal conditions. This design makes iLO independent of the host servers and their operating systems.

iLO monitors all key Moonshot components. The CM user interfaces and API’s include a Command-Line Interface (CLI) and Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) support. These provide the primary gateway for node management, aggregation and inventory. A text-based interface is available for power capping, firmware management and aggregation, asset management and deployment. Alerts are generated directly from iLO, regardless of the host operating system or even if no host operating system is installed. Using iLO, you can do the following:

Securely and remotely control the power state of the Moonshot cartridges (text-based Remote Console)
Obtain access to each and all serial ports using a secure Virtual Serial Port (VSP) session
Obtain asset and hardware specific information (MAC Addresses, SN)
Control cartridge boot configuration

…

OS deployment and support

The Moonshot System hosts multiple individual systems, and network switches. Unlike other HP ProLiant BladeSystem-class servers, Moonshot cartridges provide OS installation only through network Installation, with console access provided by an integrated Virtual Serial Port to each server. Network Installation is performed in a manner similar to other HP ProLiant, or standard x86 servers, with the only required modifications being the specification of the serial console instead of a standard VGA display (described below.)

Linux Distributions

The initial release of the HP Moonshot System is compatible with these versions of Linux:
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4
• SuSE SLES 11SP2
• Ubuntu 12.04

HP Insight Cluster Management Utility

The HP Insight Cluster Management Utility (CMU) is well suited for performing network installations, image capture and deploy, and ongoing management of large numbers of servers such as the density provided by the Moonshot 1500 Chassis. If you are using CMU, the directions included in the following “Setting up an installation server” section are not required, and you should instead refer to the CMU documentation.

The CMU is optional and basic network installation of the OS may be performed using a standard PXE-based installation server.

Conclusion

The HP Moonshot System addresses the needs of data centers deploying servers at a massive scale for the new era of IoT. Industry sources estimate that lightweight web serving and analytics workloads will equal 14% of the x86 server market by 2015. The HP Moonshot System changes the current computing paradigm with an innovative completely hot pluggable architecture that increases the value of your investment and reduces TCO. You get a significant reduction in power usage, hardware costs, and use of space. You’ll see simplification in the areas of network switches, cabling, and management. Moonshot System’s use of shared hot pluggable infrastructure includes power supplies and fans. The HP Moonshot 1500 Chassis Management module, with proven HP iLO management processors, gives you detailed reporting on all platform components while the power and cooling controller manages the N+1 fan and power supply configurations. Dual network switches and I/O modules increase Moonshot’s resiliency and flexibility, allowing you to stack HP Moonshot Switch Modules. The Moonshot System is the first software defined, application-optimized server platform in the industry. Look for a growing library of software defined servers from multiple HP partners targeting specific IoT workloads compatible with emerging web, cloud, and massive scale environments, as well as analytics and telecommunications.

Now we have 2 aditional cartridges: the m300 and the m700

Moonshot ProLiant m300 Server Cartridge Overview [Janet Bartleson YouTube channel, Nov 27, 2013]

@SC13, HP Product Manager Thai Nguyen gives us a quick overview of the ProLiant m300 Server Cartridge.

A new big little HP Moonshot server cartridge is shipping!! [The HP Blog Hub, Dec 10, 2013]

Guest blog written by Nigel Church, HP Servers

We call it the HP ProLiant m300 Server cartridge for the HP Moonshot System. This is the “big brother” to the current HP ProLiant Moonshot server cartridge sporting the new Intel Atom Avoton—an eight core processor running at 2.4GHz with 32GB memory [with 1 TB disk storage on the cartridge] delivering up to six times the energy efficiency and up to seven times more performance.

Now, in just one Moonshot System with 45 ProLiant m300 Servers you have 360 cores, 1,440GB memory and up to 45TB of storage. For the right workloads, you can accomplish the same work using just 19% of the power of a traditional server!

What workloads can it support? If you have a growing web site serving dynamic content [note that for the first Atom based server cartridge static content was mentioned when describing the type of workload supported] currently running on ageing traditional servers you must take a look at Moonshot to save space, power and prepare yourself for the future.

If you’re attending HP Discover in Barcelona, come to the show floor and see HP Moonshot in action–or visit the HP Discover News & Social Buzz page and get the latest updates! Otherwise, visit the HP ProLiant m300 Server Cartridge web page for more details on the newest Moonshot Cartridge.

HP ProLiant m300 Server Cartridge [HP product page, Dec 11, 2013]

Overview

Are traditional servers more than you need for your scale-out big data, Web and content delivery network workloads? Are you paying for underutilized servers that use more and more space and energy? Companies running scale-out big data applications, serving web pages, images, videos, or downloads over the Internet often need to carry out simultaneous lightweight computing tasks over and over, at widely distributed locations. The HP ProLiant m300 Server Cartridge based on the Intel® Atom™ System on a Chip (SOC) delivers breakthrough performance and scale with up to 360 processor cores, 1,440 GB of memory and 45 TB of storage in a single Moonshot System.

Features

A Platform for Big Data with NoSQL/NewSQL

NoSQL/NewSQL on HP ProLiant m300 Server Cartridges gives cost-effective scalable performance for online transactional processing and maintains the ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) of traditional databases.

NoSQL/NewSQL thrives in a distributed cluster of shared-nothing nodes like the HP ProLiant m300 Server Cartridges. SQL queries are split into query fragments and sent to the node that owns the data. These databases are able to scale linearly as nodes are added, without suffering from bottlenecks.

Scale-out Platform for Your Web Needs

Companies need the scalability of the HP ProLiant m300 Server Cartridge to serve web pages, including image and video downloads while carrying out simultaneous lightweight computing tasks over and over, at widely distributed locations.

For Web workloads, a platform based on the HP ProLiant m300 Server Cartridge means you don’t waste energy, space, and money on a high-end server when a low-cost density-optimized server can handle the job.

Content Delivery Anytime from Any Device

The m300 Server Cartridge provides high-speed efficient transcoding of media streams to match specific user devices. This allows efficient management of content by reducing library size and transcoding on demand, for specific device characteristics.

Using less energy and space at a lower cost compared to traditional servers, the compact m300 Server Cartridge has Intel Atom-based SOCs to quickly deliver Web content to a variety of mobile devices.

System Features

Compute: Intel® Atom™ Processor C2750, 2.4 GHz

Memory: DDR3 PC3-12800 SDRAM (1600 MHz); Four (4) SODIMM slots; 32GB (4x8GB)

Storage: (1) SFF 500GB HDD, 1TB HDD, and 240GB SSD

Networking: (Internal) dual port 1GbE per CPU; HP Moonshot 45G Switch Module Kit; HP Moonshot 6SFP Uplink Module Kit

Enclosure: Moonshot 1500 Chassis

Warranty: 1 year

Intel® Atom™ Processor C2750 (4M Cache, 2.40 GHz) [Intel product page, Dec 3, 2013]

SPECIFICATIONS

Essentials

Status

Launched

Launch Date

Q3’13

Processor Number

C2750

# of Cores

8

# of Threads

8

Clock Speed

2.4 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

2.6 GHz

Cache

4 MB

Instruction Set

64-bit

Embedded Options Available

No

Lithography

22 nm

Max TDP

20 W

Recommended Customer Price

TRAY: $171.00

Memory Specifications

Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type)

64 GB

Memory Types

DDR3, 3L 1600

# of Memory Channels

2

Max Memory Bandwidth

25.6 GB/s

Physical Address Extensions

36-bit

ECC Memory Supported ^‡

Yes

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision

2

PCI Express Configurations ^‡

x1,x2,x4,x8,x16

Max # of PCI Express Lanes

16

I/O Specifications

USB Revision

2

# of USB Ports

4

Total # of SATA Ports

6

Integrated LAN

4x 2.5 GbE

UART

2

Max # of SATA 6.0 Gb/s Ports

2

Package Specifications

T_CASE

97°C

Package Size

34 mm x 28 mm

Sockets Supported

FCBGA1283

Low Halogen Options Available

See MDDS

Advanced Technologies

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ^‡

2.0

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) ^‡

Yes

Intel® Data Protection Technology

AES New Instructions

Yes

HP’s Moonshot and AMD are taking cloud computing to a whole new level [AMD YouTube channel, published on Dec 4, 2013]

Learn more about AMD and HP cloud computing:http://bit.ly/HP_and_AMD At APU13 HP’s Scott Herbal, World Wide Product Marketing Manager, shows off the Moonshot chassis which holds up to 45 AMD server cartridges inside. [His presentation was at AMD Developer Summit – APU13, Nov 13, Wed, 4:00 – 4:45, CC-4150, Scott Herbel, HP, HP Moonshot System + AMD’s Opteron X2150 = develop anything, anywhere with hosted desktops]

ProLiant m700 Server Cartridge in HP Moonshot Overview [Janet Bartleson YouTube channel, Dec 9, 2013]

Product manager Scott Herbel [http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottherbel: WorldWide Product Marketing Manager, Moonshot at Hewlett-Packard since May, 2010]

HP ProLiant m700 Server Cartridge [HP product page, Dec 11, 2013]

Overview

Looking for a cost-effective solution for hosted desktop infrastructure, mobile gaming or cloud multi-media workloads? The HP ProLiant m700 Server Cartridge in a Moonshot 1500 Chassis offers lower cost (price per seat), simplified systems management and user support, vastly improved system/data security, and efficient systems resource use for your hosted desktop infrastructure (HDI) and cloud multi-media workloads. Each m700 Server Cartridge has four servers, each with an AMD Opteron™ X2150 APU with fully-integrated graphics processing and CPU. The m700 Server Cartridge delivers outstanding compute density and price/performance for cloud multi-media workloads.

You can power mobile games, or other web content, objects, or applications, live and on-demand streaming media.

Features

Hosted Desktop Infrastructure (HDI) Solution with Power and Scalability

The centralized nature of hosting desktops on the HP ProLiant m700 Server Cartridge provides lower cost (price per seat), simplified system management and user support, vastly improved system/data security, and efficient system resource use.

Each cartridge has four AMD-processor-based servers. Each server contains the AMD Opteron™ X2150 APU with graphics processing and CPU.

The overall density means that you can cost-effectively have 180 servers in less than 5U of rack space.

Mobile Content and Gaming Any Time from Any Device

The HP ProLiant m700 Server Cartridge excels at powering graphics-intensive content delivery such as hosted videos and mobile games.

The cartridge provides high-speed, efficient transcoding of source media streams to match specific user devices. This allows efficient management of content by reducing library size and transcoding closer to the customer, on demand, for specific device characteristics.

Using less energy and space at a lower cost compared to traditional servers, the m700 Server Cartridge has four AMD Opteron x2150-based servers, each with integrated graphics processing capabilities to quickly deliver mobile games to your device, wherever you are.

System features

Compute: AMD Opteron™ X2150 APU, 1.5 GHz, with AMD Radeon™ HD 8000 graphics

Memory: DDR3 PC3-12800 SDRAM (1600 MHz); Four (4) SODIMM slots; 32GB (8GB per SoC)

Storage: 4 x 32 GB iSSD (1 per SoC)

Networking: (Internal) BCM5720 dual port 1GbE per CPU; HP Moonshot-180G Switch Module; HHP Moonshot-4QSFP+ Uplink Module

Enclosure: Moonshot 1500 Chassis

Warranty: 1 year

AMD Opteron™ X2150 APU [AMD product page, May 29, 2013]

Introducing the World’s First Server-class x86 APU SoC

Specification

Features

Feature

Function

Benefit

4 Energy Efficient X86 Cores, Codenamed “Jaguar”

Optimize x86 performance/watt for microservers.

Helps enable low datacenter TCO

Flexible TDP

Allows user to control their own power profile by adjusting CPU and GPU frequencies in the BIOS to match their application needs (GPU integrated in X2150 only)

Gives users more control over their workload performance and power consumption

Integrated I/O

Integrates legacy Northbridge and Southbridge functionality directly on the processor

Smaller footprint enables dense microserver designs

Core, Northbridge and Memory P-states

Dynamically adjusts performance levels based on application requirements

Helps reduce power consumption

Server Infrastructure support

Feature

Function

Benefit

DDR3 Memory with ECC Support

High-speed, highly reliable server-class memory

Helps reduce server failures due to memory.

Integrated I/O

Integrate PCIe Gen2, SATA 2/3, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 functionality onto the processor.

Enable enterprise-class functionality in a single chip solution.

Server Processor Reliability

Processor undergoes a back-end test flow to ensure proper quality

Ensure product quality is that of other server-class products for greater reliability.

Integrated Graphics

Feature

Function

Benefit

Graphics Core Next Architecture with AMD Radeon™ HD 8000 Series Graphics

Provide high-quality graphics capabilities in a server SoC.

Outstanding performance in media-oriented workloads such as remote DT, online gaming and imaging

Display Controller Engine

Allows for VGA and HDMI display capabilities

Helps reduce cost by eliminating need for add-on display cards

Unified Video Decoder 4.2

Dedicated hardware video decoding block

Help enable a near-native experience in remote DT applications.

Video Compression Engine 2.0

Hardware-assisted encoding of HD video streams

Help enable a near-native experience in remote DT applications

Citrix hosted desktops–powered by HP Moonshot [The HP Blog Hub, Dec 10, 2013]

Written by Citrix Guest Blogger Kevin Strohmeyer, Director Product Marketing, Citrix

Veterans of server-based computing and VDI are all too familiar with the complexities of buying and deploying desktop virtualization. Great strides have been made to simplify the sizing and configuration of desktop virtualization infrastructure, but ultimately, when you build and deliver shared resources, you should carefully consider how those resources will be used; and decide how much excess capacity you need to ensure peak usage can be supported.

The distributed nature of PCs, coupled with management challenges of patching and updates plus the vulnerability of unsecured, sensitive data has left IT looking for a better answer. This brings us right back to centralized desktop virtualization.

The HP ConvergedSystem 100 for Hosted Desktops with Citrix XenDesktop is a new as well as unique type of desktop virtualization. Instead of just leveraging a hypervisor to abstract the OS from hardware, XenDesktop streams an OS right to bare metal to dedicated microsystems with dedicated CPU, memory and graphics all neatly arranged in a rack mount chassis. This eliminates the overhead and complexity of abstracting the hardware and managing VMs. This also eliminates the system overhead required to share those resources leaving more power for the desktop. All in all, the solution presents a very interesting alternative to VDI.

The HP ConvergedSystem 100 for Hosted Desktops is an all-in-one compute, storage and networking system based on HP Moonshot, delivering 180 desktops for Citrix XenDesktop environments. The system provides an independent, remote PC experience with business graphics and multimedia performance essential for mainstream knowledge workers, and all while delivering up to 44% improvement in TCO and 63% lower power requirements. Other benefits include:

Predictable, fixed cost per user reduces OPEX
Independent compute and graphics delivers consistent end user performance
Deploy with Citrix XenDesktop in approximately 2 hours

At the same time, this solution is great example of the power of FlexCast technology from Citrix. And that power is reflected in the way the FlexCast management infrastructure is designed to promote these innovative solutions that leverage common image management, profile management and app virtualization in a common delivery architecture. The unique Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS) technology that enables bare metal and just in time OS provisioning provides all the benefits of VDI without hypervisor management.

What makes this solution most interesting is the ease of purchasing and deploying. There is no configuration work required to figure out how much hardware or storage to purchase, you simply buy as many systems as you need and rack and stack as you grow from the first 180 desktop on up. This alone could make this solution very attractive to organizations desiring the security and management of centralized virtual desktops, but who want to avoid the management of virtual infrastructure.

If you are attending HP Discover in Barcelona this week, come by to see the ConvergedSystem 100 for Hosted Desktops in the Discover Zone.

Learn more about the new HP ConvergedSystem 100 for Hosted Desktops.

Offering a no compromise PC experience [The HP Blog Hub, Dec 9, 2013]

By HP guest blogger Dan Nordhues, HP Client Virtualization Worldwide Manager

Poor performance is one of the major reasons users reject VDI or remote desktop implementations. While all your workers may sit at PCs, each user population has unique needs that dictate requirements. For example, task workers need only a couple of applications to do their jobs, but workstation-class users require accelerated graphics capabilities to handle workloads like CAD/CAM and Oil and Gas applications.

Right in the middle of the PC-user continuum sits the mainstream knowledge worker—the largest segment of the PC user population— with unique requirements of their own. Meeting the needs of these users is the goal of HP ConvergedSystem 100 for Hosted Desktops powered by HP Moonshot—a next-generation solution engineered specifically for meeting the needs of today’s knowledge workers, while also meeting your requirements for simplicity, lower deployment cost, and energy efficiency.

HP ConvergedSystem 100 for Hosted Desktops provides an all-in-one compute, storage, and networking system that delivers desktops for Citrix XenDesktop non-persistent users. Provide your mainstream users a dedicated PC experience with the business graphics and multimedia performance they need, while reducing TCO by up to 44 percent and lowering power requirements up to 63 percent.

If you plan to attend HP Discover Barcelona 2013, you can take advantage of great hands-on experience with HP Converged Systems. And check out these sessions for more information on HP’s client virtualization portfolio:

BB2391 – Architecting client virtualization for task worker to workstation-class users 10 December 10-11am
DT3108 – Moonshot-hosted desktop infrastructure: an innovative way for hosting end-user desktops 11 December, 11:30-12
DT3177 – Moonshot-hosted desktop infrastructure: an innovative way for hosting end-user desktops, Part II   12 December, 11:30-12

Learn more about the new HP ConvergedSystem 100 for Hosted Desktops.

The future is here: Yes, it is Microsoft Surface 2 with modern apps only! (And ARM, not x86/x64!)

November 17, 2013 3:59 pm / Leave a comment

This video is speaking for itself (and for the title): Why I Love my Microsoft Surface 2 : Tips and Tricks [Sean Ong YouTube channel, Nov 3, 2013]

In this video I show off my favorite features in the Microsoft Surface 2, with windows 8.1 RT. I show off voice control (windows speech recognition), multiple monitor support, and a variety of accessories via USB hub (including external hard drive, mouse, keyboard, and Xbox 360 controller integration). I show how I connect the Surface 2 to my HDTV as well as wireless casting of music and video! I also go through some other features, such as Spotify web player, and icloud web. Also kid friendly applications and multiple accounts. There’s so much stuff this thing can do, it will blow your mind away

That is how Sean Ong, a senior consultant at Navigant (focussing there on “technical, economic, and policy analysis of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems”) and himself an energy analysis engineer, was able to present the above, truly incredible customer value from current and especially future point of view for Windows 8.1 in geneneral and Surface 2 (ARM based) in particular. It is even more remarkable as nobody, I REPEAT NOBODY, from Microsoft worldwide could do that. I know even a highly professional, true world class Windows 8/Windows 8.1 expert who was not only fascinated himself by the above video, but acknowledged honestly that he was unaware of the speech recognition progress in Windows 8.1. And we are talking about an internal expert who has already been involved in the internal expert network of similar, most devoted Microsoft specialists in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 for years.

For me this video is incredibly important because:

on one hand with Unique Nokia assets (from factories to global device distribution & sales, and the Asha sub $100 smartphone platform etc.) will now empower the One Microsoft devices and services strategy [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 3, 2013], Microsoft partners empowered with ‘cloud first’, high-value and next-gen experiences for big data, enterprise social, and mobility on wide variety of Windows devices and Windows Server + Windows Azure + Visual Studio as the platform [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 10, 2013], Windows Azure becoming an unbeatable offering on the cloud computing market [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 28, 2013], Windows 8.1: Mind boggling opportunities, finally some appreciation by the media [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 27, 2013] and Microsoft: With cloud services investments starting to pay off Windows 8 and Windows Blue will bring more competitive devices particularly in new smaller form factors targeting the tablet market I’ve found quite a number of positive signs (for the future)

while there are—on the other hand—quite a number of extremely worrisome negative signs (for the future) with Microsoft could be acquired in years to come by Amazon? The joke of the day, or a certain possibility (among other ones)? [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 16, 2013], The question mark over Wintel’s future will hang in the air for two more years [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 15, 2013], An ARM-focussed Microsoft spin-off could be the only solution to save Microsoft in the crucial next 3-years period [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 24, 2013], Windows [inc. Phone] 8.x chances of becoming the alternative platform to iOS and Android: VERY SLIM as it is even more difficult for Microsoft now than any time before [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 20, 2013], Android to overtake the overall PC market? [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 24, 2013], and With Android and forked Android smartphones as the industry standard Nokia relegated to a niche market status while Apple should radically alter its previous premium strategy for long term [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 17, 2013]

NOT ONLY FOR THE FUTURE OF MICROSOFT BUT FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF COMPUTING
AS THE MISSING COMMUNICATIONS FROM MICROSOFT, EVEN THE TOTAL INABILITY OF MICROSOFT TO COMMUNICATE THE INHERENT WINDOWS 8.1/SURFACE 2 VALUES, WERE CLEARLY POINTING TO TOTAL LACK OF MARKETING COMPETENCY FOR ITS GAME-CHANGING, MICROSOFT-ONLY, POST PC AREA INNOVATIONS INHERENT IN WINDOWS 8.1/SURFACE 2

Although these signs (both the positive and negative ones) were coupled with a number of competitive positive changes for Microsoft, such as:

Xamarin: C# developers of native “business” and “mobile workforce” applications now can easily work cross-platform, for Android and iOS clients as well [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 15, 2013]
Multi-tasking and multi-window view used together for high performance productivity scenarios in the state-of-the-art UX environment of Microsoft Windows 8.1 – the ultimate solution not available with Apple and Android devices [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 26, 2013] together with 2nd generation Microsoft Surface family of productivity tablets priced upto $2420 (when for an All-in-One configuration) [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 24, 2013]
The long awaited Windows 8.1 breakthrough opportunity with the new Intel “Bay Trail-T”, “Bay Trail-M” and “Bay Trail-D” SoCs? [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 14, 2013]
Microsoft betting on boosting Windows RT demand with top level ARM SoCs from its SoC partners, Windows 8.1 enhancements, Outlook addition to the Office 2013 RT and very deep tactical discounts to its OEM partners for tablet offerings of more value and capability [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 6, 2013]
Deep technical evangelism and development team inside the DPE (Developer and Platform Evangelism) unit of Microsoft [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, May 17, 2013]
Microsoft: With cloud services investments starting to pay off Windows 8 and Windows Blue will bring more competitive devices particularly in new smaller form factors targeting the tablet market [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, April 19, 2013]

But a number of competitive negative changes for Microsoft became even more worrisome (than any time before) lately, such as:

Q3’13 smartphone and overall mobile phone markets: Android smartphones surpassed 80% of the market, with Samsung increasing its share to 32.1% against Apple’s 12.1% only; while Nokia achieved a strong niche market position both in “proper” (Lumia) and “de facto” (Asha Touch) smartphones [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 14, 2013]
The tablet market in Q1-Q3’13: It was mainly shaped by white-box vendors while Samsung was quite successfully attacking both Apple and the white-box vendors with triple digit growth both worldwide and in Mainland China [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 14, 2013]
Samsung has unbeatable supply chain management, it is incredibly good in everything which is consumer hardware, but vulnerability remains in software and M&A [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 11, 2013]
The first multimode Android tablets and laptops from Lenovo [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 8, 2013]
Leading PC vendors of the past: Go enterprise or die! [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 7, 2013]
Amazon Web Services not only achieved the clear and far dominant leader status in the Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (Cloud IaaS) market, but “the balance of new projects are going to AWS, not the other providers” – according to Gartner [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Oct 28, 2013]
Why Intel is pressed to go as far down as to $99 with its Android tablet prices (but not with Windows 8.1)? [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 12, 2013]
Companion Device Computing as envisaged and implemented by Pranav Mistry and his TTT team from Samsung: the case of Galaxy Gear + Galaxy Note 3 [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 12, 2013]
Alibaba to secure “centuries” of the future of an already “US$150 billion ecosystem of consumers, merchants and business partners” via an internal partnership (rejuvenated each year) of top executive owners (with just 10% of shares) also controlling the board [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Oct 3 2013]
Dell’s all Intel tablets and laptops targeting the evolving mobile workforce even with their most consumer specific Android tablets [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Oct 3, 2013]
Amazon’s move into overall leadership: Kindle Fire HDX with Snapdragon 800, “revolutionary on-device tech support” (Mayday), enterprise and productivity capable Fire OS 3.0 forked from Android 4.2.2 etc. PLUS a significantly enhanced, new Kindle Fire HD for a much lower, $139 price [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 27, 2013]
Sinofsky’s ‘continuous productivity’ idea to be realised first in Box Notes [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 12, 2013]
The new Air Command S Pen User Experience making the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet, and Galaxy Note 10.1, 2014 Edition tablet next-generation devices [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 12, 2013]
Xiaomi announcements: from Mi3 to Xiaomi TV [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 5, 2013]
Jingdong (former 360buy) e-commerce value proposition and ongoing global expansion [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 2, 2013]
The value of Taobao.com and TMall.com in China, as well as outside [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 2, 2013]
Opinion Leaders and Lead Opinions: Reflections on Steven Sinofsky’s “Era of Continuous Productivity” vision [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 1, 2013]
Assesment of the Xiaomi phenomenon before the global storm is starting on Sept 5 [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 30, 2013]
Mark Zuckerberg’s personality is hyped (again) with a quite worthwhile initiative (otherwise) but with substantial global financial interests behind it as well [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 24, 2013]
Google Play catchup with iOS App Store and its way of assuring compatibility across Android 1.6 to 4.3 [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 13, 2013]
The Upcoming Mobile Internet Superpower [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 13, 2013]
China is the epicenter of the mobile Internet world, so of the next-gen HTML5 web [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 5, 2013]
Superphones turning point: segment satured with Tier 1 globals while the Chinese locals are at less than 40% of the Samsung price [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 3, 2013]
Xiaomi, OPPO and Meizu–top Chinese brands of smartphone innovation [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 1, 2013]
GiONEE (金立), the emerging global competitor on the smartphone market [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 22, 2013]
H2CY13: Upcoming next-gen Nexus 7, the ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 “re-incarnation” at reduced by $50 price, dual/quad-core mid-range tablets from white-box vendors starting from $65 [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 5, 2013]
20 years of Samsung “New Management” as manifested by the latest, June 20th GALAXY & ATIV innovations [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 2, 2013]

Fortunately we already know:

from the announcement issued back in August that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months [Microsoft press release, Aug 23, 2013]

Board of directors initiates succession process; Ballmer remains CEO until successor is named.

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer has decided to retire as CEO within the next 12 months, upon the completion of a process to choose his successor. In the meantime, Ballmer will continue as CEO and will lead Microsoft through the next steps of its transformation to a devices and services company that empowers people for the activities they value most.

“There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time,” Ballmer said. “We have embarked on a new strategy with a new organization and we have an amazing Senior Leadership Team. My original thoughts on timing would have had my retirement happen in the middle of our company’s transformation to a devices and services company. We need a CEO who will be here longer term for this new direction.”

The Board of Directors has appointed a special committee to direct the process. This committee is chaired by John Thompson, the board’s lead independent director, and includes Chairman of the Board Bill Gates, Chairman of the Audit Committee Chuck Noski and Chairman of the Compensation Committee Steve Luczo. The special committee is working with Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., a leading executive recruiting firm, and will consider both external and internal candidates.

“The board is committed to the effective transformation of Microsoft to a successful devices and services company,” Thompson said. “As this work continues, we are focused on selecting a new CEO to work with the company’s senior leadership team to chart the company’s course and execute on it in a highly competitive industry.”

“As a member of the succession planning committee, I’ll work closely with the other members of the board to identify a great new CEO,” said Gates. “We’re fortunate to have Steve in his role until the new CEO assumes these duties.”

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Ballmer thanks Microsoft Employees in farewell address [The Verge, YouTube channel, Sept 28, 2013]

Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has always been a speaker and performer like no other — his absolute enthusiasm for his company is electric in person, turning ordinary corporate events into raw displays of emotion that are often criticized but never forgotten. Read more at The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/27/4779036/exclusive-video-steve-ballmers-intense-tearful-goodbye-to-microsoft

and finally when, what was and is going behind from Ballmer on Ballmer: His Exit From Microsoft [The Wall Street Journal, Nov 15-17, 2013]

Steve Ballmer paced his corner office on a foggy January morning here, listening through loudspeakers to his directors’ voices on a call that would set in motion the end of his 13-year reign as Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT -0.47% chief executive.

Microsoft lagged behind Apple Inc. AAPL -0.60% and Google Inc. GOOG -0.16% in important consumer markets, despite its formidable software revenue. Mr. Ballmer tried to spell out his plan to remake Microsoft, but a director cut him off, telling him he was moving too slowly.

“Hey, dude, let’s get on with it,” lead director John Thompson says he told him. “We’re in suspended animation.” Mr. Ballmer says he replied that he could move faster.

But the contentious call put him on a difficult journey toward his August decision to retire, sending Microsoft into further tumult as it began seeking a successor to a man who has been at its heart for 33 years.

“Maybe I’m an emblem of an old era, and I have to move on,” the 57-year-old Mr. Ballmer says, pausing as his eyes well up. “As much as I love everything about what I’m doing,” he says, “the best way for Microsoft to enter a new era is a new leader who will accelerate change.”

Mr. Ballmer, in a series of exclusive interviews tinged with his characteristic bluster and wistfulness, tells of how he came to believe that he couldn’t lead Microsoft forward—that, in fact, Microsoft would not be led by him because of the very corporate culture he had helped instill.

Mr. Ballmer and his board have been in agreement: Microsoft, while maintaining its strong software business, must shake up its management structure and refocus on mobile devices and online services if it is to find future profit growth and reduce its dependence on the fading PC market.

The board’s beef was speed. The directors “didn’t push Steve to step down,” says Mr. Thompson, a longtime technology executive who heads the board’s CEO-search committee, “but we were pushing him damn hard to go faster.”

Investors, too, were pushing for transformation. “At this critical juncture, Wall Street wants new blood to bring fundamental change,” says Brent Thill, a longtime Microsoft analyst at UBS AG. “Steve was a phenomenal leader who racked up profits and market share in the commercial business, but the new CEO must innovate in areas Steve missed—phone, tablet, Internet services, even wearables.”

The Microsoft board’s list of possible successors includes, among others, former Nokia Corp. NOK1V.HE +0.25% CEO Stephen Elop, Microsoft enterprise-software chief Satya Nadella and Ford Motor Co. F -0.12% CEO Alan Mulally, say people familiar with the search. In conjunction with Microsoft’s annual shareholder meeting Nov. 19, the board plans to meet and will discuss succession, says a person familiar with the schedule.

Representatives for Mr. Elop and Mr. Nadella say the men have no comment on the search. A Ford spokesman says “nothing has changed” since November 2012, when Ford said Mr. Mulally would remain CEO through at least 2014, adding: “Alan remains absolutely focused on continuing to make progress on our One Ford plan. We do not engage in speculation.”

Microsoft’s next chief will be only the third in its history. Mr. Ballmer joined in 1980 at the suggestion of his Harvard University pal, co-founder Bill Gates, and is its second-largest individual shareholder and a billionaire.

After growing up in Detroit, where his father was a Ford manager, Mr. Ballmer roomed down the hall from Mr. Gates at Harvard. He dropped his Stanford M.B.A. studies to become Microsoft’s first business manager.

He was Mr. Gates’s right-hand man, helping turn Microsoft into a force that redefined how the world used computers. He took the reins in 2000, further solidifying Microsoft’s position in software markets and keeping the profit engine humming. Revenue tripled during his tenure to almost $78 billion in the year ended this June, and profit grew 132% to nearly $22 billion.

But while profit rolled in from Microsoft’s traditional markets, it missed epic changes, including Web-search advertising and the consumer shift to mobile devices and social media.

Last year, Mr. Ballmer sought to reboot. In an October shareholder letter, he declared Microsoft would become a provider of “devices and services” for businesses and individuals.

He told the board he wanted to lead the charge and remain until his youngest son graduated from high school in four years. He began his own succession planning by meeting potential candidates in what he calls “cloak-and-dagger” meetings.

Mr. Ballmer’s reboot plan required a corporate overhaul. For guidance, he called his longtime friend, Ford’s Mr. Mulally, once a top Boeing Co. BA +0.73% executive. They met Christmas Eve at a Starbucks on Mercer Island near Seattle.

Mr. Ballmer brought a messenger bag, pulling out onto a table an array of phones and tablets from Microsoft and competitors. He asked Mr. Mulally how he turned around Ford. For four hours, he says, Mr. Mulally detailed how teamwork and simplifying the Ford brand helped him reposition it.

The Ford spokesman says: “Ford and Microsoft have a long-standing business partnership, and many of our leaders discuss business together frequently.”

It was a wake-up call for Mr. Ballmer, who had run the software giant with bravado and concedes that “I’m big, I’m bald and I’m loud.”

Microsoft’s culture included corporate silos where colleagues were often pitted against one another—a competitive milieu that spurred innovation during Microsoft’s heyday but now sometimes leaves groups focused on their own legacies and bottom lines rather than on the big technology picture and Microsoft as a whole.

He recalls thinking: “I’ll remake my whole playbook. I’ll remake my whole brand.”

The board liked his new plan. But as Mr. Ballmer prepared to implement it, his directors on the January conference call demanded he expedite it.

Pushing hardest, say participants, were Mr. Thompson, who had held top jobs at International Business Machines Corp. IBM +0.54% and Symantec Corp. SYMC +0.38%, and Stephen Luczo, CEO of Seagate Technology STX -2.33% PLC. Mr. Luczo declines to comment.

“But, I didn’t want to shift gears until I shipped Windows,” Mr. Ballmer says he told the directors on the call, explaining that he hadn’t moved faster in late 2012 because he was focused on releasing in October the next generation of Windows, Microsoft’s longtime cash cow.

Mr. Ballmer swung into gear, drafting a management-reorganization plan to discuss during a March retreat at a Washington mountain resort. He invited Mr. Thompson and another director, to get board perspective on his plan.

Instead, he got more pressure. Mr. Thompson says he told Mr. Ballmer and his executives: “Either get on the bus or get off.”

Mr. Ballmer says he took that as an endorsement of his plan. That evening, some of them played poker, drank Scotch and gathered around the lodge’s fireplace.

The next month, hedge fund ValueAct Capital disclosed a $2 billion Microsoft stake. ValueAct’s CEO Jeffrey Ubben at a conference said Microsoft’s stock was undervalued. Other shareholders were urging it to increase its dividend and shed noncore businesses. A ValueAct spokesman declines further comment. In September, Microsoft increased its dividend but hasn’t sold off businesses investors have urged it to, such as the Bing search engine.

Mr. Ballmer hewed to Mr. Mulally’s recommendations. For years, he had consulted with Microsoft’s unit chiefs individually, often dispensing marching orders. Now, he began inviting them to sit together in a circle in his office to foster camaraderie.

It was a lurching corporate-culture change. “It’s not the way we operated at all in Steve’s 30-plus years of leadership of the company,” says Mr. Nadella, an executive vice president.

Mr. Ballmer says his senior team struggled with the New Steve. Some resisted on matters large—combining engineering teams—and small, such as weekly status reports.

Qi Lu, an executive vice president, submitted a 56-page report on applications and services. Mr. Ballmer sent it back, insisting on just three pages—part of a new mandate to encourage the simplicity needed for collaboration. Mr. Lu says he retorted: “But you always want the data and detail!”

Mr. Ballmer says he started to realize he had trained managers to see the trees, not the forest, and that many weren’t going to take his new mandates to heart.

In May, he began wondering whether he could meet the pace the board demanded. “No matter how fast I want to change, there will be some hesitation from all constituents—employees, directors, investors, partners, vendors, customers, you name it—to believe I’m serious about it, maybe even myself,” he says.

His personal turning point came on a London street. Winding down from a run one morning during a May trip, he had a few minutes to stroll, some rare spare time for recent months. For the first time, he began thinking Microsoft might change faster without him.

“At the end of the day, we need to break a pattern,” he says. “Face it: I’m a pattern.”

Mr. Ballmer says he secretly began drafting retirement letters—ultimately some 40 of them, ranging from maudlin to radical.

On a plane from Europe in late May, he told Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith that it “might be the time for me to go.” The next day, Mr. Ballmer called Mr. Thompson, with the same message.

Mr. Thompson called two other directors, Mr. Luczo and Charles Noski, former Bank of America Corp. BAC +0.84% vice chairman, and says he told them: “If Steve’s ready to go, let’s see if we can get on with this.”

At the board’s June meeting in Bellevue, Wash., Mr. Ballmer says he told the directors: “While I would like to stay here a few more years, it doesn’t make sense for me to start the transformation and for someone else to come in during the middle.”

The board wasn’t “surprised or shocked,” says Mr. Noski, given directors’ conversations with Mr. Ballmer. Mr. Thompson says he and others indicated that “fresh eyes and ears might accelerate what we’re trying to do here.”

Mr. Gates, Microsoft’s chairman, told Mr. Ballmer that he understood from experience how hard it was to leave when Microsoft was your “life,” says someone familiar with Mr. Gates’s thinking. Mr. Gates told the board he supported Mr. Ballmer’s departure if it ensured Microsoft “remains successful,” this person says.

That night, after Mr. Ballmer watched his son sing at his high-school baccalaureate ceremony—a Coldplay song with the lyrics: “It’s such a shame for us to part; nobody said it was easy; no one ever said it would be this hard”—he says he told his wife and three sons he was probably leaving Microsoft. They all cried.

On Aug. 21, the board held a conference call to accept Mr. Ballmer’s retirement. Mr. Gates and Mr. Thompson sat with Mr. Ballmer in his office. It was over in less than an hour.

Mr. Ballmer vows not to be a lame duck.

“Charge! Charge! Charge!” he bellows, jumping up from an interview and lunging forward while pumping his fist forward like a battering ram. “I’m not going to wimp away from anything!”

He has remained active, shepherding a $7.5 billion deal to buy Nokia’s mobile businesses and fine-tuning holiday-marketing strategies for Microsoft’s Surface tablets and new Xbox game console. In October, Microsoft reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings.

At his final annual employee meeting this September, Mr. Ballmer gave high-fives and ran off the stage to the song: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from the movie “Dirty Dancing.”

Last month, walking along Lake Washington, Mr. Ballmer bumped into Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who was fired from earlier jobs and now is thriving. Mr. Carroll says he told his neighbor he went through “something like this” and predicted it is “going to be great.”

Mr. Ballmer says he is weighing casual offers as varied as university teaching and coaching his youngest son’s high-school basketball team. He plans no big decisions for at least six months—except that he won’t run another big company. He says he’s open to remaining a Microsoft director.

At a recent executive meeting, he perched on a stool to review developments. His third slide was labeled “New CEO.”

“Not a soul in this room doesn’t think we need to go through this transition,” he said. As he stood up, his voice started to crack: “As much as I wish I could stay your CEO, I still own a big chunk of Microsoft, and I’m going to keep it.”

He walked back toward the stool, then turned around and said in a near-whisper: “Please take good care of Microsoft.”

You could read also Reporter’s Notebook: Two Days With Steve Ballmer [The Wall Street Journal, Nov 15, 2013] ending this way:

… This summer when he was deciding whether to step down, Mr. Ballmer quietly met with big institutional investors in Boston and San Francisco. The head of one big institution told him, “Microsoft would be better served with you gone.” Mr. Ballmer, who’s the second largest individual shareholder, knew the investor might get his wish. Yet, he argued, “Who cares more about Microsoft than I do? I own a lot. It’s my life.”

And that showed how his emotions alternate between bluster and wistfulness. The deed is done, the decision has been made, a new CEO is imminent. But Mr. Ballmer is struggling because Microsoft has been so much more than a job … as he said, “my life.”

My closing remarks:

The next CEO problem to be solved is definitely the #1 issue for the future of the Microsoft
The #2 issue is how successfully the Unique Nokia assets (from factories to global device distribution & sales, and the Asha sub $100 smartphone platform etc.) will now empower the One Microsoft devices and services strategy [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 3, 2013] for which the Microsoft answers to the questions about Nokia devices and services acquisition: tablets, Windows downscaling, reorg effects, Windows Phone OEMs, cost rationalization, ‘One Microsoft’ empowerment, and supporting developers for an aggressive growth in market share [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 4, 2013] is providing an interim answer, i.e. till the arrival of the new CEO
The #3 isssue is How the device play will unfold in the new Microsoft organization? [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 14, 2013]. If Stephen Elop, former CEO of Nokia, and a previous senior executive of Microsoft, will become the next CEO then Minutes of a high-octane but also expert evangelist CEO: Stephen Elop, Nokia [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 13, 2013] could provide some clue for changes to be expected as a strategic evolution of the current one described in the already mentioned [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 14, 2013]. Even in case when he will not be selected by the Microsoft board as the next CEO he will have very strong influence on the device play for the initial first year integration of the acquired Nokia businesses into Microsoft, for very simple reason, that nobody could do this, and a successfull integration is a higher priority, #2 issue.
Strategically, however, the most important issue is the

Microsoft reorg for delivering/supporting high-value experiences/activities [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 11, 2013]

Everything else which might be a crucial issue during this process is highly controversial, without any official clues from Microsoft or any other stakeholder sources. The most controversial among all of them is the issue of non-profitable and/or not necessarily integral to Microsoft businesses. These are the Bing and the Xbox businesses. The range of external opinions is extremely large with investment circles firmly believing that neither Bing nor Xbox are inherently integral to Microsoft, and most of the external development community with an exacly opposite belief of those businesses being inherently internal.
My personal opinion is that with spin-off both extremes could be served sufficiently well, and even open completely new business development opportunities for both Bing and Xbox to grow substantially faster and bigger than otherwise. I would be especially enthusiastic for an Xbox spin-off as that business is already (with upcoming Oct 22 introduction of Xbox One) not a gaming console, but an entertainment ecosystem type of business. As such it would get enormous growth opportunities with its spin-off from the tightly integrated Microsoft mother ship.
The ultimate issue for me, however, is how the currently quite crippled and/or bureaucratic marketing machinery of Microsoft could be completely overhauled as part of Nokia integration, and how fast that could be achieved, if any? I mean a new marketing machinery which is thriving on the huge number of opportunities provided by already delivered game-changing products and technologies, instead of not understanding them at all. I mean not simply an ability to produce videos like the one in the beginning of this post, but a competency to produce whole storyboards for production of such videos and other communication materials. One might call it “high-octane marketing” for simplicity. Even more I envisage such integration of the marketing activities into the whole supply chain management (SCM) as is done in Samsung. See my Samsung has unbeatable supply chain management, it is incredibly good in everything which is consumer hardware, but vulnerability remains in software and M&A [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 11, 2013] post for that, from which I will copy the following illustration here as well:

Xamarin: C# developers of native “business” and “mobile workforce” applications now can easily work cross-platform, for Android and iOS clients as well

November 15, 2013 2:25 pm / 1 Comment on Xamarin: C# developers of native “business” and “mobile workforce” applications now can easily work cross-platform, for Android and iOS clients as well

… while other cross-platform applications, i.e. “applications for consumers only” are prohibited for C# developers by the still high price of Xamarin, which essentially applies to indie and start-up developers only

The mobile application development technology behind this, from the cloud to the clients, was extensively covered in Windows Phone 8: getting much closer to a unified development platform with Windows 8 [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 8, 2012] post of mine (including the cross-platform possibilities with Xamarin already), and then continued in Windows Azure becoming an unbeatable offering on the cloud computing market [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 28, 2013] and Microsoft partners empowered with ‘cloud first’, high-value and next-gen experiences for big data, enterprise social, and mobility on wide variety of Windows devices and Windows Server + Windows Azure + Visual Studio as the platform [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 10, 2013] posts for the cloud part.

Note: Decide for yourself how that “consumers only applications by indie and start-up developers” type of exclusion will effect the cross platform development needs, after you take a look at the current state of the evolution of smartphone and tablet markets:

Q3’13 smartphone and overall mobile phone markets: Android smartphones surpassed 80% of the market, with Samsung increasing its share to 32.1% against Apple’s 12.1% only; while Nokia achieved a strong niche market position both in “proper” (Lumia) and “de facto” (Asha Touch) smartphones
[‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 14, 2013]

The tablet market in Q1-Q3’13: It was mainly shaped by white-box vendors while Samsung was quite successfully attacking both Apple and the white-box vendors with triple digit growth both worldwide and in Mainland China
[‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Nov 14, 2013]

Details

For one of the problems solved now by Microsoft see my Obstacles for .NET on other platforms [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Oct 15, 2013] post.

To understand what is the situation now I will start with:

Phil Haack working at GitHub “doing crazy”:

In: Cross Platform .NET Just A Lot Got Better [Haacked blog, Nov 13, 2013]

Not long ago I wrote a blog post about how platform restrictions harm .NET. This led to a lot of discussion online and on Twitter. At some point David Kean suggested a more productive approach would be to create a UserVoice issue. So I did and it quickly gathered a lot of votes.

…

Phil Haack – Customer Feedback for Microsoft http://visualstudio.uservoice.com/users/40986152-phil-haack:

Remove the platform restriction on Microsoft NuGet packages 4,929 votes
Phil Haack shared this idea and gave it 3 votes · Sep 26, 2013

COMPLETED · Visual Studio team (Product Team, Microsoft) responded
Thanks a lot for this suggestion and all the votes.

We’re happy to announce that we’ve removed the Windows-only restriction from our license. We’ve applied this new license to most of our packages and will continue to use this license moving forward.

Here is our announcement:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dotnet/archive/2013/11/13/pcl-and-net-nuget-libraries-are-now-enabled-for-xamarin.aspx

For reference, the license for stable packages can be found here:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=329770

Thanks,
Immo Landwerth
Program Manager, .NET Framework Team

Phil Haack commented · Nov 13, 2013

Amazing! Thanks! This is great!

Bravo!

Serious Kudos to the .NET team for this. It looks like most of the interesting PCL packages are now licensed without platform restrictions. As an example of how this small change sends out ripples of goodness, we can now make Octokit.net depend on portable HttpClient and make Octokit.net itself more cross platform and portable without a huge amount of work.

I’m also excited about the partnership between Microsoft and Xamarin this represents. I do believe C# is a great language for cross-platform development and it’s good to see Microsoft jumping back on board with this. This is a marked change from the situation I wrote about in 2012.

then will go to S. Somasegar, Corporate Vice President of the Developer Division at Microsoft:

In: Visual Studio 2013 Launch: Announcing Visual Studio Online [Somasegar’s blog, Nov 13, 2013]

… Microsoft and Xamarin are collaborating to help .NET developers broaden the reach of their applications to additional devices, including iOS and Android …

…

Partner News

With today’s launch of Visual Studio 2013, we have 123 products from 74 partners available already as Visual Studio 2013 extensions. As part of an ecosystem of developer tools experiences, Visual Studio continues to be a platform for delivering a great breadth of developer experiences.

Xamarin

The devices and services transformation is driving developers to think about how they will build applications that reach the greatest breadth of devices and end-user experiences. We’ve offered great HTML-based cross platform development experiences in Visual Studio with ASP.NET and JavaScript. But our .NET developers have also asked us how they can broaden the reach of their applications and skills.

Today, I am excited to announce a broad collaboration between Microsoft and Xamarin. Xamarin’s solution enables developers to leverage Visual Studio, Windows Azure and .NET to further extend the reach of their business applications across multiple devices, including iOS and Android.

The collaboration between Xamarin and Microsoft brings several benefits for developers today. First, as an initial step in a technical partnership, Xamarin’s next release that is being announced today will support Portable Class Libraries, enabling developers to share libraries and components across a breadth of Microsoft and non-Microsoft platforms. Second, Professional, Premium and Ultimate MSDN subscribers will have access to exclusive benefits for getting started with Xamarin, including new training resources, extended evaluation access to Xamarin’s Visual Studio integration and special pricing on Xamarin products.

…

followed by the Microsoft and Xamarin Partner Globally to Enable Microsoft Developers to Develop Native iOS and Android Apps With C# and Visual Studio [Xamarin press release, Nov 13, 2013]

Xamarin, the company that empowers developers to build fully native apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac from a single shared code base, today announced a global collaboration with Microsoft that makes it easy for mobile developers to build native mobile apps for all major platforms in Visual Studio. Xamarin is the only solution that unifies native iOS, Android and Windows app development in Visual Studio—bridging one of the largest developer bases in the world to the most successful mobile device platforms.

A highly competitive app marketplace and the consumerization of IT have put tremendous pressure on developers to deliver high quality mobile user experiences for both consumers and employees. A small bug or crash can lead to permanent app abandonment or poor reviews. Device fragmentation, with hundreds of devices on the market for iOS and Android alone, multiplies testing efforts resulting in a time-consuming and costly development process. This is further complicated by faster release cycles for mobile, necessitating more stringent and efficient regression testing.

The collaboration spans three areas:

A technical collaboration to better integrate Xamarin technology with Microsoft developer tools and services.
Aligned with this goal, Xamarin is a SimShip partner for Visual Studio 2013, releasing same-day support for Microsoft’s latest Visual Studio release that launched today. In addition, Xamarin has released today full integration for Microsoft’s Portable Library projects in iOS and Android apps, making it easier than ever for developers to share code across devices.
Xamarin’s recently launched Xamarin University is now free to MSDN subscribers. The training course helps developers become successful with native iOS and Android development over the course of 30 days. Classes for the $1,995 program kick off in January 2014, with a limited number of seats available at no cost for MSDN subscribers.
MSDN subscribers have exclusive trial and pricing options to Xamarin subscriptions for individuals and teams.

Get a 90-day trial to Xamarin, sign up for Xamarin University for free (normally $1,995), and save 30-50% on Xamarin with special MSDN pricing.
All the productivity you love in Visual Studio and C#,
on iOS and Android.

The broad collaboration between Microsoft and Xamarin which we announced today is targeted at supporting developers interested in extending their applications across multiple devices, said S. Somasegar, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Corporation. With Xamarin, developers combine all of the productivity benefits of C#, Visual Studio 2013 and Windows Azure with the flexibility to quickly build for multiple device targets.

According to Gartner, by 2016, 70 percent of the mobile workforce will have a smartphone, half of which will be purchased by the employee, and 90 percent of enterprises will have two or more platforms to support. Faced with high expectations for mobile user experiences and the pressures of BYOD, companies and developers alike are looking for scalable ways to migrate business practices and customer interactions to high-performance, native apps on multiple platforms.

To meet this need to support heterogeneous mobile environments, Microsoft and Xamarin are making it easy for developers to mobilize their existing skills and code. By standardizing mobile app development with Xamarin and C#, developers are able to share on average 75 percent of their source code across device platforms, while still delivering fully native apps. Xamarin supports 100 percent of both iOS and Android APIs—anything that can be done in Objective-C or Java can be done in C# with Xamarin.

In just two years, Xamarin has amassed a community of over 440,000 developers in 70 countries, more than 20,000 paying accounts and a network of over 120 consulting partners globally.

We live in a multi-platform world, and by embracing Xamarin, Microsoft is enabling its developer community to thrive as mobile developers, said Nat Friedman, CEO and cofounder, Xamarin. Our collaboration with Microsoft will accelerate enterprise mobility for millions of developers.

The groundbreaking partnership was announced as part of the Visual Studio Live 2013 launch event in New York City. In addition, Xamarin and Microsoft have teamed up with the popular podcast, .NET Rocks!, for a 20-city nationwide road show featuring live demos on how to use Visual Studio 2013, Xamarin and Windows Azure to build and scale mobile apps for iOS, Android and Windows. For a full list of cities and to sign up for an event, please visit: xamarin.com/modern-apps-roadshow

About Xamarin
Xamarin is the new standard for enterprise mobile development. No other platform enables businesses to reach all major devices—iOS, Android, Mac and Windows—with 100 percent fully native apps from a single code base. With Xamarin, businesses standardize mobile app development in C#, share on average 75 percent source code across platforms, and leverage their existing skills, teams, tools and code to rapidly deliver great apps with broad reach. Xamarin is used by over 430,000 developers from more than 100 Fortune 500 companies and over 20,000 paying customers including Clear Channel, Bosch, McKesson, Halliburton, Cognizant, GitHub, Rdio and WebMD, to accelerate the creation of mission-critical consumer and enterprise apps. For more information, please visit: xamarin.com, read our blog, and follow us on Twitter @xamarinhq.

as well as the PCL and .NET NuGet Libraries are now enabled for Xamarin [.NET Framework Blog, Nov 13, 2013] post

Earlier today, Soma announced a collaboration between Microsoft and Xamarin. As you probably know, Xamarin’s Visual Studio extension enables developers to use VS and .NET to extend the reach of their apps across multiple devices, including iOS and Android. As part of that collaboration, today, we are announcing two releases around the .NET portable class libraries (PCLs) that support this collaboration:

We are making portable Microsoft .NET NuGet libraries available under a new license that enables use on all platforms. This includes HttpClient, Immutable Collections, SignalR, ODataLib and several others. Beyond that, we intend to use this license going forward.
We are also making the RTM version of the portable reference assemblies available for use on all platforms. This announcement builds on the announcement we made a month ago around the RC release of these reference assemblies.

Microsoft .NET NuGet Libraries Released

Today we released the following portable libraries with our new license, on NuGet.org:

Async for .NET Framework 4, Silverlight 4 and 5, and Windows Phone 7.5 and 8
Microsoft ASP.NET SignalR .NET Client
Microsoft BCL Build Components
Microsoft BCL Portability Pack
Microsoft Composition
Microsoft Compression
Microsoft HTTP Client Libraries
Microsoft Immutable Collections
ODataLib

You can now start using these libraries with Xamarin tools, either directly or as the dependencies of portable libraries that you reference.

We also took the opportunity to apply the same license to Microsoft .NET NuGet libraries, which aren’t fully portable today, like Entity Framework and all of the Microsoft AspNet packages. These libraries target the full .NET Framework, so they’re not intended to be used with Xamarin’s iOS and Android tools (just like they don’t target Windows Phone or Windows Store).

These releases will enable significantly more use of these common libraries across Windows and non-Windows platforms, including in open source projects.

Cross-platform app developers can now use PCL

Portable class libraries are a great option for app developers building for Microsoft platforms in Visual Studio, to share key business functionality across Microsoft platforms. Many developers use the PCL technology today, for example, to share app logic across Windows Store and Windows Phone. Today’s announcement enables developers using Xamarin’s tools to share these libraries as well.

In Visual Studio, you’ll continue to use Portable Class Library projects but will be able to reference them from within Xamarin’s tools for VS. That means that you can write rich cross-platform libraries and take advantage of them from all of your .NET apps.

The following image demonstrates an example set of .NET NuGet library references that you can use within one of your portable libraries. The .NET NuGet libraries will enable new scenarios and great new libraries built on top of them.

You can build cross-platform libraries with .NET

This announcement also benefits .NET developers writing reusable and open source libraries. You’ve probably used some of these libraries, for example Json.NET. These developers have been very vocal about wanting this change. This announcement greatly benefits those library developers, enabling them to leverage our portable libraries in their libraries.

Getting started with portable libraries and Xamarin

You can start by building portable libraries in Visual Studio, as you can see in the screenshot above. You can take advantage of the portable libraries that we released today. Write code!

You’ll need an updated NuGet client, to take advantage of this new scenario. Make sure that you are using NuGet 2.7.2 or higher, or just download the latest NuGet for your VS version from the Installing NuGet page.

We are working closely with Xamarin to ensure that our NuGet libraries work well with Xamarin tools, as well as PCL generally. Please tell us if you find any issues. We’ll get them resolved and post them to our known issues page.

Thank You

Thank you for the feedback on UserVoice. With today’s announcement, we can mark the request to Remove the platform restriction on Microsoft NuGet packages as complete. Thanks to Phil Haack for filing the issue. Coupled with our collaboration with Xamarin, .NET developers have some compelling tools, especially for targeting mobile devices.

Both Microsoft and Xamarin want to see this scenario succeed. We’d love your feedback. Please tell us how the new features are working for you.

This post was written by Rich Lander, a Program Manager on the .NET Team.

[Some] Comments

Immo Landwerth [MSFT] 13 Nov 2013 1:24 PM

Thanks a lot for the kind words!

@Curt: We absolutely understand that PCL support in Visual Studio express editions is super important to many of our developers. That’s why it’s on our list. However, I can’t promise that we actually end up delivering it in the VS 2013 time frame. As you’ve seen today, there is a lot of great stuff going on and resources are always more scarce than one would hope.

Gz 14 Nov 2013 4:19 AM

Xamarin is great but their pricing is insane! even with the MSDN discount. We’re a tiny start-up development house that has benefited from the MS BizSpark programme and we simply cannot stretch to paying out a thousand bucks per platform, per year, per developer – mobile isn’t even a revenue generator for us – it would merely be extending some functionality from our main apps to mobile and we’d give it to customers for free. I know they have a free & an indie edition blah blah blah but we wanna work in VS. The good news is that Xamarin will soon have a competitor in this space that could potentially blow them out of the water with full VS support and direct access to native APIs on each platform (iOS, Android & Mac) and their pricing will be less than 1/3rd of Xamarin’s. I’ve been sworn to secrecy about it but expect to have a cost-effective Xamarin alternative before the end of the year. (No I don’t work for the company, just got some info about it recently).

Stilgar 14 Nov 2013 8:30 AM

I second the need for PCLs in Express editions. Otherwise your company’s constant claims that the tooling for Windows 8 and Windows Phone development is free is pure hypocrisy.

and end finally with New and improved EULA! [WCF Data Services Blog, Nov 13, 2013] post:

TL;DR: You can now (legally) use our .NET OData client and ODataLib on Android and iOS.

Backstory

For a while now we have been working with our legal team to improve the terms you agree to when you use one of our libraries (WCF Data Services, our OData client, or ODataLib). A year and a half ago, we announced that our EULA would include a redistribution clause. With the release of WCF Data Services 5.6.0, we introduced portable libraries for two primary reasons:

Portable libraries reduce the amount of duplicate code and #ifdefs in our code base.

Portable libraries increase our reach through third-party tooling like Xamarin (more on that later).

It took some work to get there, and we had to make some sacrifices along the way, but we are now focused exclusively on portable libraries for client-side code. Unfortunately, our EULA still contained a clause that prevented the redistributable code from being legally used on a platform other than Windows.

OData and Xamarin: Extending developer reach to many platforms

We are really excited about Microsoft’s new collaboration with Xamarin. As Soma says, this collaboration will allow .NET developers to broaden the reach of their applications and skills. This has long been the mantra of OData – a standardized ecosystem of services and consumers that enables consumers on any platform to easily consume services developed on any platform. This collaboration will make it much easier to write a shared code base that allows consumption of OData on Windows, Android or iOS.

EULA change

To fully enable this scenario, we needed to update our EULA. We, along with several other teams at Microsoft, are rolling out a new EULA today that has relaxed the distribution requirements. Most importantly, we removed the clause that prevented redistributable code from being used on Android and iOS.

The new EULA is effective immediately for all of our NuGet packages. This means that (even though we already released 5.6.0) you can create a Xamarin project today, take a new dependency on our OData client, and legally run that application on any platform you wish.

Thanks

As always, we really appreciate your feedback. It frequently takes us some time to react, but the credit for this change is due entirely to customer feedback. We hear you. Keep it coming.

Thanks,
The OData Team

Amazon Web Services not only achieved the clear and far dominant leader status in the Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (Cloud IaaS) market, but “the balance of new projects are going to AWS, not the other providers” – according to Gartner

October 28, 2013 5:09 pm / 3 Comments on Amazon Web Services not only achieved the clear and far dominant leader status in the Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (Cloud IaaS) market, but “the balance of new projects are going to AWS, not the other providers” – according to Gartner

According to the latest analysis by Gartner, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is:

“overwhelmingly the dominant vendor” of the Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (Cloud IaaS) market
a clear leader, with more than five times the compute capacity in use than the aggregate total of the other fourteen providers included in the so called Magic Quadrant (MQ)
appreciated for “innovative, exceptionally agile and very responsive to the market and the richest IaaS product portfolio” which puts AWS into a quite far ahead position even against CSC, the only other in the Leaders quadrant currently

In addition Amazon Web Services has come up in July with a price cut that reaches 80% on its EC2 cloud computing platform.

Note that Gartner’s ranking is a complex evaluation, based on various point of views deemed to be most important from vendor-supplier point of view (see in the 3d party explanation of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant included in the Details part). It is not based on any kind of banchmarking, not even those run buy customers according to their specific application requirements. Therefore it is a well know fact that from pure cloud engineering point of view, especially in terms of focussed benchmarks Amazon EC2 is far from being a leader. The latest example of that:

About the Test

UnixBench runs a set of individual benchmark tests, aggregates the scores, and creates a final, indexed score to gauge the performance of UNIX-like systems,which include Linux and its distributions (Ubuntu, CentOS, and Red Hat). From the Unixbench homepage:

The purpose of UnixBench is to provide a basic indicator of the performance of a Unix-like system; hence, multiple tests are used to test various aspects of the system’s performance. These test results are then compared to the scores from a baseline system to produce an index value, which is generally easier to handle than the raw scores. The entire set of index values is then combined to make an overall index for the system.

The UnixBench suite used for these tests ran tests that include: Dhrystone 2, Double-precision Whetstone, numerous File Copy tests, Pipe Throughput, ProcessCreation, Shell Scripts, System Call Overhead, and Pipe-based Context Switching.

Price-Performance Value: The CloudSpecs Score

The CloudSpecs score calculates the relationship between the cost of a virtual server per hour and the performance average seen from each provider. The scores are relational to each other; e.g., if Provider A scores 50 and Provider B scores 100, then Provider B delivers 2x the performance value in terms of cost. The highest value provider will always receive a score of 100, and every additional provider is pegged in relation to that score. The calculation is:

(Provider Average Performance Score) / (Provider Cost per Hour) = VALUE
The largest VALUE is then taken as the denominator to peg other VALUES.
[(Provider’s VALUE) / (Largest VALUE)] * 100 = CloudSpecs Score (CS Score)

Source: IaaS Price Performance Analysis: Top 14 Cloud Providers – A study of performance among the Top 14 public cloud infrastructure providers [Cloud Spectator and the Cloud Advisory Council, Oct 15, 2013] where—in addition of Unixbench—even more focussed benchmark results are reported as well from the Phoronix Test Suite (i.e. one of benchmark suites in PTS):
– For ‘”CPU Performance” the 7-Zip File Compression benchmark which runs p7zip’s integrated benchmark feature to calculate the number of instructions a CPUcan handle per second (measured in millions of instructions per second, or MIPS) when compressing a file
– For “Disk Performance” the Dbench benchmark which can be used to stress a filesystem or a server to see which workload it becomes saturated and can also be used for prediction analysis to determine “How many concurrent clients/applications performing this workload can my server handle before response starts to lag?” It is an open source benchmark that contains only file-system calls for testing the disk performance. For the purpose of comparing disk performance, write results are recorded.
– For “RAM Performance” the RAMspeed/SMP which is a memory performance benchmark for multi-processor machines running UNIX-like operating systems, which include Linux and its distributions(Ubuntu, CentOS, and Red Hat). Within the RAMspeed/SMP suite, the Phoronix Test Suite conducts benchmarks using a set of Copy, Scale, Add, and Triad testsfrom the *mem benchmarks (INTmem, FLOATmem, MMXmem, and SSEmem) in BatchRun mode to enable high-precision memory performance measurementthrough multiple passes with averages calculated per pass and per run.
– For “Internal Network” the Iperf benchmark which is a tool used to measure bandwidth performance. For the purpose of this benchmark, Cloud Spectator set up 2 virtual machines within thesame availability zone/data center to measure internal network throughput.

Amazon EC2 performed “equally bad” in these particular bechnmarks. Check the published report.

THE DETAILS BEHIND

The 2013 Cloud IaaS Magic Quadrant [by Lydia Leong on Gartner blog, Aug 21, 2013]

Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure as a Service, 2013, has just been released (see the client-only interactive version, or the free reprint). Gartner clients can also consult the related charts, which summarize the offerings, features, and data center locations.

the best image obtained from the web:

We’re now updating this Magic Quadrant on a nine-month basis, and quite a bit has changed since the 2012 update (see the client-only 2012, or the free 2012 reprint).

In particular, market momentum has strongly favored Amazon Web Services. Many organizations have now had projects on AWS for several years, even if they hadn’t considered themselves to have “done anything serious” on AWS. Thus, as those organizations get serious about cloud computing, AWS is their incumbent provider — there are relatively few truly greenfield opportunities in cloud IaaS now. Many Gartner clients now actually have multiple incumbent providers (the most common combination is AWS and Terremark), but nearly all such customers tell us that the balance of new projects are going to AWS, not the other providers.

Little by little, AWS has systematically addressed the barriers to “mainstream”, enterprise adoption. While it’s still far from everything that it could be, and it has some specific and significant weaknesses, that steady improvement over the last couple of years has brought it to the “good enough” point. While we saw much stronger momentum for AWS than other providers in 2012, 2013 has really been a tipping point. We still hear plenty of interest in competitors, but AWS is overwhelmingly the dominant vendor.

At the same time, many vendors have developed relatively solid core offerings. That means that the number of differentiators in the market has decreased, as many features become common “table stakes” features that everyone has. It means that most offerings from major vendors are now fairly decent, but only a few are really stand out for their capabilities.

That leads to an unusual Magic Quadrant, in which the relative strength of AWS in both Vision and Execution essentially forces the whole quadrant graphic to rescale. (To build an MQ, analysts score providers relative to each other, on all of the formal evaluation criteria, and the MQ tool automatically plots the graphic; there is no manual adjustment of placements.) That leaves you with centralized compression of all of the other vendors, with AWS hanging out in the upper right-hand corner.

Note that a Magic Quadrant is an evaluation of a vendor in the market; the actually offering itself is only a portion of the overall score. I’ll be publishing a Critical Capabilities research note in the near future that evaluates one specific public cloud IaaS offering from each of these vendors, against its suitability for a set of specific use cases. My colleagues Kyle Hilgendorf and Chris Gaun have also been publishing extremely detailed technical evaluations of individual offerings — AWS, Rackspace, and Azure, so far.

A Magic Quadrant is a tremendous amount of work — for the vendors as well as for the analyst team (and our extended community of peers within Gartner, who review and comment on our findings). Thanks to everyone involved. I know this year’s placements came as disappointments to many vendors, despite the tremendous hard work that they put into their offerings and business in this past year, but I think the new MQ iteration reflects the cold reality of a market that is highly competitive and is becoming even more so.

A 3d party explanation of the GARTNER IaaS MAGIC QUADRANT 2013 [cloud☁mania, Aug 29, 2013]

Gartner just released the 2013 update of his traditionally Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Here are some consideration about the evaluation methodology and MQ players.

In the context of this Magic Quadrant, IaaS is defined by Gartner as “a standardized, highly automated offering, where compute resources, complemented by storage and networking capabilities, are owned by a service provider and offered to the customer on demand. The resources are scalable and elastic in near-real-time, and metered by use. Self-service interfaces are exposed directly to the customer, including a Web-based UI and API optionally. The resources may be single-tenant or multitenant, and hosted by the service provider or on-premises in the customer’s datacentre.”

To be included in Magic Quadrant IaaS providers should target enterprise and midmarket customers, offering high-quality services, with excellent availability, good performance, high security and good customer support. For each IaaS provider included in MQ Gartner is offering deep description related to services offer like: datacentre locations, computing issues, storage & network features, special notes, and recommended users. Also deep comments about Strengths & Caution in Cloud adoption are offered for each IaaS provider, despite the MQ positioning.

Gartner Magic Quadrant for IaaS is a more than eloquent picture of actual status of IaaS major players. IaaS market momentum is strongly dominated by Amazon Web Services both Vision and Execution essentially directions. According Garner analysts, AWS is a clear leader, with more than five times the compute capacity in use than the aggregate total of the other fourteen providers included in MQ. AWS is appreciated for “innovative, exceptionally agile and very responsive to the market and the richest IaaS product portfolio”.

The Leaders Quadrant is positioning CSC as second player, a traditional IT outsourcer with a broad range of datacentre outsourcing capabilities. CSC is appreciated for his commitment to embrace the highly standardized cloud model, and his solid platform attractive to traditional IT operations organizations that still want to retain control, but need to offer greater agility to the business

The Challengers Quadrant is including Verizon Terremark – the market share leader in VMware-virtualized public cloud IaaS, Dimension Data – a large SI and VAR entering in the cloud IaaS market through the 2011 acquisition of OpSource, and Savvis – a CenturyLink company with a long track record of leadership in the hosting market.

Big surprise for Visionaries Quadrant is the comfortable positioning of Microsoft with his Windows Azure platform. Previously strictly PaaS, Azure is becoming IaaS also in April 2013 when Microsoft launched Windows Azure Infrastructure Services which include Virtual Machines and Virtual Networks. Microsoft place in Visionary Quadrant is motivated by Gartner by the global vision of infrastructure and platform services “that are not only leading stand-alone offerings, but also seamlessly extend and interoperate with on-premises Microsoft infrastructure (rooted in Hyper-V, Windows Server, Active Directory and System Center) and applications, as well as Microsoft’s SaaS offerings.”

Between the IaaS providers from the Niche Players Quadrant, we have to note the presence of heawy playes triade:IBM, HP, and Fujitsu. Gartner appreciate IBM for his wide range of cloud-related products and services, IaaS MQ analyse including only cloud offering from SmartCloud Enterprise (SCE) and cloud-enabled infrastructure service IBM SmartCloud Enterprise+. In the same way, from HP’s range of cloud-related products and services Gartner is considered only HP Public Cloud and some cloud-enabled infrastructure services, such HP Enterprise Services Virtual Private Cloud. Fujitsu is one of the few non-American cloud providers, being appreciated by Gartner for the large cloud IaaS offerings, including the Fujitsu Cloud IaaS Trusted Public S5 (formerly the Fujitsu Global Cloud Platform), multiple regional offerings based on a global reference architecture (Fujitsu Cloud IaaS Private Hosted, formerly known as Fujitsu Local Cloud Platform), and multiple private cloud offerings, especially in Asia-Pacific area and Europe.

Speaking about non-America regions we should observe that significant European-based providers like CloudSigma, Colt, Gigas, Orange Business Services, OVH and Skyscape Cloud Services was not included in this Magic Quadrant. The same for Asia/Pacific region with major players like Datapipe, NTT and Tata Communications.

Gartner considered also two offerings that are currently in beta stage, and therefore could not be included in this evaluation, but could be considered as prospective players of next MQ edition: Google Compute Engine (GCE) – a model similar to Amazon EC2′s, and VMware vCloud Hybrid Service (vCHS) – a full-featured offering with more functionality than vCloud Datacenter Service.

Additional Gartner blog posts related to that:

Cloud IaaS market share and the developer-centric world [by Lydia Leong on Gartner blog, Sept 4, 2013]

Bernard Golden recently wrote a CIO.com blog post in response to my announcement of Gartner’s 2013 Magic Quadrant for Cloud IaaS. He raised a number of good questions that I thought it would be useful to address. This is part 1 of my response. (See part 2 for more.)

(Broadly, as a matter of Gartner policy, analysts do not debate Magic Quadrant results in public, and so I will note here that I’m talking about the market, and not the MQ itself.)

Bernard: “Why is there such a distance between AWS’s offering and everyone else’s?”

In the Magic Quadrant, we rate not only the offering itself in its current state, but also a whole host of other criteria — the roadmap, the vendor’s track record, marketing, sales, etc. (You can go check out the MQ document itself for those details.) You should read the AWS dot positioning as not just indicating a good offering, but also that AWS has generally built itself into a market juggernaut. (Of course, AWS is still far from perfect, and depending on your needs, other providers might be a better fit.)

But Bernard’s question can be rephrased as, “Why does AWS have so much greater market share than everyone else?”

Two years ago, I wrote two blog posts that are particularly relevant here:

Common Service Provider Myths About Cloud Infrastructure
In Cloud IaaS, Developers are the Face of Business Buyers

These posts were followed up wih two research notes (links are Gartner clients only):

New Entrants to the Cloud IaaS Market Face Tough Competitive Challenges
How Buyers Purchase Cloud IaaS

I have been beating the “please don’t have contempt for developers” drum for a while now. (I phrase it as “contempt” because it was often very clear that developers were seen as lesser, not real buyers doing real things — merely ignoring developers would have been one thing, but contempt is another.) But it’s taken until this past year before most of the “enterprise class” vendors acknowledged the legitimacy of the power that developers now hold.

Many service providers held tight to the view espoused by their traditional IT operations clientele: AWS was too dangerous, it didn’t have sufficient infrastructure availability, it didn’t perform sufficiently well or with sufficient consistency, it didn’t have enough security, it didn’t have enough manageability, it didn’t have enough governance, it wasn’t based on VMware — and it didn’t look very much like an enterprise’s data center architecture. The viewpoint was that IT operations would continue to control purchases, implementations would be relatively small-scale and would be built on traditional enterprise technologies, and that AWS would never get to the point that they’d satisfy traditional IT operations folks.

What they didn’t count on was the fact that developers, and the business management that they ultimately serve, were going to forge on ahead without them. Or that AWS would steadily improve its service and the way it did business, in order to meet the needs of the traditional enterprise. (My colleagues in GTP — the Gartner division that was Burton Group — do a yearly evaluation of AWS’s suitability for the enterprise, and each year, AWS gets steadily, materially better. Clients: see the latest.)

Today, AWS’s sheer market share speaks for itself. And it is definitely not just single developers with a VM or two, start-ups, or non-mission-critical stuff. Through the incredible amount of inquiry we take at Gartner, we know how cloud IaaS buyers think, source, succeed, and sometimes suffer. And every day at Gartner, we talk to multiple AWS customers (or prospects considering their options, though many have already bought something on the click-through agreement). Most are traditional enterprises of the G2000 variety (including some of the largest companies in the world), but over the last year, AWS has finally cracked the mid-market by working with systems integrator partners. The projected spend levels are clearly increasing dramatically, the use cases are extremely broad, the workloads increasingly have sensitive data and regulatory compliance concerns, and customers are increasingly thinking of AWS as a strategic vendor.

(Now, as my colleagues who cover the traditional data center like to point out, the spend levels are still trivial compared to what these customers are spending on the rest of their data center IT, but I think what’s critical here is the shift in thinking about where they’ll put their money in the future, and their desire to pick a strategic vendor despite how relatively early-stage the market is.)

But put another way — it is not just that AWS advanced its offering, but it convinced the market that this is what they wanted to buy (or at least that it was a better option than the other offerings), despite the sometimes strange offering constructs. They essentially created demand in a new type of buyer — and they effectively defined the category. And because they’re almost always first to market with a feature — or the first to make the market broadly aware of that capability — they force nearly all of their competitors into playing catch-up and me-too.

That doesn’t mean that the IT operations buyer isn’t important, or that there aren’t an array of needs that AWS does not address well. But the vast majority of the dollars spent on cloud IaaS are much more heavily influenced by developer desires than by IT operations concerns — and that means that market share currently favors the providers who appeal to development organizations. That’s an ongoing secular trend — business leaders are currently heavily growth-focused, and therefore demanding lots of applications delivered as quickly as possible, and are willing to spend money and take greater risks in order to obtain greater agility.

This also doesn’t mean that the non-developer-centric service providers aren’t important. Most of them have woken up to the new sourcing pattern, and are trying to respond. But many of them are also older, established organizations, and they can only move so quickly. They also have the comfort of their existing revenue streams, which allow them the luxury of not needing to move so quickly. Many have been able to treat cloud IaaS as an extension of their managed services business. But they’re now facing the threat of systems integrators like Cognizant and Capgemini entering this space, combining application development and application management with managed services on a strategic cloud IaaS provider’s platform — at the moment, normally AWS. Nothing is safe from the broader market shift towards cloud computing.

As always, every individual customer’s situation is different from another’s, and the right thing to do (or the safe, mainstream thing to do) evolves through the years. Gartner is appropriately cautionary when it discusses such things with clients. This is a good time to mention that Magic Quadrant placement is NEVER a good reason to include or exclude a vendor from a short list. You need to choose the vendor that’s right for your use case, and that might be a Niche Player, or even a vendor that’s not on the MQ at all — and even though AWS has the highest overallplacement, they might be completely unsuited to your use case.

Where are the challengers to AWS? [by Lydia Leong on Gartner blog, Sept 4, 2013]

This is part of 2 of my response to Bernard Golden’s recent CIO.com blog post in response to my announcement of Gartner’s 2013 Magic Quadrant for Cloud IaaS. (Part 1 was posted yesterday.)

Bernard: “What skill or insight has allowed AWS to create an offering so superior to others in the market?”

AWS takes a comprehensive view of “what does the customer need”, looks at what customers (whether current customers or future target customers) are struggling with, and tries to address those things. AWS not only takes customer feedback seriously, but it also iterates at shocking speed. And it has been willing to invest massively in engineering. AWS’s engineering organization and the structure of the services themselves allows multiple, parallel teams to work on different aspects of AWS with minimal dependencies on the other teams. AWS had a head start, and with every passing year their engineering lead has grown larger. (Even though they have a significant burden of technical debt from having been first, they’ve also solved problems that competitors haven’t had to yet, due to their sheer scale.)

Many competitors haven’t had the willingness to invest the resources to compete, especially if they think of this business as one that’s primarily about getting a VM fast and that’s all. They’ve failed to understand that this is a software business, where feature velocity matters. You can sometimes manage to put together brilliant, hyper-productive small teams, but this is usually going to get you something that’s wonderful in the scope of what they’ve been able to build, but simply missing the additional capabilities that better-resourced competitors can manage (especially if a competitor can muster both resources and hyper-productivity). There are some awesome smaller companies in this space, though.

Bernard: “Plainly stated, why hasn’t a credible competitor emerged to challenge AWS?”

I think there’s a critical shift happening in the market right now. Three very dangerous competitors are just now entering the market — Microsoft, Google, and VMware. I think the real war for market share is just beginning.

For instance, consider the following, off the cuff, thoughts on those vendors. These are by no means anything more than quick thoughts and not a complete or balanced analysis. I have a forthcoming research note called “Rise of the Cloud IaaS Mega-Vendors” that focuses on this shift in the competitive landscape, and which will profile these four vendors in particular, so stay tuned for more. So, that said:

Microsoft has brand, deep customer relationships, deep technology entrenchment, and a useful story about how all of those pieces are going to fit together, along with a huge army of engineers, and a ton of money and the willingness to spend wherever it gains them a competitive advantage; its weakness is Microsoft’s broader issues as well as the Microsoft-centricity of its story (which is also its strength, of course). Microsoft is likely to expand the market, attracting new customers and use cases to IaaS — including blended PaaS models.

Google has brand, an outstanding engineering team, and unrivaled expertise at operating at scale; its weakness is Google’s usual challenges with traditional businesses (whatever you can say about AWS’s historical struggle with the enterprise, you can say about Google many times over, and it will probably take them at least as long as AWS did to work through that). Google’s share gain will mostly come at the expense of AWS’s base of HPC customers and young start-ups, but it will worm its way into the enterprise via interactive agencies that use its cloud platform; it should have a strong blended PaaS model.

VMware has brand, a strong relationship with IT operations folks, technology it can build on, and a hybrid cloud story to tell; whether or not its enterprise-class technology can scale to global-class clouds remains to be seen, though, along with whether or not it can get its traditional customer base to drive sufficient volume of cloud IaaS. It might expand the market, but it’s likely that much of its share gain will come at the expense of VMware-based “enterprise-class” service providers.

Obviously, it will take these providers some time to build share, and there are other market players who will be involved, including the other providers that are in the market today (and for all of you wondering “what about OpenStack”, I would classify that under the fates of the individual providers who use it). However, if I were to place my bets, it would be on those four at the top of market share, five years from now. They know that this is a software business. They know that innovative capabilities are vitally necessary. And they know that this has turned into a market fixated on developer productivity and business benefits. At least for now, that view is dominating the actual spending in this market.

You can certainly argue that another market outcome should have happened, that users shouldhave chosen differently, or even that users are making poor decisions now that they’ll regret later. That’s an interesting intellectual debate, but at this point, Sisyphus’s rock is rolling rapidly downhill, so anyone who wants to push it back up is going to have an awfully difficult time not getting crushed.

Verizon Cloud is technically innovative, but is it enough? [by Lydia Leong on Gartner blog, Oct 4, 2013]

Verizon Terremark has announced the launch of its new Verizon Cloud service built using its own technology stack.

Verizon already owns a cloud IaaS offering — in fact, it owns several. Terremark was an early AWS competitor with the Terremark Enterprise Cloud, a VMware-based offering that got strong enterprise traction during the early years of this market (and remains the second-most-common cloud provider amongst Gartner’s clients, with many companies using both AWS and Terremark), as well as a vCloud Express offering. Verizon entered the game later with Verizon Compute as a Service (now called Enterprise Cloud Managed Edition), also VMware-based. Since Verizon’s acquisition of Terremark, the company has continued to operate all the existing platforms, and intends to continue to do so for some time to come.

However, Verizon has had the ambition to be a bigger player in cloud; like many other carriers, it believes that network services are a commodity and a carrier needs to have stickier, value-added, higher-up-the-stack services in order to succeed in the future. However, Verizon also understood that it would have to build technology, not depend on other people’s technology, if it wanted to be a truly competitive global-class cloud player versus Amazon (and Microsoft, Google, etc.).

With that in mind, in 2011, Verizon went and made a manquisition — acquiring CloudSwitch not so much for its product (essentially hypervisor-within-a-hypervisor that allows workloads to be ported across cloud infrastructures using different technologies), as for its team. It gave them a directive to go build a cloud infrastructure platform with a global-class architecture that could run enterprise-class workloads, at global-class scale and at fully competitive price points.

Back in 2011, I conceived what I called the on-demand infrastructure fabric (see my blog post No World of Two Clouds, or, for Gartner clients, the research note, Market Trends: Public and Private Cloud Infrastructure Converge into On-Demand Infrastructure Fabrics) — essentially, a global-class infrastructure fabric with self-service selectable levels of availability, performance, and isolation. Verizon is the first company to have really built what I envisioned (though their project predates my note, and my vision was developed independently of any knowledge of what they were doing).

The Verizon Cloud architecture is actually very interesting, and, as far as I know, unique amongst cloud IaaS providers. It is almost purely a software-defined data center. Components are designed at a very low level — a custom hypervisor, SDN augmented with the use of NPUs, virtualized distributed storage. Verizon has generally tried to avoid using components for which they do not have source code. There are very few hardware components — there’s x86 servers, Arista switches, and commodity Flash storage (the platform is all-SSD). The network is flat, and high bandwidth is an expectation (Verizon is a carrier, after all). Oh, and there’s object-based storage, too (which I won’t discuss here).

The Verizon Cloud has a geographically distributed control plane designed for continuous availability, and it, along with the components, are supposed to be updatable without downtime (i.e., maintenance should not impact anything). It’s intended to provide fine-grained performance controls for the compute, network, and storage resource elements. It is also built to allow the user to select fault domains, allowing strong control of resource placement (such as “these two VMs cannot sit on the same compute hardware”); within a fault domain, workloads can be rebalanced in case of hardware failure, thus offering the kind of high availability that’s often touted in VMware-based clouds (including Terremark’s previous offerings). It is also intended to allow dynamic isolation of compute, storage, and networking components, allowing the creation of private clouds within a shared pool of hardware capacity.

The Verizon Cloud is intended to be as neutral as possible — the theory is that all VM hypervisors can run natively on Verizon’s hypervisor, many APIs can be supported (including its own API, the existing Terremark API, and the AWS, CloudStack, and OpenStack APIs), and there’ll be support for the various VM image formats. Initially, the supported hypervisor is a modified Xen. In other words, Verizon wants to take your workloads, wherever you’re running them now, and in whatever form you can export them.

It’s an enormously ambitious undertaking. It is, assuming it all works as promised, a technical triumph — it’s the kind of engineering you expect out of an organization like AWS or Google, or a software company like Microsoft or VMware, not a staid, slow-moving carrier (the mere fact that Verizon managed to launch this is a minor miracle unto itself). It is actually, in a way, what OpenStack might have aspired to be; the delta between this and the OpenStack architecture is, to me, full of sad might-have-beens of what OpenStack had the potential to be, but is not and is unlikely to become. (Then again, service providers have the advantage of engineering to a precisely-controlled environment. OpenStack, and for that matter, VMware, need to run on whatever junk the customer decides to use, instantly making the problem more complex.)

Unfortunately, the question at this stage is: Will anybody care?

Yes, I think this is an important development in the market, and the fact that Verizon is already a credible cloud player in the enterprise, with an entrenched base in the Terremark Enterprise Cloud, will help it. But in a world where developers control most IaaS purchasing, the bare-bones nature of the new Verizon offering means that it falls short of fulfilling the developer desire for greater productivity. In order to find a broader audience, Verizon will need to commit to developing all the richness of value-added capabilities that the market leaders will need — which likely means going after the PaaS market with the same degree of ambition, innovation, and investment, but certainly means committing to rapidly introducing complementing capabilities and bringing a rich ecosystem in the form of a software marketplace and other partnerships. Verizon needs to take advantage of its shiny new IaaS building blocks to rapidly introduce additional capabilities — much like Microsoft is now rapidly introducing new capabilities into Azure.

With that, assuming that this platform performs as designed, and Verizon can continue to treat Terremark’s cloud folks like they belong to a fast-moving start-up and not an ossified pipe provider, Verizon may have a shot at being one of the leaders in this market. Without that, the Verizon Cloud is likely to be relegated to a niche, just like every other provider whose capabilities stop at the level of offering infrastructure resources.

From: Amazon.com Announces Third Quarter Sales up 24% to $17.09 Billion [press release, Oct 24, 2013]

Amazon Web Services (AWS) introduced more than 15 new features and enhancements to its fully managed relational and NoSQL database services. Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) now supports Oracle Statspack performance diagnostics and has expanded MySQL support, including capabilities for zero downtime data migration. Enhancements to Amazon DynamoDB include new cross-region support, a local test tool, and location-based query capabilities.
AWS continued to bolster its management services, making it easier to provision and manage more AWS resources with AWS CloudFormation and AWS OpsWorks, which both added support for Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). AWS also enhanced the AWS Console mobile app and introduced a new Command Line Interface.
AWS continued to gain momentum in the public sector and now has more than 2,400 education institutions and 600 government agencies as customers, including recent new projects with customers such as the U.S. Federal Drug Administration.

THE JULY PRICE CUT

From Amazon.com Announces Second Quarter Sales up 22% to $15.70 Billion [press release, July 25, 2013]

AWS announced it had lowered prices by up to 80% on Amazon EC2 Dedicated Instances, instances that run on single-tenant hardware dedicated to a single customer account. In addition, AWS lowered prices on Amazon RDS instances with On-Demand price reductions of up to 28% and Reserved Instance (RI) price reductions of up to 27%.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) became the first major cloud provider to achieve FedRAMP Compliance which recognizes the ability of AWS to meet extensive security requirements and compliance mandates for running sensitive US government applications and protecting data. FedRAMP certification simplifies and speeds the ability for government agencies to evaluate and adopt AWS for a wide range of applications and workloads.
AWS announced the launch of the AWS Certification Program, which recognizes IT professionals that possess the skills and technical knowledge necessary for building and maintaining applications and services on the AWS Cloud. AWS Certifications help organizations identify candidates and consultants who are proficient at architecting and developing for the cloud.
AWS further enhanced its security and identity management capabilities across several services – introducing resource-level permissions for Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), adding identity federation to AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), extending Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) Server Side Encryption support to Amazon Elastic Map Reduce (EMR), and adding custom SSL certificate support for CloudFront. These enhancements give customers more granular security controls over their AWS deployments, applications and sensitive data.

Et cetera (you can find the AWS highlights in every quarterly release about financials)
All AWS related press releases

Some directly related and general/major previous press releases from that overall list:

December, 2012: Amazon Web Services Introduces New Amazon EC2 High Storage Instance Family
July, 2012: Amazon Web Services Introduces New Amazon EC2 High I/O Instance Type
October, 2008: Amazon Web Services Launches Amazon EC2 for Windows
August, 2008: Amazon Web Services Launches Amazon Elastic Block Store for Amazon EC2

Obstacles for .NET on other platforms

October 15, 2013 7:05 am / Leave a comment

Remove the platform restriction on Microsoft NuGet packages [Customer Feedback for Microsoft from Phil Haack , Sept 26, 2013]

In short, we’re customers of .NET, but we are building apps that also target multiple platforms. Likewise, we release a lot of open source libraries.

We cannot take a dependency on the recently released Immutable Collections for example.

For a more detailed description on why this is good for .NET and good for Microsoft, see: http://haacked.com/archive/2013/06/24/platform-limitations-harm-net.aspx

That is the reference to a very elaborative post Platform Limitations Harm .NET [haacked.com, June 24, 2013] by Phil Haack in resume of whom one can find:

Experience

Dec 11 – Present GitHub
Windows Badass

Making GitHub and Git better for Windows and .NET developers.

Bellevue, WA

Oct 07 – Dec 11 Microsoft
Senior Program Manager

Program manager for the ASP.NET MVC framework and other features of ASP.NET.

Redmond, WA

So when he mentions in his elaborative post the following things one can really understand what kind of corporate complacency (stupidity in fact) really exist in big corporations like Microsoft:

Here’s an excerpt from section 2. c. in the released HttpClient license, emphasis mine:

a. Distribution Restrictions. You may not

alter any copyright, trademark or patent notice in the Distributable Code;
use Microsoft’s trademarks in your programs’ names or in a way that suggests your programs come from or are endorsed by Microsoft;
distribute Distributable Code to run on a platform other than the Windows platform;

…

While developing Windows 8, Microsoft put a ton of energy and focus into a new HTML and JavaScript based development model for Windows 8 applications, at the cost of focus on .NET and C# in that time period.

The end result? From several sources I’ve heard that something like 85% of apps in the Windows app store are C# apps.

Now, I don’t think we’re going to see a bunch of iOS developers suddenly pick up C# in droves and start porting their apps to work on Windows. But there is the next generation to think of. If Windows 8 devices can get enough share to make it worthwhile, it may be easier to convince this next generation of developers to consider C# for their iOS development and port to Windows cheaply. Already, with Xamarin tools, using C# to target iOS is a worlds better environment than Objective-C. I believe iOS developers today tolerate Objective-C because it’s been so successful for them and it was the only game in town. As Xamarin tools get more notice, I don’t think the next generation will tolerate the clumsiness of the Objective-C tools.

…

Licenses for products are based on templates. Typically a product team’s lawyer will grab a template and then modify it. So with ASP.NET MVC 1 and 2, we removed the platform restriction in the EULA. But it looks like the legal team switched to a different license template in ASP.NET MVC 3 and we forgot to remove the restriction. That was never the intention. Shame on past Phil. Present Phil is disappointed.

Now came the news that Portable Class Library (PCL) now available on all platforms [.NET Framework Blog, Oct 14, 2013] in which Rich Lander, a Program Manager on the .NET Team essentially told the community that:

You can build .NET apps across a wide variety of platforms, and the Portable Class Library (PCL) helps you share your code and libraries across .NET platforms. Specifically, the PCL provides a set of common reference assemblies that enable .NET libraries and binaries to be used on any .NET based runtime – from phones, to clients, to servers and clouds.

Prior to today’s release, there was a license restriction with the PCL reference assemblies which meant they could only be used on Windows. With today’s release we are announcing a new standalone release of the PCL reference assemblies with a license that allows it to be used on any platform – including non-Microsoft ones. This enables developers even more flexibility and to do great things with .NET.

…

If you are using VS 2013 you can compile your apps using the portable reference assemblies that are automatically installed as part of it. Today’s standalone release of the PCL provides a ZIP file that includes the same portable reference assemblies that are available in the latest Visual Studio 2013 RC – and which you can use on other platforms (or within other tools). The ZIP file is installed to: %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft .NET Portable Library Reference Assemblies 4.6 RC.

after which there was the following discussion:

Erik Schierboom 14 Oct 2013 7:05 AM

Well this is great news! Delighted to see that we will now be able to run PCL libraries on all platforms.

Rich Lander [MSFT] 14 Oct 2013 7:11 AM

@Erik — This release is for the reference assemblies that we all build PCLs on top of. We are not announcing a change in licensing for our actual PCL NuGet libraries today.

Miguel de Icaza [from Xamarin] 14 Oct 2013 7:11 AM

Erik,

Mono has had PCL support for *consuming/running* the result starting with 3.2.2 I believe. This is about allowing developers to *build* the PCLs on non-Windows platforms.

Bart 14 Oct 2013 10:26 AM

Ok, so this is apparently not what I thought it was.

It cracks me up that you guys reference UserVoice at the end of this and as of yet have ignored the 4th most voted request on UserVoice (visualstudio.uservoice.com/…/4494577-remove-the-platform-restriction-on-microsoft-nuget).

@Rich, does “We are not announcing a change in licensing for our actual PCL NuGet libraries today.” imply that you will be announcing a change to the licensing of the NuGet libraries in the future?

So “the jury is still out” regarding the most important stuff originally meant. Here is a simplified list of the .NET NuGet Packages as of today:

Stable Packages (the NuGet equivalent of an RTM release)

AspNet.ScriptManager.jQuery assembly that will automatically register jQuery 2.0.3 with the ScriptManager as “jquery”.	AspNet.ScriptManager.jQuery.UI.Combined assembly that will automatically register jQuery.UI.Combined 1.10.3 with the ScriptManager as “jquery.ui.combined”.
Entity Framework is Microsoft’s recommended data access technology for new applications.	Microsoft.AspNet.FriendlyUrls Adds a mobile master page and a view switcher user control to enable switching between mobile and desktop views using ASP.NET Friendly URLs. Note: This package contains content for C# Web Application Projects (WAPs) only.
Microsoft.AspNet.FriendlyUrls.Core A library that enables automatic resolution of extensionless URLs to ASP.NET file-based handlers, e.g. ASPX pages.	Microsoft.AspNet.Membership.OpenAuth A series of helpers to enable using DotNetOpenAuth in an ASP.NET application that utilizes the Membership system for user management.
Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc This package contains the runtime assemblies for ASP.NET MVC. ASP.NET MVC gives you a powerful, patterns-based way to build dynamic websites that enables a clean separation of concerns and that gives you full control over markup.	Microsoft.AspNet.Providers ASP.NET Universal Providers extend SQL support in ASP.NET 4 to all editions of SQL Server 2005 and later and to SQL Azure.
Microsoft.AspNet.Providers.Core ASP.NET Universal Providers extend SQL support in ASP.NET 4 to all editions of SQL Server 2005 and later and to SQL Azure.	Microsoft.AspNet.Providers.LocalDb ASP.NET Universal Providers extend SQL support in ASP.NET 4 to all editions of SQL Server 2005 and later and to SQL Azure.
Microsoft.AspNet.Providers.SqlCE ASP.NET Universal Providers extend SQL support in ASP.NET 4 to all editions of SQL Server 2005 and later and to SQL Azure.	Microsoft.AspNet.Razor This package contains the runtime assemblies for ASP.NET Web Pages. ASP.NET Web Pages and the new Razor syntax provide a fast, terse, clean and lightweight way to combine server code with HTML to create dynamic web content.
Microsoft.AspNet.ScriptManager.MSAjax This package contains the Microsoft.ScriptManager.MSAjax assembly that will automatically register the Microsoft Ajax optimization bundle for Web Forms with ScriptManager.	Microsoft.AspNet.ScriptManager.WebForms This package contains the Microsoft.ScriptManager.WebForms assembly that will automatically register the Microsoft Ajax optimization bundle for Web Forms with ScriptManager.
Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR Incredibly simple real-time web for .NET.	Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Client .NET client for ASP.NET SignalR.
Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Core Core server components for ASP.NET SignalR.	Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.JS JavaScript client for ASP.NET SignalR.
Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.ServiceBus Windows Azure Service Bus messaging backplane for scaling out of ASP.NET SignalR applications in a web-farm.	Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.SqlServer SQL Server messaging backplane for scaling out of ASP.NET SignalR applications in a web-farm.
Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Utils Command line utilities for ASP.NET SignalR.	Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization ASP.NET Optimization introduces a way to bundle and optimize CSS and JavaScript files.
Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization.WebForms A Web Forms control for Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization	Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi This package contains everything you need to host ASP.NET Web API on IIS. ASP.NET Web API is a framework that makes it easy to build HTTP services that reach a broad range of clients, including browsers and mobile devices. ASP.NET Web API is an ideal platform for building RESTful applications on the .NET Framework.
Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Client This package adds support for formatting and content negotiation to System.Net.Http. It includes support for JSON, XML, and form URL encoded data.	Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Core This package contains the core runtime assemblies for ASP.NET Web API. This package is used by hosts of the ASP.NET Web API runtime. To host a Web API in IIS use the Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.WebHost package. To host a Web API in your own process use the Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.SelfHost package.
Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.HelpPage The ASP.NET Web API Help Page automatically generates help page content for the web APIs on your site.	Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.HelpPage.VB The ASP.NET Web API Help Page automatically generates help page content for the web APIs on your site.
Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.OData This package contains everything you need to create OData endpoints using ASP.NET Web API and to support OData query syntax for your web APIs.	Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.SelfHost This package contains everything you need to host ASP.NET Web API within your own process (outside of IIS). ASP.NET Web API is a framework that makes it easy to build HTTP services that reach a broad range of clients, including browsers and mobile devices. ASP.NET Web API is an ideal platform for building RESTful applications on the .NET Framework.
Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Tracing Enables ASP.NET Web API tracing using System.Diagnostics.	Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.WebHost This package contains everything you need to host ASP.NET Web API on IIS. ASP.NET Web API is a framework that makes it easy to build HTTP services that reach a broad range of clients, including browsers and mobile devices. ASP.NET Web API is an ideal platform for building RESTful applications on the .NET Framework.
Microsoft.AspNet.WebPages This package contains core runtime assemblies shared between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Web Pages.	Microsoft.AspNet.WebPages.Data This package contains the runtime assemblies for ASP.NET Web Pages. ASP.NET Web Pages and the new Razor syntax provide a fast, terse, clean and lightweight way to combine server code with HTML to create dynamic web content.
Microsoft.AspNet.WebPages.WebData This package contains the runtime assemblies for ASP.NET Web Pages. ASP.NET Web Pages and the new Razor syntax provide a fast, terse, clean and lightweight way to combine server code with HTML to create dynamic web content.

Microsoft.Bcl Adds support for types added in later versions of .NET when targeting previous versions.	Microsoft.Bcl.Async Enables usage of the ‘async’ and ‘await’ keywords from projects targeting .NET Framework 4 (with KB2468871), Silverlight 4 and 5, and Windows Phone 7.5 and 8.
Microsoft.Bcl.Build Provides build infrastructure components for Microsoft packages.	Microsoft.Bcl.Compression This package contains APIs for compressing and de-compressing streams using the ZIP and GZIP formats.
Microsoft.Bcl.Immutable Provides immutable collections that allow CPU and memory efficient mutation via new references.	Microsoft.Composition Provides a lightweight and throughput-optimized composition container for MEF.
Microsoft.Data.Edm Classes to represent, construct, parse, serialize and validate entity data models. Targets .NET 4.0, Silverlight 4.0, or .NET Portable Lib with support for .NET 4.0, SL 4.0, Win Phone 7, and Win 8. Localized for CHS, CHT, DEU, ESN, FRA, ITA, JPN, KOR and RUS.	Microsoft.Data.OData Classes to serialize, deserialize and validate OData payloads. Enables construction of OData producers and consumers. Targets .NET 4.0, Silverlight 4.0 or .NET Portable Lib with support for .NET 4.0, SL 4.0, Win Phone 7, and Win 8. Localized for CHS, CHT, DEU, ESN, FRA, ITA, JPN, KOR and RUS.
Microsoft.jQuery.Unobtrusive.Ajax jQuery plugin that lets you unobtrusively set up jQuery Ajax.	Microsoft.jQuery.Unobtrusive.Validation jQuery plugin that unobtrusively sets up jQuery.Validation.
Microsoft.Net.Http This package provides a programming interface for modern HTTP/REST based applications.	Microsoft.ScriptManager.jQuery This contents of this package has been moved to the AspNet.ScriptManager.jQuery package.
Microsoft.ScriptManager.jQuery.UI.Combined This contents of this package has been moved to the AspNet.ScriptManager.jQuery.UI.Combined package.	Microsoft.ScriptManager.MSAjax This contents of this package has been moved to the Microsoft.AspNet.ScriptManager.MSAjax package.
Microsoft.ScriptManager.WebForms This contents of this package has been moved to the Microsoft.AspNet.ScriptManager.WebForms package.	Microsoft.Tpl.Dataflow Task Parallel Library (TPL) Dataflow provides actor based building blocks for concurrent applications.
Microsoft.Web.Infrastructure This package contains the Microsoft.Web.Infrastructure assembly that lets you dynamically register HTTP modules at run time.	microsoft-web-helpers This package contains web helpers to easily add functionality to your site such as Captcha validation, Twitter profile and search boxes, Gravatars, Video, Bing search, site analytics or themes. This package is not compatible with ASP.NET MVC.
System.Spatial Contains classes and methods that facilitate geography and geometry spatial operations. Targets .NET 4.0, Silverlight 4.0 or .NET Portable Lib with support for .NET 4.0, SL 4.0, Win Phone 7, and Win 8. Localized for CHS, CHT, DEU, ESN, FRA, ITA, JPN, KOR and RUS.	WebGrease Web Grease is a suite of tools for optimizing javascript, css files and images.
WindowsAzure.MobileServices Windows Azure Mobile Services SDK.	WindowsAzure.MobileServices.WinJS Windows Azure Mobile Services SDK for WinJS.
WindowsAzure.ServiceBus This package works with Windows Azure – Service Bus. It adds Microsoft.ServiceBus.dll along with related configuration files to your project. Please note that this package requires .Net Framework 4 Full Profile.

Pre-release Packages

… <see in the original>

Microsoft Supported 3rd Party Libraries

… <see in the original>

Unique Nokia assets (from factories to global device distribution & sales, and the Asha sub $100 smartphone platform etc.) will now empower the One Microsoft devices and services strategy

September 3, 2013 7:11 pm / Leave a comment

Microsoft buys Nokia’s handset business [deutschewelleenglish YouTube channel, Sept 3, 2013]

US software giant Microsoft is paying 7.2 billion dollars for Nokia’s handset business. Both companies have struggled to keep up with Samsung and Apple in the smartphone sector. Nokia’s shares soared on the news.

With a market capitalisation of $18.72 billion on NYSE: NOK – Sep 3 12:15pm ET Microsoft is getting Nokia Devices & Services business —about half of the Nokia in terms of revenues (an estimated EUR 14.9 [$19.66] billion)— for only $7.17 billion. But that half of Nokia is still a shrinking + money loosing business + one with an upcoming disruptive threat as per Assesment of the Xiaomi phenomenon before the global storm is starting on Sept 5 [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 30, 2013]. With this Microsoft could be relieved of the necessity of An ARM-focussed Microsoft spin-off could be the only solution to save Microsoft in the crucial next 3-years period [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 24, 2013] advocated earlier on this blog. Additionally with the acquisition comes Nokia’s former CEO (stepping down with the announcement), the extraordinary Stephen Elop. He is also one of the greatest candidates to take over the Microsoft CEO position with Steve Ballmer’s already announced retirement within the next 12 months. This is already widely discussed in the media.

Update: Here are the latest offerings Nokia is bringing to the Microsoft portfolio
Nokia World Abu Dhabi 2013 [Red Robot – Intelligent Distribution (Thomson Reuters)YouTube channel, Oct 23, 2013]

At Nokia World: Abu Dhabi, Nokia unveiled six new devices alongside new accessories, Nokia experiences and third-party developer applications.

From that the most significant contributions IMHO are the Leading edge Nokia phablets for both entertainment and productivity: Lumia 1320 targeting the masses at $339, and Lumia 1520 the imaging conscious business users and individuals at $749 [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Oct 26, 2013] End of update

Read also:
– Microsoft Nokia Transaction Conference Call with slides from Microsoft Strategic Rationale inserted- ebook – 3-Sept-2013 edited by Sándor Nacsa from those two sources into an ebook format PDF
– Follow-up: Microsoft answers to the questions about Nokia devices and services acquisition: tablets, Windows downscaling, reorg effects, Windows Phone OEMs, cost rationalization, ‘One Microsoft’ empowerment, and supporting developers for an aggressive growth in market share [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Sept 4, 2013]

Nokia Microsoft Webcast Press Conference September 3,2013, Full Video [WorldWideTechScience YouTube channel, Sept 3, 2013]

Nokia Microsoft Webcast Press Conference September 3,2013. More information on: http://worldwidegadget.blogspot.hu/2013/09/breaking-news-and-press-release.html

For factories read: Production facilities & Responsible supply chain [Nokia], and Nokia becoming the next Samsung from its new Vietnamese manufacturing base? [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 24, 2013]
For unique sub $100 smartphones read:
– Nokia’s non-Windows crossroad [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, May 2, 2013]
– New Asha platform and ecosystem to deliver a breakthrough category of affordable smartphone from Nokia [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, May 9, 2013]
– New Nokia Asha platform for developers [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, May 9, 2013]
– Mark Zuckerberg’s personality is hyped (again) with a quite worthwhile initiative (otherwise) but with substantial global financial interests behind it as well [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 24, 2013]
For other unique Nokia assets read:
– The Where [i.e. HERE] Platform from Nokia: a company move to taking data as a raw material to build products [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, April 7, 2012] (as it is licensed on the broadest and most advantegous terms with the acquisition agreement)
– Nokia Lumia 1020: an excellent case of Nokia’s contribution to Microsoft as a key innovation partner [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 12, 2013]
– Minutes of a high-octane but also expert evangelist CEO: Stephen Elop, Nokia [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 13, 2013]
For ’One Microsoft’ devices and services strategy read:
– Deep technical evangelism and development team inside the DPE (Developer and Platform Evangelism) unit of Microsoft [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, May 17, 2013]
– Windows Azure becoming an unbeatable offering on the cloud computing market [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 28, 2013]
– Microsoft partners empowered with ‘cloud first’, high-value and next-gen experiences for big data, enterprise social, and mobility on wide variety of Windows devices and Windows Server + Windows Azure + Visual Studio as the platform [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 10, 2013]
– Microsoft reorg for delivering/supporting high-value experiences/activities [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 11, 2013]
– How the device play will unfold in the new Microsoft organization? [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 14, 2013]
– With Android and forked Android smartphones as the industry standard Nokia relegated to a niche market status while Apple should radically alter its previous premium strategy for long term [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, Aug 24, 2013] which as the result of Nokia Devices & Services now joining Microsoft has got a very strong opportunity to join the mainstream of the smartphone revolution instead of the previous prospect of remaining a market niche offering

Nokia Deal Gives Microsoft Shot at No 3: Thompson’s reflection on the deal [Bloomberg via hcswbb YouTube channel, Sept 3, 2013]

Microsoft agreed to buy Nokia’s handset unit and license its patents for 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion), seeking to revive two smartphone businesses that have struggled for a half-decade to gain share against Apple and Google. … According to him Elop is now the #1 candidate for the Microsoft CEO position as well.

The Next Chapter: An open letter from Steve Ballmer and Stephen Elop [The Official Microsoft Blog, Sept 2, 2013] with slide inserts from the Microsoft’s strategic rationale published as part of the announcement, and Nokia Conference Call September 3, 2013 15.00 / Helsinki 08.00 / New York presentation

Microsoft to acquire Nokia Devices & Services, accelerating the Windows ecosystem

Nokia and Microsoft have always dreamed big – we dreamed of putting a computer on every desk, and a mobile phone in every pocket, and we’ve come a long way toward realizing those dreams.

[Note: On the left the first 3 are the Series 40 6th Edition Lite platform devices: Nokia 109, Nokia 110, and Nokia 111. Then (with the stereo headset) is the first Nokia Asha software platform 1.0 device: Nokia Asha 501. The rest are Nokia Lumia devices. What are not shown here: Nokia 105 and Nokia 106, the last two devices from the once quite extensive Series 30 feature phone platform, like Nokia 101/100 of 2011, or Nokia 1280/1616/1800 of 2010. Will Microsoft kill them in the near future? Could be, but for 10 years Microsoft could use the Nokia brand for Series 30 and Series 40 based devices, while “Nokia would be restricted from licensing the Nokia brand for use in connection with mobile device sales for 30 months and from using the Nokia brand on Nokia’s own mobile devices until December 31, 2015“. Nokia’s pre-Windows Phone software strategy of Dec 2009: “Nokia is also continuing to use our Series 30 platform in a limited number of mobile phone devices for highly price sensitive consumer segments.” will come to an end in terms of S30 first, while the rest shown on the illustration above will evolve further on. Also in one of the Nokia press releases it is stated: “Microsoft is acquiring Nokia’s Smart Devices business unit, including the Lumia brand and products”, although in Steve Ballmer’s e-mail to Microsoft employees it is stressed that “It is very important that we pursue a unified brand and advertising strategy as soon as possible”. ]

Today marks a moment of reinvention.

Nokia has an identity spanning 150 years of heritage, innovation, excellence, and change which began and will continue in Finland and around the world. From humble beginnings as a paper mill factory, to manufacturing rubber boots and car tires, and then to mobile phones, reinvention is in Nokia’s blood.

Nokia will now write its next chapter, focused on enabling mobility through its leadership in networking, mapping & location, and advanced technologies.

For Microsoft as well, today is a bold step into the future, a huge leap forward on our journey of creating a family of devices and services that delight people and empower businesses of all sizes.

Our partnership over the past two and a half years, which combined our respective strengths to build a new global mobile ecosystem, has created incredible results: award-winning phones and amazing services that have made Nokia Windows Phones the fastest-growing smartphones in the world.

Building on this successful partnership, we announced some important news today: an agreement for Microsoft to purchase Nokia’s Devices & Services business, to deliver more choices, faster innovation, and even more exciting devices and services to our customers.

Today’s agreement will accelerate the momentum of Nokia’s devices and services, bringing the world’s most innovative smartphones to more people, while continuing to connect the next billion people with Nokia’s mobile phone portfolio.

With the commitment and resources of Microsoft to take Nokia’s devices and services forward, we can now realize the full potential of the Windows ecosystem, providing the most compelling experiences for people at home, at work and everywhere in between.

We will continue to build the mobile phones you’ve come to love, while investing in the future – new phones and services that combine the best of Microsoft and the best of Nokia.

Nokia and Microsoft are committed to the next chapter.

Together, we will redefine the boundaries of mobility.

Steve & Stephen

Thoughts on today’s Nokia announcement [Terry Myerson EVP, Operating Systems
Microsoft; Septr 3, 2013]

With our announcement today regarding Nokia, we’re taking a huge step in fulfilling our stated strategy of transforming Microsoft. For me, it’s been an incredibly rewarding journey. As the engineering leader for the Windows Phone efforts, I was there at the birth of Windows Phone, and a key part of our original partnership with Nokia. I know firsthand how critical it was for me and the team to be a valuable partner to Nokia, in addition to building out a great ecosystem of partners, hardware and software alike.

Today’s announcement doesn’t change that – acquiring Nokia’s Devices group will help make the market for all Windows Phones, from Microsoft or our OEM partners.

This goes to the core of how I think about my new job running the Operating Systems Group here. We have exciting ideas, and so do our OEM partners. Our partners bring innovation, diversity and scale to Windows. I’m always thrilled by the beautiful new device designs our partners are continually bringing to market. There’s a breadth of choice in form factor, finish and materials that deliver unique devices at a variety of price points. These devices feature innovative high resolution displays, audio, cameras, multi-finger touch screens, creative new hinge designs, new sensors, and other hardware enhancements that provide choice in the market and great experiences for users.

Our OS group mission is to enable the innovations of our hardware partners to shine through on the Windows platform. We collaborate with our Microsoft hardware teams in the same way we partner with our external hardware partners: we discreetly discuss technical and business opportunities, make shared bets, empower each other to do great work, and then operate closely together to delight our shared customers. We look forward to building new products together that will provide valuable business opportunity for the ecosystem and enable OEMs to deliver huge value to their customers, from consumers to the largest enterprise.

I was driving to work the other day and heard a song that perfectly sums up the relationship we have with all our partners. It’s a song from a few years ago by The Killers called “Read My Mind”; the lyric is “I don’t shine if you don’t shine.” Together, the light is pretty bright.

Additional messages from Microsoft’s strategic rationale published as part of the announcement:

Transformation: Beyond Software and PCs

A family of devices with integrated services that best empowers people and businesses for the activities they value most
Greater smartphone success strengthens Microsoft and our OEMs
High value services including geospatial are key

High Value Services Including Geospatial

Office, Skype, Xbox, SkyDrive, Bing at Microsoft
Geospatial and mapping essential to integrate for mobile
Need an effective alternative to Google; more than one “digital map of the world”
Nokia can maximize HERE use by others
Microsoft gets flexibility to integrate HERE with other excperiences
A new, simpler, and more effective partnership for the future
– Microsoft acquires right equivalent to ownership for the HERE mapping apps
– Nokia will continue to improve these apps for other platforms
– For mapping data and services, under a new four-year agreement
>>> Nokia will provide Microsoft with mapping data services in exchange for annual payments
>>> Microsoft can combine Nokia mapping data with data from other sources
>>> Microsoft can syndicate Nokia’s data to customers using Windows Azure for additional fees

Devices and Services: Why Phones?

Devices help services and services help devices
With consumerization of IT, users matter at both home and work
– Devices and high volume/value services are always to build a larger user base
Microsoft and phones
– High value experiences light up on great devices
– Device innovation gives Microsoft economic opportunity
– We will continue to support iPhone and Android/Galaxy phones with our services
– But we cannot risk having Google or Apple foreclose app innovation, integration, distribution, or economics
– We need a first-rate Microsoft phone experience for users
Windows: 300M+ devices a year
– Success in phones is important to success in tablets
– Success in tablets will help PCs
– We will take additional steps to promote the app ecosystem for Windows

[The Nokia Windows Phone shipments for the last 4 quarters were 20.3 million units.]

Devices and Services: Why Phone Hardware?
Driving Ongoing OEM Opportunity

Windows Phone has achieved #3 position in smartphones globally
Acquisition protects Windows Phone future
– High concentration with Nokia
– First party hardware ensures Windows Phone presence
– OEM model alsone expensive in this market position
Acquisition reduces friction moving forward
– Pace of innovation
– Marketing efficiency
Acquisition grows OEM opportunity
– Address diversity of markets
– Continue existing partnerships
– Microsoft success creates expanded OEM opportunity

[15% of the 1.7B units in 2018 is 255M units. The ~$45 billion estimated revenue at that time means ~$176 ASP. Considering the latest Q2’13 EUR 157 [$207] ASP of Lumia it seems feasible, but in 5 years timeframe it needs a strong premium strategy to achieve that. … NPV – Net Present Value.]

Confident About Regulatory Approval

We will submit the acquisition for approval in the EU, U.S., China, India, Brazil, Russia, Canada, and other countries
We are confident about our prospects for approval by early 2014
– The acquired assets are complementary
– The acquisition will promote competition
>>> Integration of hardware and software will help Microsoft offer competitive alternatives to Google and Apple
>>> Microsoft will gain proven capability and talent critical to success in devices and services
>>> Microsoft remains committed to working with partners in the Windows & Windows Phone ecosystems
The acquisition will benefit consumers
– Will drive down Microsoft’s devices and services costs from development through go-to-market and by obtaining cost savings from Nokia’s existing IP licences
– Provides consumers with more choice and innovation

Nokia to sell Devices & Services business to Microsoft in EUR 5.44 [$7.17] billion all-cash transaction [press release, Sept 3, 2013] with slide inserts from Conference Call September 3, 2013 15.00 / Helsinki 08.00 / New York announcement presentation:

Transaction expected to be significantly accretive to Nokia earnings.
Nokia continues to develop, and sees significant value in, advanced technologies, its patent portfolio and Nokia brand.
Nokia focusing on NSN, HERE and Advanced Technologies post-transaction. Each business a leading player in its respective segment.
Nokia outlines changes to leadership and Board of Directors.

Subject to the closing of the transaction, Microsoft will acquire substantially all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, including the Mobile Phones and Smart Devices business units as well as an industry-leading design team, operations including all Nokia Devices & Services production facilities, Devices & Services-related sales and marketing activities, and related support functions. At closing, approximately 32,000 people are expected to transfer to Microsoft, including approximately 4,700 people in Finland. Nokia’s CTO (Chief Technology Office) organization and patent portfolio will remain within the Nokia Group. The operations that are planned to be transferred to Microsoft generated an estimated EUR 14.9 [$19.66] billion, or almost 50%, of Nokia’s net sales for the full year 2012.

As part of the transaction, Nokia will grant Microsoft a 10 year non-exclusive license to its patents as of the time of the closing, and Microsoft will grant Nokia reciprocal rights related to HERE services. In addition, Nokia will grant Microsoft an option to extend this mutual patent agreement to perpetuity. Of the total purchase price of EUR 5.44 [$7.18] billion, EUR 3.79 [$5.00] billion relates to the purchase of substantially all of the Devices & Services business, and EUR 1.65 [$2.18] billion relates to the mutual patent agreement and future option.

Additionally, Microsoft will become a strategic licensee of the HERE platform, and will separately pay Nokia for a four year license. This revenue stream is expected to substantially replace the revenue stream HERE is currently receiving from Nokia’s Devices & Services business internally. If the transaction closes Microsoft is expected to become one of the top three customers of HERE.

Microsoft has agreed to make immediately available to Nokia EUR 1.5 [$1.98] billion of financing in the form of three EUR 500 million tranches of convertible bonds to be issued by Nokia maturing in 5, 6 and 7 years respectively. It is at Nokia’s discretion if it chooses to draw down all or some of these tranches. The financing is not conditional on the transaction closing. If the transaction closes, any outstanding bonds will be redeemed and netted against the deal proceeds by the amount of principal and accrued interest.

…

Microsoft has agreed to a 10 year license arrangement with Nokia to use the Nokia brand on current Mobile Phones products. Nokia will continue to own and maintain the Nokia brand. Under the terms of the transaction, Microsoft has agreed to a 10 year license arrangement with Nokia to use the Nokia brand on current and subsequently developed products based on the Series 30 and Series 40 operating systems. Upon the closing of the transaction, Nokia would be restricted from licensing the Nokia brand for use in connection with mobile device sales for 30 months and from using the Nokia brand on Nokia’s own mobile devices until December 31, 2015.

…

The transaction is subject to potential purchase price adjustments, protecting both Nokia and Microsoft, and a USD 750 million termination fee payable by Microsoft to Nokia in the event that the transaction fails to receive necessary regulatory clearances.

…

Following the transaction, Nokia plans to focus on its three established businesses, each of which is a leader in enabling mobility in its respective market segment:
– NSN, a leader in network infrastructure and services;
– HERE, a leader in mapping and location services; and
– Advanced Technologies, a leader in technology development and licensing.

Nokia will retain its headquarters in Finland. Excluding the approximately 32,000 people planned to transfer to Microsoft, Nokia would have employed approximately 56,000 people at the end of the second quarter 2013.

“Today is an important moment of change and reinvention for Nokia and its employees,” said Nokia Chairman and interim CEO Mr. Siilasmaa. “With our strong corporate identity, leading assets and talent, and from a position of renewed financial strength, we will build Nokia’s next chapter.”

NSN, a wholly-owned business of Nokia since August 2013, is a leader in mobile broadband, and is focused on operating at the forefront of each generation of mobile technology, including pushing the boundaries of connecting people through LTE and future technologies. Nokia continues to manage NSN as a strong, independent entity.

HERE will continue to focus on growing its industry-leading position through a broad location offering across mobile devices, connected devices, enterprise solutions and the automotive environment. HERE will continue to execute its strategy to become the leading independent location cloud platform company, offering mapping and location services across different screens and operating systems.

Our Advanced Technologies business will build on several of Nokia’s current CTO and Intellectual Property Rights activities. Advanced Technologies will explore new business opportunities through advanced research, development and concept products in areas such as connectivity, sensing and material technologies, as well as web and cloud technologies. At the same time, Advanced Technologies plans to continue to build Nokia’s patent portfolio from this innovation and targets to expand its industry-leading technology licensing program, spanning technologies that enable mobility today and tomorrow.

…

Nokia’s Board of Directors is conducting a strategy evaluation for Nokia Group between signing and closing of the transaction. This evaluation will comprise of evaluations of strategies for each of Nokia’s three businesses and possible synergies between them, as well as an evaluation of the optimal corporate and capital structure for Nokia after the closing of the transaction. After this evaluation is complete, deemed excess capital is planned to be distributed to shareholders.

…

The Nokia Leadership Team will continue to consist of the current members, but with changes in positions and reporting lines as outlined below.

Risto Siilasmaa will assume an interim CEO role for Nokia while continuing to serve in his role as Chairman of the Nokia Board of Directors. As part of his interim CEO role, Mr. Siilasmaa will, among other tasks, oversee strategy and have four direct reports:
– Michael Halbherr, Executive Vice President, HERE;
– Stephen Elop, Executive Vice President, Devices & Services;
– Timo Ihamuotila, Nokia CFO and interim President; and
– Jesper Ovesen, Executive Chairman of the NSN Board of Directors.

…

To avoid the perception of any potential conflict of interest between now and the pending closure of the transaction, Stephen Elop will step aside as President and CEO of Nokia Corporation, resign from the Board of Directors, and will become Executive Vice President, Devices & Services. The following Nokia Leadership Team members will report to Mr. Elop:
– Marko Ahtisaari, Executive Vice President, Design;
– Jo Harlow, Executive Vice President, Smart Devices;
– Juha Putkiranta, Executive Vice President, Operations
[brought in charge of factories, supplies and logistics in July 2012];
– Timo Toikkanen, Executive Vice President, Mobile Phones [since July 2012]; and
– Chris Weber, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing [since July 2012].

Timo Ihamuotila becomes President of Nokia for the interim period while also continuing to serve as CFO. Mr. Ihamuotila will assume the responsibility of chairing the Nokia Leadership Team. The following Nokia Leadership Team members will report to Mr. Ihamuotila: Louise Pentland, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer; Henry Tirri, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer; Juha Äkräs, Executive Vice President, Human Resources; and Kai Öistämö, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development.

We expect that Mr. Elop, Ms. Harlow, Mr. Putkiranta, Mr. Toikkanen, and Mr. Weber would transfer to Microsoft at the anticipated closing.

Mr. Ahtisaari has decided to again pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. He will step down from the Nokia Leadership Team and his position as Executive Vice President, Design, effective as from November 1, 2013. He will continue to work on activities related to the transaction through November 30, 2013. Effective November 1, 2013 Stefan Pannenbecker will start leading Design, reporting to Mr. Elop.

This announcement does not change the current leadership for Nokia Solutions and Networks. Rajeev Suri will continue to serve as CEO, NSN, reporting to NSN’s Board which continues to be chaired by Jesper Ovesen who continues to serve as NSN’s Executive Chairman and reports to Mr. Siilasmaa.

Steve Ballmer email to Microsoft employees on Nokia Devices & Services acquisition [Sept 3, 2013] with slide inserts from the attached to it Microsoft’s strategic rationale

…

We have laid out Microsoft’s strategic rationale for this transaction in a presentation that I encourage you to read.

This is a smart acquisition for Microsoft, and a good deal for both companies. We are receiving incredible talent, technology and IP. We’ve all seen the amazing work that Nokia and Microsoft have done together.

Given our long partnership with Nokia and the many key Nokia leaders that are joining Microsoft, we expect a smooth transition and great execution.

As is always the case with an acquisition, the first priority is to keep driving through close, which we expect in the first quarter of 2014, following approval by Nokia’s shareholders, regulatory approvals, and other closing conditions.

But I also know people will have some questions about what happens post-close. While details aren’t final, here is what we know, and how we’re generally approaching integration:

1. Stephen Elop will be coming back to Microsoft, and he will lead an expanded Devices team, which includes all of our current Devices and Studios work and most of the teams coming over from Nokia, reporting to me.

2. Julie Larson-Green will continue to run the Devices and Studios team, and will be focused on the big launches this fall including Xbox One and our Surface enhancements. Julie will be joining Stephen’s team once the acquisition closes, and will work with him to shape the new organization.

3. As part of the acquisition, a number of key engineering leaders will be joining Microsoft from Nokia, reporting to Stephen in his new capacity:

Jo Harlow, who will continue to lead the Smart Devices team

Timo Toikkanen, who will continue to lead the Mobile Phones team

Stefan Pannenbecker, who will lead Design

Juha Putkiranta, who will lead the integration effort on Nokia’s behalf

4. Regarding the sales team, we plan to keep the Nokia field team, led by Chris Weber, intact and as the nexus of the devices sales effort, so that we can continue to build sales momentum. After the deal closes, Chris and his team will be placed under Kevin Turner. We will develop a single integrated team that is selling to operators, and there may be other integration opportunities that we can pursue. Kevin will work with Chris Weber and Chris Capossela to make those plans.

5. Our operating system team under Terry Myerson will continue unchanged, with a mission of supporting both first-party and third-party hardware innovation. We are committed to working with partners, helping them build great products and great businesses on our platform, and we believe this deal will increase our partner value proposition over time. The established rhythms and ways of working between Terry and his team and the incoming Nokia team will serve us well to ensure that we do not disrupt our building momentum.

6. We are planning to integrate all global marketing under Tami Reller and Mark Penn. It is very important that we pursue a unified brand and advertising strategy as soon as possible.

[Except the Series 30 and Series 40 based, so called mobile phones which could continue under the Nokia brand for 10 years. Also in one of the Nokia press releases it is stated: “Microsoft is acquiring Nokia’s Smart Devices business unit, including the Lumia brand and products.”]

7. Finance, Legal, HR, Communications, DX / Evangelism, Customer Care and Business Development will integrate functionally at Microsoft. Sourcing, customer logistics and supply chain will be part of Stephen’s Devices organization. ICM / IT will also integrate functionally for traditional IT roles. We will need to work through the implications for factory systems given the differing manufacturing processes and systems at both Nokia and Microsoft.

8. We plan to pursue a single set of supporting services for our devices, and we will figure out how to combine the great Nokia efforts into our Microsoft services as we go through the integration process.

9. There are no significant plans to shift where work is done in the world as we integrate, so we expect the Nokia teams to stay largely in place, geographically.

10. Tom Gibbons will lead the integration work for Microsoft.

An ARM-focussed Microsoft spin-off could be the only solution to save Microsoft in the crucial next 3-years period

August 24, 2013 12:08 pm / 1 Comment on An ARM-focussed Microsoft spin-off could be the only solution to save Microsoft in the crucial next 3-years period

This is the only real answer of mine to the question of Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer Retiring: Who’s Next? [Bloomberg YouTube channel, Aug 23, 2013]

Bloomberg’s Betty Liu and senior markets correspondent Julie Hyman report that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has announced he will retire within the next 12 months.

As an ex Softie doing a full .NET adoption program for Hungarian developers between 2000 and 2008 and then following Microsoft woes via blogs Beyond Win32: “Win32 utáni” történések a világban (in Hungarian) [May 2008. – March 2011] and Experiencing the Cloud [June 2010 …] I could not imagine any other way out of Microsoft’s troubled situation today than a spin-off solely dedicated to conquerring the ARM client space independently of the current Microsoft organisation completely bound to the survival of the already outdated Wintel model.

Particularly I don’t believe at all in the possibility of a true success of How the device play will unfold in the new Microsoft organization? [July 14, 2013] as was introduced in the latest reorg under the “One Microsoft” concept.

On the other hand I am absolutely confident in the success of an ARM-focussed spin-off as the only solution to save Microsoft in the crucial next 3-years period as such spin-off should only exploit the extraordinary advantages of current Microsoft as described in Microsoft partners empowered with ‘cloud first’, high-value and next-gen experiences for big data, enterprise social, and mobility on wide variety of Windows devices and Windows Server + Windows Azure + Visual Studio as the platform [July 10, 2013]. Moreover there is an excellent candidate to lead such a spin-off even internally. He is Scott Guthrie with an excellent track record of succeeding in impossible undertakings along his relatively short career, as described in his LinkeIn profile:

Corporate Vice President Microsoft
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry
May 2011 – Present (2 years 4 months)

I lead the Windows Azure Application Platform Team at Microsoft, and help drive Microsoft’s cloud computing platform.

I also run the teams responsible for delivering Windows AppFabric Server, BizTalk Server, IIS, ASP.NET, WCF, WF and the Web, Web Service and Workflow features of Visual Studio.

Corporate Vice President Microsoft
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry
February 2008 – May 2011 (3 years 4 months)

I was a Corporate Vice President within the Developer Division at Microsoft. I ran the teams that built the .NET Framework, Silverlight, the XAML runtimes for Windows Phone and Windows 8, and several of the tooling features within Visual Studio.

General Manager Microsoft
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry
November 2005 – February 2008 (2 years 4 months)

I was a General Manager within the Developer Division of Microsoft. I ran the teams that built the .NET Framework, Silverlight, ASP.NET, IIS and several of the tooling features within Visual Studio.

Product Unit Manager Microsoft
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry
January 2001 – November 2005 (4 years 11 months)

I ran the Web Platform and Tools team within the Developer Division of Microsoft. We owned building and delivering ASP.NET, IIS, and the Web Tooling features within Visual Studio.

Lead Program Manager Microsoft
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry
November 1999 – January 2001 (1 year 3 months)

I managed the team that created ASP.NET, and personally designed core parts of the .NET Framework.

Program Manager Microsoft
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry
May 1997 – November 1999 (2 years 7 months)

Reasons for all that, especially regarding why the next 3 years will be crucial for Microsoft, have already been extensively given in my posts that came out BEFORE the announcement of Steve Ballmer retirement:

Windows [inc. Phone] 8.x chances of becoming the alternative platform to iOS and Android: VERY SLIM as it is even more difficult for Microsoft now than any time before [Aug 20, 2013]
Android to overtake the overall PC market? [Aug 20, 2013]
With Android and forked Android smartphones as the industry standard Nokia relegated to a niche market status while Apple should radically alter its previous premium strategy for long term [Aug 17, 2013]
The Upcoming Mobile Internet Superpower [Aug 13, 2013, with extensive follow-up & ‘The global forces behind …’ analysis, later in the post, as of August 22 at 9:08pm] which is especially important in this regard considering the extensions which are described by the following new tags:

… Broadband China strategy, Softbank, Sprint, Clearwire, Tencent, WeChat, Goldman Sachs, Юрий Мильнер, Masayoshi Son, JD.com, 360buy, Jingdong, Naspers, Mail.ru, Koos Bekker, Larry Summers, Leader Technologies, Mark Zuckerberg, James W. Breyer, Reid Hoffman, Peter Thiel, Facebook IPO, Federal Reserve Chairman, World Bank, Russian voucher system, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley bail-out, Michael McKibben, LEADER V. FACEBOOK patent infringement lawsuit, U.S. Patent Office, U.S. judicial system, corruption, Barack Obama, U.S. Constitution, Mark Pincus, Zynga, Lawrence Summers, Alisher Usmanov, Irina Viner, Farhad Moshiri, Алишер Усманов, Металлоинвест, Ирина Винер, Узбекистан, Россия, USM Holdings, MegaFon, Russian Federation, Russia, Yota, Scartel, Euroset, Peter-Service, Ukraine, Belarus, UTH Russia, Metalloinvest, Uzbekistan, Gazprom Investholding, Kommersant Holding, Arsenal, Vladimir Skoch, Andrey Skoch, mafia ties, Leonid Reima

To show the significance of that extension for the current subject it is worth to inlude here the last image from that extended post:

Then the range of such posts continues with:

Microsoft reorg for delivering/supporting high-value experiences/activities

July 11, 2013 7:27 pm / 6 Comments on Microsoft reorg for delivering/supporting high-value experiences/activities

Too elevated and abstract formulation? Not at all, as just 3 days ago we’ve seen a really great example of such an experience/activity at the WPC 2013:
Power BI Demo [msPartner YouTube channel, July 8, 2013]

Even the title of the post reporting on the WPC 2013 was Microsoft partners empowered with ‘cloud first’, high-value and next-gen experiences for big data, enterprise social, and mobility on wide variety of Windows devices and Windows Server + Windows Azure + Visual Studio as the platform [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, July 10, 2013]

Still find too elevated and abstract the high-value experiences/activities formulation now put into the center of what Microsoft does? Watch this Nokia’s Lumia 1020 event recap in 5 minutes [TheVerge YouTube channel, July 11, 2013] video from Nokia showing how a major innovation partner could join Microsoft in all that (in this case with incredible camera experience):

Need to catch up on Nokia’s Lumia 1020 event? We’ve got you covered with this 5-minute recap!

It is not by chance that the Lumia 1020 event was synchonized with Microsoft reorg announcement of July 11.

Have doubts how such high-value experiences/activities could be presented to everyday customers? Watch this video:

See how the Dell XPS 10 with Windows RT stacks up against the iPad. Check out more at http://windows.com/compare

This is a month-old ad for Dell Tablet vs. iPad [WindowsVideos YouTube channel, June 13, 2013] showing how much it is possible, and more importantly it is possible exactly because of such value focus:

Now it is time to show the scope of such high values Microsoft found it could and should focus on. In Transforming Our Company [Microsoft memo, July 11, 2013] the following high-value activities based on devices and services delivery were defined:

Reinventing expression and documents. People love and need to express themselves in new ways. Documents are going from being printed to being experienced. There are many high-value needs for personal creative expression — some just for fun, others at work or at school. We will reinvent the tools and form of expressing oneself (and expressing things as a group) from paper and slides to online. We will ensure that the tools handle multimedia (photos, videos, text, charts and slides) in an integrated way and natively online. These documents/websites will be easily sharable and easily included in meetings. They will offer complex options such as imbedded logic and yet be easy to author, search and view. These documents will be readable from a browser, but the experience will be infinitely better if read, annotated or presented with our tools.

Next-generation decision-making and task completion. Our machine learning infrastructure will understand people’s needs and what is available in the world, and will provide information and assistance. We will be great at anticipating needs in people’s daily routines and providing insight and assistance when they need it. When it comes to life’s most important tasks and events, we will pay extra attention. The research done, the data collected and analyzed, the meetings and discussions had, and the money spent are all amplified for people during life’s big moments. We will provide the tools people need to capture their own data and organize and analyze it in conjunction with the massive amount of data available over the Web. Bing, Excel and our InfoNav innovations are all important here. Decision-making and tasks mean different things in personal versus professional lives, yet they are important in both places.

Social communication (meetings, events, gathering, sharing and communicating). Social communications are time-intensive, high-value scenarios that are ripe for digital re-imagination. Such innovation will include new ways to participate in work meetings, PTA and nonprofit activities, family and social gatherings, and more. We can reimagine email and other communication vehicles as the lines between these vehicles grow fuzzy, and the amount of people’s digital or digitally assisted interaction continues to grow. We can create new ways to interact through hardware, software and new services. Next-gen documents and expression are an important part of online social communications. We will not focus on becoming another social network for people to participate in casually, though some may use these products and services that way.

Serious fun. This expression may sound like an oxymoron, yet it encapsulates an important point of differentiation for us. There are many things people do for light fun, for example play solitaire, spend three minutes on a word game or surf the TV. Although we will enable these activities effectively, our biggest opportunity is in creating the fun people feel most intensely, such as playing a game that lasts hours and takes real concentration, or immersing them in live events and entertainment (including sports, concerts, education and fitness) while allowing interactive participation. Interactivity takes engagement and makes things serious; it really requires differentiated hardware, apps and services. People want to participate at home and on the go, and in gatherings with others. We see a unique opportunity to make experiencing events with others more exciting with interactivity. We also see opportunity in fitness and health because, for many, this is serious fun much more than it is a task.

The rationale behind is best represented by following excerpts from:
[1] One Microsoft: Company realigns to enable innovation at greater speed, efficiency
[2] Transforming Our Company

[2] we realized our strengths are in high-value activities, powering devices and enterprise services.

[2] The bedrock of our new strategy is innovation in deep, rich, high-value experiences and activities. It’s the starting point for differentiated devices integrated with services. It’s at the core of how we will inspire ourselves all to do our best work and bring to our customers the very things that will make a difference in their lives.

[1] We will plan across the company, so we can better deliver compelling integrated devices and services for the high-value experiences and core technologies around which we organize. This new planning approach will look at both the short-term deliverables and long-term initiatives needed to meet the shipment cadences of both Microsoft and third-party devices and our services.

[1] services core technologies in productivity, communication, search and other information categories [within Applications and Services Engineering Group]

[1] We will see our product line holistically, not as a set of islands. We will allocate resources and build devices and services that provide compelling, integrated experiences across the many screens in our lives, with maximum return to shareholders. All parts of the company will share and contribute to the success of core offerings, like Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox, Surface, Office 365 and our EA offer, Bing, Skype, Dynamics, Azure and our servers. All parts of the company will contribute to activating high-value experiences for our customers.

[1] We will pull together disparate engineering efforts today into a coherent set of our high-value activities.

[1] Our focus on high-value activities — serious fun, meetings, tasks, research, information assurance and IT/Dev workloads — also will get top-level championship.

[2] people also turn to technology for more important tasks in their lives — and we will focus our energies on creating new, memorable and even extraordinary experiences across our family of devices and services. Think of the student stuck on that term paper looking to display all his creativity in ways that will get him an A+; the family that’s getting together for a reunion and wants the delightful memories to last forever online; the gamer who is taking his fantasy team to the playoffs; or any of us who could be faced with a tough medical decision and needs to plan care and finances.

Such high-value activities include the full breadth and depth of areas like personal expression, decision-making and tasks, social communication, and serious fun — and we have both the drive and the capacity to reinvent these experiences for people across the globe.

[2] Our devices must support the same high-value activities in ways that are meaningful across different device types.

[2] We will be on a new path centered around delivering high-value activities on a family of devices with integrated services.

[2] We will engage enterprise on all sides — investing in more high-value activities for enterprise users to do their jobs; empowering people to be productive independent of their enterprise; and building new and innovative solutions for IT professionals and developers.

[2] Building upon Windows, Xbox and our growing suite of consumer and enterprise services, we will design, create and deliver through us and through third parties a complete family of Windows-powered devices — devices that can help people just as much in their work life as they do after hours. Devices that help people do more and play harder.

[1] The evangelism and business development team will drive partners across our integrated strategy and its execution.

[1] Our marketing, advertising and all our customer interaction will be designed to reflect one company with integrated approaches to our consumer and business marketplaces.

[1] As devices become further integrated into everyday life, we will have to create new and extraordinary experiences for our customers on these devices. We are going to focus on completely reinventing experiences like creating or viewing a creative document and what it means to communicate socially at home or in meetings at work. We are going to immerse people in deep entertainment experiences that let them have serious fun in ways so intense and delightful that they will blur the line between reality and fantasy. And as we develop these new experiences, we will also support our developers with the simplest ways to develop apps or cloud services and integrate with our products. We will help businesses that find themselves in a new world of ever-mounting information to manage that information through greater enterprise information assurance. We will make these high-value activities priorities in our strategy.

Media completely missed the above essence of Microsoft reorg, as quite well evidenced even with the Microsoft’s New Management: Too Little, Too Late? [Bloomberg YouTube channel, July 11, 2013] video

July 11 (Bloomberg) — Microsoft, playing catch-up in mobile computing, is reorganizing into fewer units and shuffling senior management roles to speed development of hardware and Web-based services. Paul Kedrosky speaks with Sara Eisen on Bloomberg Television’s “Market Makers.” (Source: Bloomberg)

from such a prestigous source. Absolutely amazing how much they miss the whole point of this reorg.

Whether you come from the understanding of the overall change of attitude towards a complete high-value focus, or you see this as a kind of catch-up play in terms of the devices and services approach announced a year ago, you will arrive at talking about the following functional organization as per [2] which is replacing the previous divisional organization:

Business Development and Evangelism Group. Tony Bates will focus on key partnerships especially our innovation partners (OEMs, silicon vendors, key developers, Yahoo, Nokia, etc.) and our broad work on evangelism and developer outreach. DPE, Corporate Strategy and the business development efforts formerly in the BGs will become part of this new group. OEM will remain in SMSG with Kevin Turner with a dotted line to Tony who will work closely with Nick Parker on key OEM relationships.

Operating Systems Engineering Group. Terry Myerson will lead this group, and it will span all our OS work for console, to mobile device, to PC, to back-end systems. The core cloud services for the operating system will be in this group.	Devices and Studios Engineering Group. Julie Larson-Green will lead this group and will have all hardware development and supply chain from the smallest to the largest devices we build. Julie will also take responsibility for our studios experiences including all games, music, video and other entertainment.	Applications and Services Engineering Group. Qi Lu will lead broad applications and services core technologies in productivity, communication, search and other information categories.
Cloud and Enterprise Engineering Group. Satya Nadella will lead development of our back-end technologies like datacenter, database and our specific technologies for enterprise IT scenarios and development tools. He will lead datacenter development, construction and operation.		Dynamics. Kirill Tatarinov will continue to run Dynamics as is, but his product leaders will dotted line report to Qi Lu, his marketing leader will dotted line report to Tami Reller and his sales leader will dotted line report to the COO group.
Advanced Strategy and Research Group. Eric Rudder will lead Research, Trustworthy Computing, teams focused on the intersection of technology and policy, and will drive our cross-company looks at key new technology trends.	COO. Kevin Turner will continue leading our worldwide sales, field marketing, services, support, and stores as well as IT, licensing and commercial operations.	Marketing Group. Tami Reller will lead all marketing with the field relationship as is today. Mark Penn will take a broad view of marketing strategy and will lead with Tami the newly centralized advertising and media functions.
HR Group. Lisa Brummel will lead Human Resources and map her team to the new organization.	Finance Group. Amy Hood will centralize all product group finance organizations. SMSG finance, which is geographically diffuse, will report to Kevin Turner with a dotted line to Amy.	Legal and Corporate Affairs Group. Brad Smith will continue as General Counsel with responsibility for the company’s legal and corporate affairs and will map his team to the new organization.

From Steve Ballmer and Microsoft Senior Leadership Team: One Microsoft Conference Call [Microsoft News Center, July 11, 2013]

ADRIANNE JEFFRIES, The Verge: Hi, thanks so much. My question is, Steve, with Julie and Terry leading separate software and hardware teams, how do you feel you can bring devices to the market in a way that Apple and other competitors do? Will they work closely enough and collaboratively enough to compete with Apple?

JULIE LARSON-GREEN: I think it’s a perfect way for us to approach it. Terry and I have worked together for a long time. We both have worked on the operating system side. I’ve worked on the hardware side, and it’s a good blending of our skills and our teams to deliver things together. So the structure that we’re putting in place for the whole company is about working across the different disciplines and having product champions. So Terry and I will be working to lead delivery to market of our first-party and third-party devices.

STEVE BALLMER: Yes, and maybe just also have Tony Bates add a little bit. Tony is going to have a critical role running business development evangelism, our role with our hardware innovation partners, our OEMs.

TONY BATES: Yes, I would just add to that. Julie alluded to this — first party, there’s also a third party — and I think having a single interface to our key innovation partners, but two bringing together the way we think about offers with our partners is going to be absolutely critical. So when we think about how we work together, I think of going back to one strategy, one team. So we’re all going to be part of that. It’s going to be critical that we have that interface going forward.

ADRIANNE JEFFRIES: And is Terry there?

TERRY MYERSON: Yes. I thought Julie and Tony had it very well said. We’ve got innovative ideas coming from our OEM partners, and Julie’s team has some very innovative ideas. And the platform needs to span from the PPI whiteboard that Tony talked about to Xbox, to our phone, and beyond. So it’s exciting to have all these hardware partners in the Windows ecosystem, or in the Microsoft ecosystem, and all the innovative ideas and to bring it to market together.

Windows 8.1: Mind boggling opportunities, finally some appreciation by the media

June 27, 2013 10:58 pm / 4 Comments on Windows 8.1: Mind boggling opportunities, finally some appreciation by the media

… this is how I can summarize what I’ve seen on the launch (live streamed, towards the end of the post there is the embedded video record with speech transcript) …
and also how the first media reactions could be summarited.

First The Windows 8.1 Preview is here! [WindowsVideos YouTube channel from Microsoft, June 26, 2013]

Find out more: http://preview.windows.com

Second a video summary of the launch by a mainstream media Microsoft builds new features into Windows 8.1 [CNETTV YouTube channel, June 26, 2013]

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer previews the company’s new Windows 8.1 operating system for tablets and PCs. Ballmer also highlights the return of the Start button, new Outlook functionality, Bing integration and gesture controls.

Media reactions in the first 15 hours:

Specific reactions:

Windows 8.1 Preview provides a window into the future of Windows [CNETTV YouTube channel, June 26, 2013]

We take a quick look at some of the more high-level changes coming with Windows 8.1.

Windows 8.1: The Five Most Exciting New Features [UPROXX, June 26, 2013]

… Native 3D Printer Support (!) … Boot To Desktop … SkyDrive Gets An Overhaul … Apps Get APIs … Universal Search …

Windows 8.1 hidden features [networkworld YouTube channel, June 27, 2013]

From PC World: There’s a lot to learn about Windows 8.1. We’ll show you some of the coolest hidden features you need to know about.

26 Awesome Features in the Windows 8.1 Preview [Gotta Be Mobile, June 26, 2013]

… Start Screen Backgrounds … Start Menu … Start Button … Integrated Bing Search … Revamped Windows Store … New Start Menu Settings … Lock Screen Sideshows … More Start Screen Color Options … Boot to Desktop … Internet Explorer 11 … Snapped States … Resizable Live Tiles … Help Tutorials … Xbox Music App … New Apps … Outlook RT … Fingerprint Support … Default Device Encryption … Photo Editing … Synced Apps across Devices … File Explorer … Built-in SkyDrive … Lock screen Alarms & Added Detailed Status … Better Portrait Support for Tablets … Disabling Hot Corners … Automatic App Updates …

10 New Features in Windows 8.1 Preview that saved my Surface RT [Scott Hanselmann (Microsoft), June 27, 2013]

… BEING ABLE TO USE YOUR DESKTOP WALLPAPER AS YOUR START MENU BACKGROUND … SEARCH EVERYWHERE … FREAKING OUTLOOK 2013 … SMARTER WINDOWING … WAY EASIER CUSTOMIZATION … BETTER ALL APPS VIEW … MORE COMPREHENSIVE SETTINGS … REMOVABLE DISKS IN YOUR MUSIC AND VIDEO LIBRARIES … SMARTER NOTIFICATIONS AND QUIET HOURS … THE READING LIST …

3D printing:

3D Printing with Windows 8.1 [Shan Ruk YouTube channel, June 26, 2013]

Breakout session at Build 2013 by Kris Iverson, Principal Software Design Engineer. 3D printing is a high profile and transformational technology, and Windows now includes support for 3D printers. This session provides everything you need to know to add 3D printing capability to your apps and to integrate 3D printer devices with Windows.

Read also: 3D printing with Windows [The Official Microsoft Blog, Jun 26, 2013, 11:00 AM]

Windows 8.1 will feature native support for 3D printing [VentureBeat, June 26, 2013, 9:00 AM] pre-written
Microsoft’s big 3D printing push: From retail to Windows 8.1 [VentureBeat, June 26, 2013, 10:51 AM]
Why 3D printing in Windows 8.1 is huge for Microsoft and entrepreneurs [VentureBeat, June 26, 2013, 3:53 PM]
Windows 8.1 Makes 3D Printers as Easy to Use as Inkjets [Laptopmag.com, Jun 26, 2013 01:26 PM EDT]
Windows 8.1 to natively support 3D printers [Neowin.net, June 26, 2013]
Windows 8.1 Cranks Up Support for 3D Printing [Mashable, June 26, 2013]
Microsoft adds native 3D printing support with Windows 8.1 [TNW, June 26, 2013]
Windows 8.1 to support 3D printing through native API [Engadget, Jun 26th, 2013 at 12:00 PM]
Microsoft Adds Native 3D Printer API To Windows 8.1 [WebProNews, June 26, 2013]

Bing as a platform (this is first 24 hours, as otherwise would be less, in order of relevance as per Google search):

Microsoft reveals 3D mapping, Bing voice controls [CNETTV YouTube channel, June 26, 2013]

Microsoft shows off new 3D-mapping capabilities and voice command integration for Bing at its Build conference in San Francisco. Bing VP Gurdeep Singh Pall demonstrated the features by asking voice search “who is the architect,” while looking at a museum on a map demo. The answer quickly popped up.

Read also:
– Bing at Build 2013: Weaving an Intelligent Fabric [on Search Blog by Gurdeep Singh Pall, Corporate Vice President, Bing; June 26, 2013]
– Bing will open up more of its APIs and controls via new developer platform [The Fire Hose news coverage blog by Microsoft, June 26, 2013, 11:00 AM]
– Two new Bing apps will be included in Windows 8.1 preview [The Fire Hose news coverage blog by Microsoft, June 26, 2013, 11:00 AM]
– Introducing The New Bing Developer Center and Services [Bing Dev Center Team Blog, Jun 26, 2013, 11:00 AM]

Microsoft broadens Bing beyond simple search [InfoWorld, June 27, 2013]
One Bing to Rule Them All: Microsoft Opens Up Bing for Apps [Mashable, June 26, 2013]
Bing Translator comes to Twitter‘s official Windows Phone app [Engadget, Jun 27, 2013 at 5:29 AM
Windows Phone 8 Twitter app gets translation function [Pocket-lint, June 27, 2013]
Microsoft enlists Bing to enhance Windows 8.1 apps [Computerworld, June 26, 2013 05:14 PM ET]
Microsoft Releases New Bing Windows 8.1 App: Health & Fitness [WMPoweruser, June 27, 2013]
Microsoft Details New Windows 8.1 Bing App: Food & Drink [WMPoweruser, June 27, 2013]
Microsoft Releases Windows 8.1 Preview, Unveils ‘Bing as a Platform’ [Redmond Channel Partner, June 26, 2013]
The Microsoft Build 2013 Recap: Windows 8.1, Bing and new features [The Slanted, June 26, 2013]

All other:

Windows 8.1 will finally add Retina-like display support [The Verge, June 26, 2013 12:00 pm]
Windows 8.1 focuses on small tablets – but they’re not PCs, says Ballmer [PC Pro (UK), June 26 2013 at 18:11]
Build 2013: 3D imagery coming to Windows 8.1 Maps [Softonic, June 26 2013]
Microsoft Will Bring 3D Imagery To Bing Maps For Windows 8.1, Will Launch With 100 Cities [TechCrunch, June 26, 2013]
Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 Preview Introduces A Smarter Virtual Keyboard For Touchscreens [TechCrunch, June 26, 2013]
Microsoft’s New Camera App For Windows 8.1 Lets You Take Photo Sphere-Like Panoramas [TechCrunch, June 26, 2013]
Microsoft premieres new panorama feature for Windows 8.1′s updated camera app [Digital Trends, June 26, 2013]
Windows 8.1: Meet the new and vastly improved Windows Store [Ars Technica, June 26 2013, 7:50pm CEDT]
Microsoft shows off 3D imagery, architecture trivia for Windows 8.1 Maps [Engadget, Jun 26th, 2013 at 1:38 PM]
IE 11 on Windows 8.1 preview supports HTML5 Netflix streaming right now [Engadget, Jun 26th, 2013 at 6:01 PM]
Microsoft announces Visual Studio 2013 preview: now available for download, 5,000 new APIs in Windows 8.1 [Engadget, Jun 26th, 2013 at 1:04 PM]
Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 appears with 5,000 Windows 8.1 APIs [SlashGear, June 26, 2013]
Microsoft teases touch-based Office apps for Windows 8.1 [The Verge, June 26, 2013 12:00 pm]
Microsoft teases Metro-style Office apps for Windows 8.1 [Pocket-lint, June 26, 2013]
Redesign headed to Windows 8.1’s Xbox Music app later this year [Polygon, June 26, 2013]
Windows 8.1 Preview to Get Facebook Metro App [Softpedia, June 27, 2013, 08:12 GMT]

Overall reactions (in order of relevance as per Google search):

Windows 8.1’s little changes are a huge improvement [CNNMoney blog, June 26, 2013, 4:31 PM ET]
Hands-on with Windows 8.1 Preview: Windows 8 done right [Ars Technica, June 26 2013, 6:33pm CEDT]
Windows 8.1′s Start Button Isn’t A Start Button [TechCrunch, June 26, 2013]
With Windows 8.1, Microsoft Wants To Own The Kitchen, As Well As The Living Room And The Office [TechCrunch, June 26, 2013]
Microsoft Builds a Friendlier Windows 8.1 at Developer Conference [Wired, June 26, 2013]
With Windows 8.1, Microsoft Makes Some Asked-For Fixes [All Tings Digital, JUNE 26, 2013 AT 9:00 AM PT] pre-written
Windows 8.1 Puts Microsoft On Track For A Better Year In 2014 [Forbes, June 26, 2013, 3:47PM]
Windows 8.1: It’s Getting Better And Stronger — Just Not Fast Enough [ReadWriteWeb, June 26, 2013]
With Windows 8.1, Microsoft Steps Back Toward Operating System Relevance [ReadWriteWeb, June 26, 2013]
Windows 8.1 is all improvements, little innovation [Digital Trends, June 26, 2013]
If You Hated Windows 8, Microsoft’s Attempt To Fix It Won’t Change Your Mind [Business Insider, June 26, 2013, 6:17 PM]
Windows 8.1 first look: Finally, Windows the way you want it [Computerworld, June 26, 2013, 8:55 PM EDT]
Windows 8.1 fixes problems, adds new features, but touch screen is still the focus (hands-on) [CNET, June 26, 2013, 9:00 AM PDT] pre-written
Windows RT 8.1 preview: all the additions you’d expect, but no desktop removal [The Verge, June 26, 2013, 08:30 pm]
Microsoft reveals Windows 8.1 brings back the Start button [Know Your Mobile, June 26, 2013]
Microsoft releases Windows 8.1 beta, brings back ‘start’ button [First Post, June 27, 2013]
Huge enterprise potential for Windows 8.1 seen [IT World Canada, June 26, 2013]

The one which had #1 relevance by Google search:
Review: Windows 8.1 Widens Gap With Older PCs [The Big Story of the Associated Press by Ryan Nakashima, June 27, 2013, 1:47 AM EDT]

probably because also appeared on The Washington Post, ABC News, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Indian Express, CenturyLink, and NPR just in 2 hours after AP published this review (so more news organs will republish it later, for sure)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer says the latest update to Windows is a “refined blend” of its older operating system for PCs and its new touch-enabled interface for more modern, mobile devices.

After some hands-on time with it, the update seems to me like a patch over an ever-widening chasm.

The issue is that there are over a billion personal computers that use some version of Windows as it existed until last October, when Microsoft unveiled Windows 8. All those PCs are responsive to mice and keyboards, not the touch screens and other input methods like voice and gestures that represent the future of computing. Making it easier to cross that bridge is one of the goals of Windows 8.1, a preview version of which Microsoft released Wednesday.

After spending several hours with devices running Windows 8.1, it remains unclear to me whether a touch-based environment is what traditional Windows users want to accomplish the productive tasks for which they’ve come to rely on Windows.

But Microsoft has added to 8.1 a grab bag of fun features that make the free update worthwhile.

One way Microsoft reaches into the past is by reviving the “Start” button in the operating system’s traditional “Desktop” mode. It appears as a little Windows icon at the bottom left corner of the screen.

However, other than the location and its general look, the button doesn’t do what it once did. A single tap brings you back to the “Modern” interface, instead of the traditional Start menu, which used to bring up a whole host of convenient items like recent programs and commonly used folders.

An extended press brings up a list of complex settings functions — the kind that most people would probably rather leave to their tech department if they are fortunate enough to have one.

So, instead of bringing back a familiar environment, the revived “Start” button is mainly just another way of directing you to the new one.

Another way Microsoft attempts to appease its established PC user base is by allowing people to launch their computers directly into the “Desktop” environment. But again, with no way to access programs except through the “Modern” interface, there is little cause for celebration among traditionalists.

The main changes in Windows 8.1 offer an easier way to function inside its “Modern” environment, better more integrated search results, and a hint of what’s possible in the future.

One feature that makes the new environment easier to navigate: Now, a screen called “All Apps” is just a swipe away from the “Modern” tile screen. Swiping up literally displays all the apps on the computer, not just the ones that you have made as favorites on the start screen. In the past, you had to swipe up from the bottom edge and tap another button to get there.

Unfortunately, the “All Apps” page feels like too much. An array of icons easily covers two full screens. Although you can re-organize the apps into categories or alphabetically, there are too many to make it easy to use.

It’s easier to use the search function, which can either be brought up by swiping in from the right edge, or just typing when in the “Modern” tile screen.

Entertainers get terrific new billing in Microsoft’s improved search function. Type in an artist’s name, say Lily Allen, and Windows 8.1 brings up a lively and colorful sideways-scrollable page that shows big photos, her birthdate, and a list of songs and videos followed by decent-sized renditions of websites.

Clicking on a play button alongside a song instantly plays it. You don’t have to own the song, because Microsoft throws in the feature as part of its Xbox Music service — which inserts ads unless you pay a monthly fee. You can queue up all the top songs and even add them to a playlist for listening to later.

Windows 8.1 can also run on smaller devices, including Acer’s Iconia W3, which has an 8.1-inch screen measured diagonally and works with a wireless keyboard that also acts as a stand. In the past, screens had to be about 10 inches or longer diagonally.

Some add-ins didn’t really excite me. The ability to resize the split-screen, which lets you do more than one thing at once, lacked pizazz. On the Acer and even Microsoft’s own Surface Pro, you can only split the screen in two, and only at fixed intervals. With the update, the screens can be half-and-half or roughly cover one-third or two-thirds of the screen, instead of one taking up a sliver as in Windows 8.

Another feature is a predictive text function. Windows 8.1 offers up three predictions for words you are typing on an onscreen keyboard when in certain apps like Mail. To me, the feature seemed to be more annoying than useful, even though you can select the options with sideways swipes on the space bar.

Yet another feature turned the camera into a motion detector. In one demo, Microsoft’s new “Food and Drink” app lets users swipe through a recipe with mid-air hand gestures. In practice, this often failed, sometimes turning pages in the wrong direction or not reacting at all. Still, it’s a way to struggle through a recipe if your hands are coated with sauce.

At Wednesday’s presentation, Microsoft executives previewed future Windows functions that could come in handy, including voice recognition in apps and contextual understanding of spoken questions.

For example, corporate vice president Gurdeep Singh Pall demonstrated a prototype travel planning app that not only showed 3-D overhead views of cities but gave computer-voice tours of various monuments. Speaking the question “Who is the architect?” brought up a webpage showing the answer, simply because the building that the architect designed was in view in the maps app.

“Apps are going to have eyes, they’re going to have ears, they’re going to have a mouth,” said Pall.

As of this month, Microsoft says its new Windows platform will have 100,000 apps, and the company made it clear it hopes developers make even more, incorporating some of the new tools it has made available to them.

Ballmer said in his keynote he hopes that Windows 8.1 also offers a “great path forward” for users of the millions of programs that work on older versions of Windows. By showing off a variety of enticing features of the new interface, however, it’s clear that path leads through the “Modern” world.

Windows 8.1 Preview now available [Microsoft press release, June 26, 2013]

Microsoft Corp. today announced the immediate availability of the Windows 8.1 Preview, the next update of the Windows operating system, at the company’s developer-focused Build conference. As part of the conference’s keynote speech, the company outlined the reach, design and economic opportunities for developers to build differentiated, touch-based apps for the Windows platform, including new developer tools and increased support. Company executives also highlighted new top apps coming to Windows, including Facebook, Flipboard and NFL — clear evidence of the steady app momentum for Windows, which is experiencing the fastest growth across any platform.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was joined on stage by Julie Larson-Green, corporate vice president of Windows, and other company executives to demo the Windows 8.1 Preview, focusing on key areas of personalization, search powered by Bing, increased functionality for businesses, new in-the-box apps and more.

“With Windows 8 we built a new Windows, reimagined from the chipset to the experience. It was an ambitious vision, and with Windows 8.1 we refine it,” Larson-Green said. “Windows 8.1 will support the widest range of tablets and PCs and demonstrates how responsive we can be for customers. The preview we are releasing today is an important step for partners around the world that are building the next generation of Windows devices and apps.”

Antoine Leblond, corporate vice president of Windows Program Management, also took the stage to outline how Windows 8.1 provides additional opportunity for developers to design, build and market their Windows Store apps. He reinforced the best-in-class economics — developers keep 80 percent of the revenue for the lifetime of the app once it crosses the $25,000 revenue threshold. He also highlighted new updates, including the following:

Redesigned Windows Store. The Windows Store has been completely redesigned in Windows 8.1 to reach engaged customers and connect them more effectively and quickly to the apps they want. This includes increased merchandising opportunities for apps and better discoverability based on an individual’s preferences, as well as new search controls from Bing in the user interface. App listings have a new layout with refined navigation and more related content.

More monetization opportunities. Windows 8.1 delivers new opportunities for developers to build and monetize apps and engage users. Leblond introduced Windows Store gift cards, an easy way for consumers to purchase apps, books, games and content. Customers will be able to load their Microsoft Account with stored value in their local currency and make purchases online from the Windows Store. For developers in China, the Windows Store will support Alipay, meaning local developers will have new options to generate additional revenue.

Leading experiences. Windows 8.1 offers developers a canvas to present and develop compelling app designs. Windows 8.1 apps can work together to share data, share the screen and deliver richer customer experiences across a range of devices, including new 8-inch-and-below form factors.

Beyond Windows 8.1, Microsoft showcased how developers can take advantage of tools and resources across the company to build differentiated experiences for their customers across Microsoft devices and services, including the following:

Bing as a platform. The new Bing platform builds upon the large investments Microsoft has made in the core technologies behind Bing.com to be embedded as intelligent services into Microsoft devices, Microsoft services and third-party apps that people use every day. In addition to providing the Search experience in Windows 8.1, Windows Phone, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Office, Bing Developer Services are now available that enable third-party developers to leverage Bing technology to create amazing experiences in their own services and Windows and Windows Phone applications. More information is available here.

Releases of Visual Studio 2013 Preview and .NET 4.5.1 Preview. Timed to the next wave of Windows, Visual Studio 2013 offers the ideal toolset for building rich modern applications that run on Windows 8.1. With a range of new features, Visual Studio 2013 makes it easier and faster for developers to create applications and services using modern lifecycle practices that span mobile devices and the cloud. Microsoft also announced a preview of .NET 4.5.1, enabling developers to build next-generation applications for devices and services while innovating their existing core business applications. Visual Studio 2013 and .NET 4.5.1 previews are now available for download here. More on Visual Studio can be found here.

Windows Phone developer opportunity. Microsoft today announced that shipments of Windows Phone grew six times faster than the rest of the smartphone market over the past year. Sprint also announced plans to add Windows Phone 8 to its 4G LTE network this summer with the HTC® 8XT and the Samsung ATIV S Neo™. With the release of Windows Phone 8, customers are now downloading more than 200 million apps per month and generating more than twice the daily app revenue. To help give developers the best return on their investments, the next release of Windows Phone will be designed to run the same apps that developers are building today and support the same familiar tools and skills. For a limited time, developers can register with Windows Phone Dev Center for only $19.

Courtesy of Microsoft and Intel Corp., attendees at Build received the first 8-inch Windows-based tablet, the Intel® AtomTM Z2760 processor-based Acer Iconia W3 and a Microsoft Surface Pro, with all the horsepower of the third-generation Intel® Core™ processor in a sleek tablet form factor. With new levels of performance, battery life and versatile form factors enabled by Windows 8.1 and Intel Architecture, these devices offer developers the chance to quickly get started building Windows 8.1 apps that will scale across form factors of all sizes. Among other giveaways, attendees received 100 GB of extra SkyDrive storage for one year, making it easy to store and access their files from anywhere.

The Windows 8.1 Preview is available for download beginning today. More information is available at http://www.preview.windows.com.

Additional information from Microsoft:
– Windows at Build 2013 [Blogging Windows, June 26, 2013]
– Get started building apps on Windows 8.1 Preview [Windows App Builder, June 26, 2013]
– Windows 8.1 Preview is here [Blogging Windows, June 26, 2013]
– Windows 8.1 Preview Product Guide [June 26, 2013]
– Day one running Windows RT 8.1 Preview on Surface RT [Surface Blog, June 26, 2013]
– Kinect for Windows new generation developer kit program [Kinect for Windows Blog, June 26, 2013]
– Build 2013 and Visual Studio 2013 Preview [Somasegar’s blog, June 26, 2013]
– Announcing the .NET Framework 4.5.1 Preview [.NET Framework Blog, June 26, 2013]
– Introducing IE11: The Best Way to Experience the Web on Modern Touch Devices [IEBlog, June 26, 2013 9:59 PM]
– Designing the Visual Studio 2013 User Experience [Visual Studio Blog, June 27, 2013]
– What’s new in Visual Studio 2013 Preview for authoring Windows Store XAML [Visual Studio Blog, June 27, 2013]

Microsoft’s Build 2013 Dev Conference Day 1 – Windows 8.1 Preview launch [BogenDorpher YouTube channel, June 26, 2013]

Speech transcript: Steve Ballmer, Julie Larson-Green, Antoine Leblond, and Gurdeep Singh Pall: Build 2013 Keynote [June 26, 2013]

Remarks by Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer; Julie Larson-Green, Corporate Vice President, Windows Engineering; Antoine Leblond, Corporate Vice President, Windows Program Management; and Gurdeep Singh Pall, Corporate Vice President, Information Platform & Experience Management; San Francisco, Calif., June 26, 2013

ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft Corporation, Steve Ballmer. (Cheers, applause, music.)

STEVE BALLMER: Well, thanks. It is exciting to have a chance to kick off this Build Conference here in Moscone Center in San Francisco. It’s hard to get a room in San Francisco, let alone a room for 6,000 of your favorite friends. So we really appreciate and welcome all the folks who are joining us here today in person.

We estimate we have about 60,000 people also watching live on webcasts. Frankly, we actually have quite a bit to show you today, and we’re pretty excited about it. The world is so dynamic, and the amount of incredibly interesting and exciting and valuable work that we’ll get a chance to show you today from Microsoft and from our innovation partners, hardware vendors, software developers, it’s really, really amazing.

Probably won’t show you a lot of Office 365 and Xbox and Skype because we’ve been kind of sharing that separately, but we’ve got a whole lot of Windows, a whole lot of Windows Phone to talk to you about, a whole lot of Windows Azure, and I think you’ll really get a sense on some of the amazing and cool stuff that’s coming really, really fits together very, very nicely.

I will say probably the No. 1 thing that I’m excited about, and the No. 1 thing that I’m happy to be able to do, is to welcome you back to a Build Conference so quickly after the last Build Conference. (Applause.)

And that’s not even so much about the conference, but it’s about the rapid pace of innovation. If there’s not one other message that I reach you with in my opening remarks, it’s about the transformation that we are going through as a company to move to an absolutely rapid release cycle — rapid release, rapid release.

I’ve talked externally about the transformation that we’re going through as a company who’s a software company to a company that is building software-powered devices and software-powered services. And the only way in which that transformation can possibly be driven is on a principle of rapid release.

It’s not a one-time thing. We’re certainly going to show you Windows 8.1 today. But you can think of that in a sense as the new norm for everything we do. For Windows releases, in addition to what we’re doing with devices through our partners, what we’re doing with Azure and Office 365, rapid release cadence is absolutely fundamental to what we’re doing, and, frankly, to the way we need to mobilize our ecosystem of hardware and software development partners.

So the first thing I want everybody to do, whether you actually do it physically in this room, we’ll test the Wi-Fi network, but I want everybody to take the opportunity to go download the Windows 8.1 Preview edition and the version of the Visual Studio tools that allow you to do first-class development for Windows 8.1.

Remember, we put Windows 8 systems in market just the end of last year. It was literally November when we started to see Windows 8 systems really coming to the fore. And yet, what you see and what we will show you as we demonstrate Windows 8.1 to you is you see a heck of a lot of movement, a heck of a lot of innovation, a heck of a lot of responsiveness all coming to market in a very, very rapid timeframe, and with a toolset that ought to enable all of our developers to flourish, to do great work, and help continue to fill out the portfolio of applications that are available for Windows 8.

Now, we’ve been moving quickly not just with Windows but also with our Windows Phone software and what we’re doing with our OEM partners. So in addition to the Windows 8.1 Preview, the first thing I want to have a chance to show you is the incredible range of new devices that our partners are bringing to market with Windows Phone. These are incredibly, incredibly beautiful devices.

You see here a range of new devices. These are a couple of new Nokias, the 928 and the 925, polycarbonate and polycarbonate and aluminum body. They have absolutely the finest camera technology in the market available today. They have beautiful screens. They’re thin, they’re light, they’re available on a wide range of networks, and all have come available here within the last month or two.

The software, in my mind’s eye, is beautiful. It’s beautiful, and it looks like the same software that we have on Windows tablets, Windows PCs, Windows notebooks, and even on our Xbox systems.

An additional product that I think is worthy of mention is the Nokia 521. It, too, is a beautiful product. This product will be sold outside of the United States, primarily in countries where the phone operators do not subsidize; that is, they do not reduce the price of the phone, but this phone will be sold for just over $150, which is really quite amazing for a product that’s this beautiful, this gorgeous, and at this time, an inexpensive price.

We’re also pleased to announce today in conjunction with Sprint and with Samsung and HTC that for the first time, Sprint will be making new Windows 8 Phones available on its network. The HTC 8XT and the Samsung ATIV S Neo are coming available on the Sprint network, filling out the range of options that our customers here in the United States have been looking for, a family of beautiful Windows Phones available on every network in this country and around the world. And we’re really proud of the work that our hardware partners are doing on this collection of beautiful new phones.

It’s not just about phones, though. It’s also about transformation and innovation in the fundamental hardware that we think of as the Windows device.

I’m almost not sure whether to talk about Windows devices today, Windows PCs, Windows tablets, Windows notebooks — the PC, the Windows device of today doesn’t look a lot like the PC of five years ago or 10 years ago or 15 years ago. And it’s really been in this short seven months since we launched Windows 8 and we turned on the switch with our hardware partners that we’ve seen an explosion in the range of innovative new devices that are being designed with Windows inside.

For the first time today, we’ll really spend some time showing you small tablets running Windows. You will all receive, those of you here in person, you will all get an Acer Iconia 8.1-inch Windows 8 machine. (Cheers, applause.)

Antoine Leblond will show you one here in a minute, but it’s a very small tablet. It’s a full Windows 8 device. It has full entertainment, full PC capability. It comes with Windows Office preloaded, and literally is flying off the shelves in terms of volume and appreciation. A perfect device for students, a small, very light device, and yet you can add a keyboard, you have Microsoft Office and the full range of PC applications, enabling kids to do homework and have a little entertainment at the same time.

This small tablet form factor is very important. I wouldn’t call them PCs, but there will be Windows small tablets. You’ll see it, you’ll touch it, you’ll feel it, and we’re going to see a proliferation of Windows small tablet devices here over the course of the next several months.

This is innovation that had to be unlocked. We had to do work in Windows, and our partners have had to do work in the semiconductors and in their system design to really bring the small tablet form factor to life.

Second, when we brought out Windows 8, we talked about touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, and more touch. When you went into the stores last Christmas to look for a Windows 8 machine, most of them didn’t have touch.

And yet, what we’ve seen in that timeframe is a real focusing by our industry ecosystem on bringing Windows 8 touch systems to market: Windows 8 notebooks, Windows 8 touch all-in-ones, touch notebooks.

Touch is incredibly valuable in what I might refer to as a traditional PC form factors. The advantages of being able to touch your all-in-one, or even the notebook, the notebook that maybe you use all day, every day with the mouse and the keyboard powered down, writing code, the ability in a more casual moment to reach out and touch is so obvious, and yet it’s really only in the Windows family that we have a range of touch notebooks.

And you will see in what we show you here onstage, and in what you’ll see now in stores, you will see literally an outpouring of new devices that are notebook computers in every respect, and yet have touch fully integrated and accessible.

One of the things we have certainly seen in our user research is customers who have Windows 8 on touch systems are much, much happier than other Windows 8 customers, and in fact, are even much happier than our Windows 7 customers. And so really getting the ecosystem to come forth with a full product line of Windows 8 touch PCs is incredibly important.

The other category of innovation that we’re going to show you some here today, I guess I’ll call a workhorse two-in-one tablet. I don’t know whether to call it a tablet, I don’t know whether to call it a PC, because really this family of devices really does a first-class job at both of those things.

I continuously bring in and try new machines. The newest machine I’ve tried, which Antoine will demonstrate later, is this Helix device from Lenovo. It’s a Core i7 machine. It has all of the security features, PCM, encryption that anybody would ever want.

I find that I get at least a full day of work in terms of battery life. It is light. It’s about two pounds. It has built-in pen. You say, “How can this possibly be a full-day battery life with a Core i7?” Well, it’s touch, it’s pen, but it also has a keyboard with built-in battery that turns it literally into the most — oops, I should put it down more carefully in demo areas — it literally makes it the most powerful PC and the most powerful, capable, lightweight tablet that you could carry.

Should we call that a PC? Should we call that a tablet? What I call it is all Windows, all the time. And I think it really reaches out and touches a need that a lot of people feel.

How many of us have gone to a meeting with somebody who brought a tablet and then when it comes time to actually take notes, writes them down on pencil and paper, or can’t get at the spreadsheet that they really need to do their work, or try to use it terminal emulator mode, or can’t write the document really, or they take half an hour to set up and turn their tablet back into something that approximates a PC?

This new category of two-in-ones is what I think all of our developers at Microsoft will want.

A lot of times, people just want the desktop, they want a powerful PC or notebook, and yet from time to time, you want to be able to kick back with a lightweight, ink-enabled tablet, and we can go both ways with this powerful two-in-one tablet combination.

Third area that I want to highlight where we have a lot of innovation that you will see showcased here during the Build Conference is in the area of applications. It really again has only been seven months since we’ve launched Windows 8, and the number of applications that we see coming into the store is phenomenal.

But it also to me is gratifying to see that developers are doing really great work for Windows 8. Flipboard will be announcing their new applications. They’re known, of course, for very intuitive, visual design. And Mike McCue, who’s the CEO of Flipboard, says, “We aspire to not just create the best Windows application possible, but the best version of Flipboard possible.” This new range and family of Windows devices enables that kind of application innovation.

Facebook will bring an application to the Windows 8 environment. They’re very focused on mobile. That’s good. (Applause.) That’s very good.

Mike Chambers, director of engineering at Facebook, says, “Facebook has always believed in connecting everyone, everywhere, on every device. Given our strong and longstanding partnership with Microsoft, this is an exciting way to advance that vision.”

The NFL, we recently struck a deal with the NFL to bring its content and applications to a broad set of Microsoft devices, including all Windows tablets, PCs, et cetera. And today, the NFL will be announcing that their Fantasy Football experience will be available across the range of Windows 8 devices.

These join applications just announced even in the last week from Vivo, from Viclone, from Time Out, from Tesco Groceries, Disney’s new game Where’s My Mickey, and many, many more.

Within this month, I think we’ll pass the 100,000-application mark in the Windows Store. But of course, as important as those 100,000 applications are, they join a list of literally millions of applications that people use on Windows today. In our instrumented versions of Windows, with your permission, when you feed us back data, we get to see kind of the numbers of applications that we have instrumented versions. And we literally have data that shows us approximately 2 to 3 million applications in production on Windows on a daily basis.

They haven’t all been moved to the modern user interface, they’re not all in the store, but they are essential to the way all of us work and get stuff done every day. And they will move, and they will migrate, and they will continue to be the basis and the evolution for the productivity that drives all of us in our daily lives around the world.

The importance of those desktop applications was never more reinforced to us than in the course of the last six months. Since we announced and shipped Windows 8, suffice it to say we pushed boldly in Windows 8, and yet what we found was that we got a lot of feedback from users of those millions of desktop applications that said, if I was to put it in coffee terms, “Why don’t you go refine the blend here?” Let’s remix the desktop and your modern application experiences. Let’s balance them better. Let’s complete them better. Let’s make it easier to start applications the way we’re used to with the millions of desktop applications that we use to be productive every day.

So what we will show you today is a refined blend of our desktop experience and our modern user interface and application experience.

You will see that we bring back the Start button to the desktop. (Cheers, applause.)

You will see that if you want to boot to the desktop, you can boot to the desktop. (Cheers, applause.)

You will see that we have, nonetheless, enriched the Start screen and Start menu, but we have brought back the flexibility for you to see all of those many, many applications that you use every day at a simple and quick glance.

You will see that we have built into the user experience more multitasking options, so you can have more things up on the screen like you’re used to in desktop mode. You can use more screen real estate with multiple monitors. We said, “Let’s reblend the desktop and the modern experience, and let’s recognize the fact that it’s not just these hundreds of thousands of new applications that are in our store and support the modern touch user interface, but let’s also make sure that we have a great path forward for the people using the millions of desktop applications in the world.” So we have refined the blend of those two things, and we’ll show you that here later today.

The last big thing I want to highlight in terms of what we’re doing in Windows 8.1, we’re doing with Bing. We have put an incredible amount of energy, innovation, brain power into our Bing search engine. And we’ve built absolutely an unbelievable product. We have consistently improved the experience to the point where today in the United States we win blind taste tests if you compare results between Bing and Google.

We have gained market share consistently since the launch of Bing here in the United States.

But the time has come now to also use Bing in new ways, to use Bing to harness it, to help improve the fundamental usability of Windows devices and Windows applications.

So, with Windows 8.1, I would say Bing is inside. Our shell experience is powered by Bing. You’ll see that we’re opening up Bing as an application development platform for all of you as Windows developers so that you can use all of this investment we’ve put into crawling the Web and understanding entities. You can use that, see that, and build that richness into your applications running on top of Windows.

So I would say we have moved from Bing super and outside you’ll see Bing inside the whole family of Windows devices and the cool, new applications that all of you are building.

To show you some of these innovations, to demonstrate them to you, we’re going to have Julie Larson-Green, who runs our Windows group, Antoine Leblond, who runs program management and kind of design conceptualization for Windows, and Gurdeep Singh Pall, from our Bing team, come on out and show you some of the exciting innovation that I got a chance to talk to you about. I’ll rejoin you in a little bit, but welcome, Julie, and enjoy the show. (Applause, music.)

JULIE LARSON-GREEN: OKOK, thanks, Steve. So I’ve got a demo to show you, but the most exciting feature that you’ll see is the fact that we’re here in eight months with an update that shows how much more responsive our engineering has become.

Now, I remember when I was here at the developer conference for Windows 7, and we were really proud of that release. It unlocked a whole new generation of PCs called ultrabooks, and those were the best ones that were ever made at the time. They were really a breakthrough product.

And then I came back exactly three years later to unveil Windows 8. And it was about enabling another generation of PCs, tablets that can do everything.

Windows 8 was the most ambitious vision for Windows ever, one that introduced a new platform, experience, app model, and more.

So today, I’m going to show you Windows 8.1. It’s an update that refines the vision of Windows 8 and is responsive to the latest industry trends, from supporting the newest silicon to the widest range of devices at the same time we’ve been delivering continuous improvements.

We have had over 800 updates to Windows since we launched in November that address everything from performance, efficiency, to the look and feel and new features in the product. We designed 8.1 to feel natural and everything from the new mini small tablets up to large, powerful work stations. And so I’m going to give you a glance at all of those things.

Right here, I have the one that Steve was talking about, the Acer 8-inch. I’m going to go over and show you a little bit about how we’ve designed the system to work really great with these devices.

I’m going to use the one connected to the projector. Here I am with the new Start screen for the small device. Works great in portrait mode. These devices are really easy to carry around in your bag or your purse and great for reading. So we have Nook Reader right here.

But we didn’t really just stop there, we also rethought the way that you can be productive on these small devices and came up with some innovative ways to use an onscreen keyboard.

So I’m going to go to Twitter. No Internet connection; that will make it hard to tweet. And right away, you see an application that was designed or an app designed for this 8-inch portrait form factor.

So here’s the onscreen keyboard, and I’m at the Build keynote, started at 9:00. I’m going to tweet that. So as I start typing, immediately you start to see the suggestions at the top. It has B, Build, Bing as suggestions for me.

Normally, I would take my hands away from the keyboard, go to the top, press one of those, and continue typing.

With Windows 8.1, we’ve added gestures to the onscreen keyboard. So, as I slide my finger on the space bar, it selects across. I see the one that I want, I tap, and it gives me the word. (Applause.)

I can do that again. So I’m just going to slide my finger on the space bar right across and tap and the word. I’m going to type “at.”

Another way that we do gestures is on the keypad itself. So one of the things that’s most annoying about an onscreen keyboard is going to the keypad for numbers and then coming back and typing. So instead, with Windows 8.1, I can use a gesture to slide up and put in a number. So here I go with 9. Slide up — whoops, I slid the whole thing — slide up for the colon, zero, zero — and show you what I’m doing here. I’m going to press and hold on the question mark. Now I can slide in any direction to get my exclamation point or pound sign or anything else I want, and it’s just that easy. (Applause.)

So when we launched Windows 8, it was on these larger tablets, really tablets that can do everything. And it was all about making you productive and helping you get things done that you wanted to go do. Some of the things that we’ve improved in Windows 8.1 are around email, around searching, what Steve talked about before, and also with entertainment. So I’m going to take you through some of those things.

Let’s go to my email. Now, we’ve got a big update that hopefully many of you got in February for the mail client. We added all kinds of new capabilities, and we’ve been improving it ever since. What I’m going to show you here are some of the capabilities that help you really manage your inbox content and the innovations we’re putting in when we release. This isn’t in your preview build, but it will be there in the fall when we come out.

So right away, I have what’s called the power pane here on the left-hand side. It makes it very easy for me to filter and find things that are in my inbox. So I press on social, and it gives me all my social updates all at a glance. I can see everything that’s been coming from my Facebook feed or anything else that I have connected here.

I have my favorite people that I can get to really quickly or get to an individual.

I also have newsletters. If you’re like me, you’re getting many of these newsletters every day; sometimes many times a day and it fills up your inbox. So we’ve added the capability to sweep these away.

So if I go and select one of these, I’ve got LivingSocial, use the sweep command, and I can delete them all at once. I can delete all but the latest. And then as they come in, it automatically will update and set it aside for me so I don’t have to manage all that content all at once. So I’m going to go ahead and delete all of these and sweep them away. (Applause.)

So Steve was talking about Bing and how Bing powers Windows. And we introduced the Search charm in Windows 8. And the Search charm in Windows 8, it can search through a variety of contexts. What we’ve done in 8.1 is make it the one box that just does it all. It’s the place you’re going to go for everything. It’s like the modern command line to your system. It can bring back results from the Web, from your local drive, from the control panel, from apps on your system. It’s the one place you go to get to everything you want to do. And with 20 billion searches that were done in the U.S. alone in one month, we know it’s the way that people like to use their PC.

So here I am with all those results. I have my SkyDrive, Store, everything that starts with “S.” I’m going to continue typing, and we’re going to go get some results for San Francisco.

So this smart search brings back the results from everywhere. So I have the weather, I have maps, I have attractions that are popular and known to be in San Francisco. I have Web results with little pictures of the pages that I would get. And so it’s a one-stop shop to find out everything I might want to do in the relevance of things in San Francisco.

So I’m going to go look at the weather. And part of the search experience is it just takes me right to the weather. I can look at the city, look at the temperature and go right back to search. I can go right to a map of the city. I have little stars of things that I’ve selected here. I’m going to select on a restaurant, Aziza. And built right into the whole search experience is the ability to go look at that restaurant, find the menu, go to OpenTable, make a reservation, making it very easy and seamless. Search is not just a list of links; it’s things you can do.

So I’m going to go over here and search for something else. There’s a band playing this week that I’ve heard of called Fitz & The Tantrums. I’ll show you another one of these. This is like an app that’s been built on the fly for Fitz & The Tantrums. It tells me the genre. I can play songs. I can read about it, look at videos, find things on the Internet, just very quickly and simply get that built right up for me.

And I can play things right from here. So I’m going to play this song, 6:00 a.m. (Music plays.) So I didn’t own that song. That used the Xbox Music app to go find the song and play it for me and stream it for me automatically without me having to do anything, because free music streaming comes with Xbox Music. It’s built into Windows 8.

So the Xbox Music app has been completely redesigned to focus on playing content. We were focusing on discovery before, but really what you want to do with a music app is you want to go and play. And so it starts from your collection. I also have a new radio feature where I can create playlists, create new stations and enter artists.

And I have this one new feature that is so cool, I’ve never seen this before in any kind of music app. I’ll show you how it works.

I’m going to go back here to the browser, and this is just a regular music Web page. It’s just a site on the Internet. You guys can go there now and take a look at it. It has the lineup for the Second Wave Festival, and it just lists all the bands that are going to be playing.

I can share the site using the charms to the music app. It’s going to automatically comb through that website and create a playlist using the streaming music from all those bands. And then when I go back there, I automatically have a playlist all created for me. (Applause.)

Pretty cool. OK, so those touch machines, tablets, you’re using them, you’re touching them all the time. Pretty soon, every screen you have is going to be touch.

Here is this all-in-one. It’s a great 27-inch Dell PC touch machine. And we’re finding these more and more in public areas of the home. They’re in the living room; they’re in your kitchen. They’re sitting here, and we’ve made them much more beautiful in Windows 8.1 with a live slide show of all your pictures.

So these pictures come from SkyDrive where your pictures are stored, or from your local hard drive, and they just go with you. They’re organized by date. So if your birthday was this week, next year at the same time, pictures from that birthday event are going to show up there.

But it’s not just sitting around looking beautiful. It’s also ready to go at a moment’s notice. On the lock screen — (tones). Ah, Jensen, right on cue. OK, did you see what I did there? I opened it right from the lock screen without being logged in.

JENSEN: Hi, Julie. That’s pretty cool.

JULIE LARSON-GREEN: Yeah, you can do that with camera as well. You can just slide down from the top with your tablet and take a picture without logging in.

JENSEN: Yeah, you didn’t have to enter a password or a PIN or anything. You just got instant video chat right from the lock screen on any device.

JULIE LARSON-GREEN: Absolutely. I’ll talk to you soon, thanks.

JENSEN: Bye.

JULIE LARSON-GREEN: Bye. (Cheers, applause.)

OK, Start screen. So Steve talked some about the Start screen and all the capabilities of the Start screen. It is designed for all sizes of screen. It looks great on this big screen. I have all the things that I do every day sitting right here. I have a beautiful background, and we’ve added lots of personalization. I’ll show you a couple of things here.

I’m going to go to this dragon one, this bright, colorful one and show you — see how I’m sliding the tile and the dragon is moving behind there? I’ll do one more. So that’s a robot. Now, watch on the bottom here as I move and the gears are turning. And you can just customize it to look any way you want.

Now, when you install apps from the store, they’re going to go into all programs. And we made all programs much easier to get to. It works just like it does on Windows Phone. So as I scroll up to the top, all programs are just right there. I just swipe up and swipe back down. (Applause.) I’ll do that again.

And when you’re in this view, you can filter and sort by a number of different things. We can sort by date installed, by most used, by category, making it easy for me to find all the things that are on my system.

And when you’re in this view, you can filter and sort by a number of different things. We can start by date installed, by most used, by category, making it easy for me to find all the things that are on my system.

So I’m going to go by date installed. And you see the little “new” that I just recently installed Urbanspoon, and it’s ready there for me to go.

So I’m going to talk a little bit about SkyDrive and the services that are backed up behind Windows 8.

So I talked before about having your photos in the cloud, in SkyDrive, making it easy for you to get your beautiful lock screen. And SkyDrive is where you’re going to store all of your documents, your photos, your music, and everything that you want to keep, all the content that you want to keep on your system.

We also have a number of other services that come with Windows that roam your content across, that roam your apps across your settings, your favorites. We also have Outlook, which powers your email, and the Xbox Music and Video service. And they’re all available from all of your Windows devices, even your Windows Phone.

So I’m going to go here into pictures and show you a couple new things. So we have picture editing built right into Windows 8.1. So there’s a bunch of presets that make it very easy for you to go and customize the look of your photo. We have some detailed ways to go do that. I’m going to play with the saturation and desaturate it here.

These are some of the new controls that you’ll find when you start creating your applications, a bunch of these kinds of cool, new things for your apps. Makes it very easy to go and create a beautiful interface on top of the pictures.

There’s going to be all kinds of new apps coming in Windows 8.1. Every app in the box is either new or updated and refined from 8.0.

I’m going to show you one here. Oops, wanted to keep going a little further. There we go. It’s called Food and Drink, and it’s a new app that has everything you can find about cooking. It has tips and techniques; it has videos of chefs; it has recipes; it has a shopping list, meal planner. It also has another very cool new feature. So when I get in here, you know, this is sitting in your kitchen, you’re using your tablet and you’re cooking. Your hands are sometimes kind of messy. And so we’ve learned by doing and watching people do this that it would be really nice to add something that we call hands-free mode.

So I’m going to press the hands-free mode. It’s going to turn on the camera. And then I’m going to be able to use the camera itself to go ahead and advance through the recipes. So I’m going to sit here and go, without touching the screen, no messy hands. (Applause.) Pretty cool. So you’ll find all kinds of new things.

So this screen is big, but it’s really not the biggest screen that I have in my house. The biggest screen in my house would be my television. And Windows 8.1 makes it really easy for you to stream content from one device to another.

So I’m going to open up the Xbox video, and I have Star Trek playing here. And I’m going to play it to my Xbox One. Swipe out to devices, play, Xbox One. (Video plays.) I never get to finish watching that movie; I only get to see that much.

OK, so you guys out in the audience, you build applications. Steve was talking about the importance and the power of the desktop. So I’m going to show you some things about working on the desktop.

Here we are booted straight into the desktop, which is an option for you in Windows 8.1. We love the desktop, we’re proud of the desktop, and we’ve been making refinements to the desktop to bring the modern world and the desktop world together.

So as I go down to the new Start button down here on the bottom left-hand corner and click it, it brings up the Start screen. I’ll do that for you again. And see how the tiles float right over the background for your desktop. So it’s very seamless and smooth, not at all jarring.

And then from here you can get into your all programs, and you can choose to default to this view. You can default to your desktop applications or all apps and get right here and continue working in a very quick and efficient way. You can see four times more apps on the screen at a time than you ever could with a Start menu, making it really easy to find what you want to go do and go do it.

Another part of being on the desktop is about windowing and multitasking, and we’ve added improvements in 8.1 for that as well.

So I’m going to go ahead and launch Outlook. And I have an email message here with a link in it. I’ll click that link. And we’re going to automatically go ahead and snap those two side by side. I’ve been using this, and it’s a really incredible way to work, especially on large-screen monitors.

So here I am. And you’re no longer constrained by the one-third/two-third split. It can be any size you want. (Applause.) Great.

And it doesn’t stop there. I can also right-click on a link and open in a new window and have more than two things on the screen at a time. (Cheers, applause.) So I can compose my email and view an email at the same time.

So if you’re a developer, you’re probably also using multimon, right? And so we’ve made a ton of improvements there as well. Check this out.

So I have eight windows on two monitors, one PC — powering two monitors; it’s OK to clap. (Applause.) So you can set it up exactly how you want. You can resize those windows, you can move them from one to the other, and they’re blended together in a way that makes it really, really productive for you to go and work.

Speaking of productive, there’s one set of applications that are really synonymous with productivity and have been on the PC forever, and that’s Office. And so I have a preview of an alpha version of PowerPoint that I’m showing for the very first time to show you the power of the Win RT platform and how our applications are moving forward into the modern world.

So I’m going to launch PowerPoint. This is a Win RT version of PowerPoint. I’m going to go ahead and dock it at the top. And right now, what we have working is a viewer. So I’m going to browse the SkyDrive, the default place to go and get files from, open this presentation, and you’re going to see right away the transitions, high-quality graphics, video. PowerPoint is a pretty resource-intensive application. So this really shows the power of what you could do in Windows RT.

And then there are also the benefits of being a modern application for PowerPoint. It can show up in the store; it gets automatic updates to your apps automatically and that’s new in Windows 8.1. You can take advantage of the system and participate in notifications and contracts, and of course, you get touch. And all of this works on both ARM and x86 from the smallest, tiniest tablet to the largest, most powerful work station. So it’s all there ready for you to get going and building great new apps. So 8.1 is Windows 8 refined.

And I’m going to ask Antoine Leblond to come out now and get us started on showing you how to do it. Thank you very much. (Applause, music.)

ANTOINE LEBLOND: All right. That was a great look at the new features and experiences in 8.1

What I want to do now actually is I want us to look below the covers at the great developer improvements we’ve made in 8.1 that power those experiences.

So whether you’re a hardware developer or a software developer, we’ve got some great improvements and amazing advancements for you in 8.1. These will help you create beautiful, powerful, responsive, and delightful touch-friendly apps that are really efficient with system resources and have great performance.

Your existing apps will run better on 8.1. So having people upgrade is a real benefit to you. And that’s why we made the upgrade free.

And then when you migrate your app to 8.1 and update it in the store, it’ll run even better than before for your customers.

Of course Windows continues to offer developers a unique array of choices. You have your choice of programming languages and presentation technologies so that you can use what you know to write native Windows 8.1 apps. You can write first-class, high-performance apps using HTML and JavaScript, C# and XAML or C++ and DirectX. And you have your choice of business model via the Windows Store.

And in 8.1, there are actually literally over 5,000 new APIs for you to take advantage of and unleash your creativity with. Windows 8.1 has a lot of surface area, and BUILD is devoted to sharing that with you. The Windows team has put together over 100 sessions for you to see at the conference or on demand later.

So what I’m going to try and do here is I’m going to try and actually give you a bit of a sampling of some of the great things that you’re going to get to learn about over the next couple of days.

Let’s jump right in. Now, the best place to start talking about developer investment is obviously with tools. So we’re going to start with a preview of the next version of the world’s best development tools, and that’s Visual Studio.

So Visual Studio 2013 makes it incredibly easy to develop next-generation mobile and connected apps and support devices and services across our entire platform.

Just like the Windows team, the Visual Studio team has been operating at a faster release cadence, and that means that the developer preview of 2013 is available today for you to download. So you have to go check that out.

There’s a lot in this version of Visual Studio, and I’m going to show you just a few of my favorite new things here.

Now, this is going to be a test of how many developers we really have in the room. I’m going to start by talking about performance a little bit. Knowing how your app performs is obviously a really important part of delivering a great experience to your customers. With mobile devices, it’s actually more important than ever. So it’s not only about how fast your app is, but if you think of things like mobile broadband, for example, you really want to know how network efficient your app is. Or you want to know, for example, how your app will affect the battery life of the device that it’s working on.

So, in Visual Studio 2013, we’ve built some powerful performance analysis tools directly into the tool.

So we’re going to start here. This app is called Supernova. All it does is actually downloads a bunch of photos of known supernovas from the Web and then displays them in a nice grid.

And what I’m going to do is I’m going to do a little performance analysis on this app.

So I’m going to go to the debug menu, and I’m going to pick performance and diagnostics. And here it lets me pick what kind of report I want to do. And I’m going to pick one that’s really cool, my energy consumption report. I’m going to do that and I’m going to hit start.

So now what it’s going to do is it starts up my app. And in the background, it’s actually profiling its energy consumption.

So we’ll go back to Visual Studio now. I’ll hit stop collection. It’s going to build the report for me.

Now, have a look at how cool this is. What this chart is showing me, it’s actually showing me the power consumption of my app in milliwatts. How would you have done this before? The red bar is actually the total consumption. You can see in yellow is the consumption from the CPU. Gray is the consumption from the display. You get a really, really good sense of how your app is actually using power on the device.

This doughnut chart at the bottom here just sort of shows me the relative consumption from those different parts of the device. And it even tells me here down at the bottom that this app would run on my device for 9.17 hours before the battery runs out. So really, really cool diagnostics and information for me to make my app even better for mobile devices. (Applause.) Good, it gets better, it gets better.

I want to talk about async debugging for a second. Now, this is the test of developers. Another feature we added to Visual Studio 2013 are some great tools around async debugging. So in Windows 8, we did a lot of work to let you write procedural async code, right? So you don’t have the spaghetti code with callbacks all over the place. Really neat stuff, but it’s a little bit tricky to debug.

But I want to have a look at a different app. So I’m going to switch over to this different app here. And this is basically an async version or it’s a different version of my Supernova app. And what it does is — I’m just going to run it here. So what it’s doing here, it’s actually showing me some low-res photos of these supernovas. But when I bring up the app bar, there’s a button down here at the bottom that says “full image.” And what that’s going to do when I tap it is it makes an async call to actually go get the high-res images for these supernovas.

Now, I have a breakpoint set here. So I’m going to go tap on this. And I’ve hit the breakpoint. Now, developers in the room, you know what’s going to happen here. If I try to step over this, what’s going to happen is first that async operation gets triggered and starts, control returns to UI processing, so my app stays responsive, and I can keep processing UI events. And only when that async routine is done does control come back to the next statement in here.

Now, today if you do this, what’s going to happen is when you get back there and you look at the call stack, there’s one function on it and that’s it. We’ve completely lost the async call context. So it makes it kind of tricky to actually debug around these async calls.

Let’s try this in Visual Studio 2013, though. I’m going to step over this. Now, look at the call stack down at the bottom. It’s actually preserved the entire async call context for me. (Applause.)

So that retains my ability to actually effectively trace through my code, and it just makes it much, much easier to debug async code.

Now, I mentioned connected apps earlier. Visual Studio 2013 makes it trivial to connect an Azure mobile service to your app and send a push notification. I want to have a look at that now.

We’re going to go back to my first app. And what I want to do is — let’s close this report here. What I’d like to do is actually set up a live tile for this app and have an Azure service that basically monitors the data source, and when a new supernova shows up, it sends the notification down, and the live tile actually shows a photo and a message about a new supernova showing up.

Now, the way I do this is I’m going to go into the Solution Explorer here, and I’m going to right click, and I’m going to go to “add,” and I will select push notification.

Now, this starts up a wizard. I’m not going to walk through the whole wizard. It has about eight to 10 steps, but I’m just answering a bunch of questions in here.

And what this wizard will do is it actually provisions an Azure mobile service for me, pushes all this template code over to it and connects everything together so that I can actually get these push notifications.

What’s even cooler, and I did this earlier so it’s set up this way, what’s even cooler is I can use this new Server Explorer here to actually go look at the server-side code without ever leaving my client project, which is really neat.

Let’s look at insert.js. So this is the piece of code right here that will actually send the notification. I’ve chosen a tile template that basically cycles between an image and two lines of text. And you can see here that’s all it’s setting up. It’s setting up a source for the image and then the lines of text.

We’ll run this. And we’ll give it a second. Now, it’s fired up the service over on the Azure Mobile Service. And the app is running. And if we switch over to the Start menu, we should see our tile. There’s our tile right there. And if you give it something like five to eight seconds here, you’ll see it cycle between the image and between the text. Just like that. That was super easy, just did it through a wizard. How cool is that? (Applause.)

So let’s switch and talk about something different now. I want to talk about the Web platform. Since Windows 7, Microsoft has been a leader in supporting Web standards. And we continue this in 8.1 by adding support for WebGL and MPEG-DASH. So WebGL is a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 3-D graphics without using a plug-in at all. MPEG-DASH is a protocol for high-quality video streaming. It does things like variable bitrate and DRM and things like that. And the Web platform in Windows 8.1 supports both of these.

Because the Web platform powers both IE and the WebView control, it means you have access now to WebGL and MPEG-DASH content, both in the browser and in your native apps. So let’s have a look at that.

I’m going to start in IE here. And what you’re seeing here is a page with WebGL content in it. So this is a beautifully rendered 3-D object. You can see the lighting and the shadows and all that stuff. And using touch pointer events I can actually interact with it.

And it’s super nice. It’s really smooth because it’s hardware accelerated and all the rendering on the Web platform is actually hardware accelerated. So that’s really neat.

Now, let’s do something different here. I’m going to come over here and I have an app that’s running. And we’re going to dock it right next to it.

Now, this on the left is a native app, right? It’s got the same code, the same markup, the same experience in it. And it’s running in WebGL, too. So this shows you how easy it is to take code that I’ve written for a website and bring it over to a native app almost seamlessly and make it work in the native app.

Now, the cool thing about this, because it’s a native app and it’s running in the WebView controller, I can put multiple WebView controls on my canvas.

So let’s get rid of this window. Let’s tap next here. Now, here’s a place where I actually have four WebView controls up in my native app. The two at the top are both WebGL controls. The one on the top left is the one we just saw, this one is a panorama. I can, of course, interact with these. I can actually interact with both of them at the same time. And then at the bottom, what you’re seeing are two 1080p streaming videos that are streaming over MPEG-DASH.

The one on the right, actually, is DRM protected; the one on the left isn’t. But all this stuff is playing at the same time, hardware accelerated, super seamlessly. It’s really, really cool stuff.

And we’ve even done more with the WebView control. So one of the things that many of you have been asking for is to actually be able to compose the WebView controls with other components of the UI.

So we’ve done that. If you see here, when I bring in the app bar, see how it just swipes over? It’s transparent. The content is still playing in the back. It’s super, super cool and lets you create absolutely beautiful apps.

We’ve done more than that even with the WebView control. We’ve added navigation events, we’ve added smart screens so that you stay safe with the content that you bring into those controls. The controls handle offline content. All this makes it easier than ever to build high-performance apps, apps that blend both local and Web content. (Applause.)

OK, now I want to talk about the Windows Store. So the store, of course, continues to offer the best economics of any store out there, period. And we’ve also redesigned it so people can more easily find and buy your apps.

We’ve added support for cash stored value in over 40 markets. We’ve added in-app purchasing for items and consumables. We’ve added app gifting. And we’ve also added significantly better merchandising and promotion powered by Bing. Our goal is to make sure that people know about all the great apps that you write, and then make it easy and flexible for them to buy them.

I want to show you a few highlights. So the first thing, I’m back here at the Start screen, and you can see the store tile up here. And the first thing you’re going to notice is that there’s something missing. There’s not a little update count up in the top-right corner. We are done with those. You will never see those update counts again. We’re done with manual app updating in Windows 8.1. Now apps get updated automatically so that your customers are always running the latest version of your app. (Applause.)

Let’s tap on the tile and go into the store. And you can see here that we’ve actually significantly redesigned how this works.

The first section you see here on the right is a rotating spotlight. So this is a program section where we get to show some great apps.

And then as I pan over to the right, what you’re seeing here are lists. So we know that people love lists as a way to go discover apps. What we’ve done is we’ve brought these lists to the front and exploded them on the front page of the store. So you get to see a lot more apps than you used to, and it makes it much easier to find things and much easier for customers to find your apps.

I want to point out one list in particular here, which is the first one. It’s the picks-for-you list. So this is kind of cool. This is actually a personalized list for you. So it’s built, actually, by the Bing recommendation engine based around signals like apps that you’ve acquired before and ratings, and similar apps that other people have acquired. So it’s a great, great way to actually discover new apps. And of course as a developer it’s a great way to have your apps merchandised to potential customers, so really cool stuff.

Let’s go over here, and I’m going to tap into one of these so we can have a look at the new app description page. So this has been changed a lot also. You see there’s a lot more surface area to show some really high-fidelity screen shots from my app.

As I go across here, you can see some rich ratings and review information. And probably the most important section to talk about here or most interesting section to talk about are related apps and then apps by Microsoft Studios, which in this case is us. So this is a place where you get to cross-merchandise your apps if you have a number of apps in the store. So, again, a great way to have people discover the apps that you’re building and actually sell more and make more money in the store. So great, great, great stuff.

Finally, navigation in the store is much easier. (Scattered applause.) No, you can go ahead. (Cheers, applause.)

Navigation is much easier from anywhere in the store. I can just drop down the app bar, tap on any section, and go right where I want to be. So, again, you can see the list exploded here at the store. All this is designed to make it easier to sell your app and to make more money. (Applause.)

So now what I want to do is I want to talk about the desktop for a minute. So we love the millions of desktop apps that are out there, and we’re absolutely committed to continuing to support them. In fact, we’ve done work in 8.1 to make them work even better on modern PCs.

I’m going to show you an example of that with multimon support. What I have here is a Surface Pro, and it’s connected into this external monitor. Now, the Surface Pro has a really high DPI screen, whereas this 25-inch monitor running at 1080 resolution is actually relatively low DPI.

Now, in the past, Windows has always used one scaling factor for all your monitors regardless of their DPI. It basically picks the scaling factor of the primary monitor, and then that’s what it uses for all your monitors.

And 8.1 now allows each monitor to have its own scaling factor. So you actually get the most use out of the space available to you on your external monitor. (Applause, cheers.)

So watch what happens here. I’m going to start dragging Visual Studio over. And you can see as it peeks into here, it’s scaled really, really highly because it’s got the scaling factor from my primary monitor here on the Surface.

But as I keep going, watch what happens. See how it just scales down? And now look at all the usage I get of the space on this giant monitor. How cool is that? If I’m a Lightroom user, for example, I can just do the same thing here. I bring it over, boom, look at all that space I have.

I’m showing you Lightroom because I just want to show you that these apps didn’t have to be modified at all for this to happen. Windows just takes care of doing the work for you. And these are just nice touches that allow your existing desktop app investments to just keep being great with modern hardware.

Now I want to talk about graphics and games. This is where this gets really fun. We continue to innovate in DirectX to make Windows the best gaming platform out there for both casual and AAA games. And I want to show you something that we’ve been working on with NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel. It’s something called “tiled resources.” Now, the best way to explain this is actually with a demo.

So what you’re seeing right now is a model of the planet Mars. Now, this is actually pretty cool. It uses about 3 gigs of data. And this is actually a fairly accurate model. What this does, the data actually comes from the Mars Global Surveyor mission, the satellite that orbited Mars for a couple years and used a laser altimeter to build up a really, really detailed model of the topography of the planet. And that’s the data we’re using here.

Now, the cool thing, if you wanted to build this app, this is just a model of the planet, and I want to be able to zoom in and look around at it, what you would do is you would load all of this data into your graphics card and let the graphics card actually do the hard work of rendering the images. But the problem is it’s 3 gigs of data, and I don’t have that much memory on my graphics card.

So what happens typically is what you would do is you’d sort of down-sample the details so that you can use the memory on the graphics card. And what happens is as I zoom in you’ll see that actually as I get closer you’ll see that it gets a little bit fuzzy. Let’s keep going in here just so you can see it. See as I get closer, it’s kind of fuzzy. There we go.

So now this is where tiled resources help. So tiled resources give you a programmable hardware page table for graphics memory. So what this is going to do is it’s basically dynamically swapping the parts of the data I need into my graphics card to render the scene that I’m actually looking at. So let’s flip that on, and you can see the difference here. Look at that. Now, look at the difference in detail here. And here the cool thing is, we made this demo, and we restricted it to only using 16 megs of memory on that graphics card.

Now, that’s pretty cool, but obviously the motivation for doing something like this is actually to let you make games with really unprecedented amounts of detail. So let’s have a look at another demo here.

What you’re going to see here, so this is a demo that’s built by a company called Graphene. They’re out of Belgium; they’re a games middleware company. And this is running on an NVIDIA GPX 770 card. So this is a good graphics card. It’s one you can go buy today at the store, and it’s easily available. And here, tiled resources are being used to render these two gliders. There’s another one here that’s flying around this one, flying over this absolutely beautiful detailed coastline. It’s way more complex. This one uses about 9 gigs of data, and you can see just how amazing this is.

But watch what happens when I zoom in here. You’re going to get a good sense of the level of detail. Push the button here, and zoom in. And if you look carefully, you can see individual rivets on this thing. You can see smudge marks on the skin. It’s unbelievable the amount of detail that I have here.

And so the best thing about this is this actually will run on tens of millions of DX 11 cards that are out there today. And, of course, that number grows every day. You cannot dream of doing this on iOS or on Android; in fact this is actually only possible on a Windows 8.1 machine or on a next-generation gaming console like the Xbox One. (Applause.)

OK. Now I want to talk about something different. I want to talk about devices a little bit. So, in Windows 8.1, we’ve really invested in giving you great new ways to write apps that interact with this exciting range of devices and peripherals that’s exploding around us right now. One great example of that is 3-D printing. Now 3-D printing is super-hot right now, and Windows 8.1 is the first and only platform to support it natively. And what that means is that we did the work to create the APIs, the formats, and the driver model that makes printing in 3-D just as seamless as printing in 2-D is.

So, with 8.1, you can create an app like this little demo one that I have here that lets you manipulate and create 3-D objects. And then when I’m happy with what I have, printing it is just as seamless and easy as printing to a laser printer. I can just go here to devices, select print. I’m going to select my 3-D printer here. I’m going to hit print. And now, what it’s doing, is it’s sending the data for this face over to the printer. It’s going to take about 20 seconds, because it’s actually fairly rich data. And you’ll see the printer start up here in a few seconds.

Now the printer, this is actually a MakerBot Replicator 2. This thing prints in thicknesses of about 100 microns. So it actually takes quite a while to print something like this face. We’ve got this time-lapse video up here showing me what’s going on. But this stuff is super, super cool.

Here’s the finished result. If you’ve never seen one of these, these are actually really fun to play with. I’m going to toss one down there so folks can play with it. Good catch. And these are really becoming broadly available. This one will be in Microsoft Stores soon. And this other one over here on this side, you can see it go here. There’s this other one over here on this side, it’s made by a company called 3D Systems. It’s called the Cube Printer. And this will be available in Staples soon for under $1,300. It’s really, really broadly available, and these things are particularly fun to play with. (Applause.)

Now, in Windows 8.1, we’ve also added APIs in WinRT that let you interact directly with devices that use their own protocols over either USB or Wi-Fi Direct, or Bluetooth or HIP. I wanted a really cool demo to show you. We’re actually able, we were lucky enough to be able to work with the Lego Education Team to build something using new unreleased Lego MINDSTORMS PV3 platform. Take a look at this little beauty. We’re going to have fun with this.

So those of you who have kids know how popular these are in schools, and if you have kids who have one, I know you’re playing with these also. This is the next generation of that MINDSTORMS platform, and it will allow kids around the world to learn programming skills for the 21st century. So we built this robot. And what we did is, we’ve created a Windows Store app to actually control it. So we’ve got a Surface tablet on this thing; it connects to the robot controller using USB. So it’s pretty cool. It can send it signals and make it do things.

But we actually wanted it to do a little bit more, so what I have here is I actually have a second tablet. And so what I’m going to do is I’m going to use this as a remote control for that. So what it’s doing is it’s actually communicating; this tablet is communicating with that tablet over Wi-Fi, that’s then communicating over USB to the robot controller. And we’re going to see if we can make this thing move. All right. There it goes. How cool is that? (Applause.)

Wait. We actually wanted to do more. So what we’ve done here now is that we’re actually using   I’m going to use the real-time streaming APIs that are new in Windows 8.1, and we’re going to have this thing send a live video feed to that guy. Now this is going to be a video feed of me, so who knows what this will look like. But here we go. Here’s me, and you can see it on the front. It’s getting sent over Wi-Fi directly to that tablet. And I’m just going to go sit in the back now and let this thing finish the keynote for you.

How awesome is that? We could keep going and going and going with this thing, actually. We actually did a lot of work on it. It actually has a sentry mode that uses the Lego Distance Sensor and face recognition software. It actually detects when someone comes within range and gives you a notification. There’s all sorts, it knows how to send tweets. There’s all sorts of fun things you can do.

You combine a device like this with Windows 8.1, and you’re really only limited by your imagination. You can just imagine what kids are going to be able to do with something like this.

Before I wrap up, I would like to spend a couple of minutes just showing you some of the exciting new PCs and tablets. Now, Windows 8 has really spurred some incredible innovation in our PC ecosystem. In just a year, we’ve started to see an explosion of new and unique form factors, design concepts like detachable tablets, like all-in-ones, like portable all-in-ones, like high DPI displays. We’ve got this massive selection now of touchscreen devices in every price point. You can be sure that there’s a PC out there that’s exactly right for you.

And I want us just to have a look at a few specific ones here. The first one I want to show you is, this is the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus. So this thing has a mindboggling 3200-by-1800 13-inch screen, so this is the highest resolution 13-inch laptop in the world. It blows away a MacBook Retina. And it has a touchscreen. (Applause.)

This one actually is really cool. It’s actually also running a fourth-generation Haswell Intel 4 i7 processor. It has 8 gigs of RAM and 256 gig SSD. Samsung says this gets 12 hours on a single charge. How amazing is that? And look at how thin this thing is. (Applause.) Absolutely beautiful device.

Now one of the things I really love is the innovation from OEMs in convertible designs. And I want to show you this one. This is one that Steve was talking about earlier. This is actually the Lenovo Think Pad Helix. So this is a tablet and an ultrabook all-in-one device. And, first of all, it’s a great tablet for work. It has TPM in it. It has BIOS encryption. It has USB 3.0. It has MSC. It’s a great, really powerful machine.

But thanks to this cleverly designed detachable keyboard, once I pop it in here, it’s then just a nice, thin, ultralight ultrabook as well. So it’s just a wonderful, wonderful design. This is a great   for you who love Lenovo keyboards, this is just an amazing machine.

Now let’s keep going. The next one I want to show you is this one. This is the Acer Aspire P3. So this is just a beautiful, powerful tablet, and a really compact design. It’s only about .4 inches thick, weight 1.74 pounds, and it has an Intel Core i5 processor on it. So this thing really, really smokes. It’s fast. You can do a lot of work on this thing. And it also has the unique detachable wireless keyboard that doubles as a protective cover for it.

The next thing I want to show you over here is actually another Acer device. Now this one, this is the Acer Aspire V5. Now this is a full featured laptop. It has a 10-point multi-touch screen. You can see. And it has a pretty powerful AMD dual core A4 processor in it. But the thing that I love about this is it’s under $400. It’s great to see high-quality touch coming to all price points in the PC ecosystem. (Applause.)

The next one I want to show you is actually a Windows RT device. This is the Dell XPS 10. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor in it. It has 4G LTE connectivity. Dell claims an incredible 18-1/2 hours of battery life when it’s docked to its detachable keyboard. And the best part of this one, too, is it’s under $400 as well. And it’s an amazingly thin and light and portable device. I love this thing.

The last one I want to show you is this interesting one. So this is such a great example of innovation in all-in-ones. This is called the Dell XPS 18, and it really brings the best of PCs and tablets together. It weighs less than five pounds. And when I undock it, it has up to seven hours of battery life. So I can carry it around and play games and watch movies and all these things. So it’s just a great, super-innovative device. (Applause.)

So what we have onstage there today is just a really small subset of over 3,000 certified Windows 8 PCs to choose from. It’s really cool stuff.

And I think here comes Julie, so I think Julie has one more that she wants to show us.

JULIE LARSON-GREEN: Yes, I have one more here. This is my Surface Pro, and I really love this device. It does everything. It’s a tablet. It’s a full PC. It’s powerful.

ANTOINE LEBLOND: Yes. I mean with Windows 8.1 and Visual Studio 2013 on it, you really have a great tablet for developers, for building mobile and connected apps. I love my Surface Pro.

JULIE LARSON-GREEN: I love mine, too, and these are all developers in the audience. Do you think they would like one? (Cheers, applause.) So great news, we have one for each of you, and we’d really like to thank Intel for co-sponsoring the Surface Pro for you. (Cheers, applause.)

ANTOINE LEBLOND: All right. So that was my overview of Windows 8.1 for you. We’ve doubled down on fundamentals, filled gaps; we’ve addressed feedback; we’ve expanded the platform in really exciting ways. And now it’s time for you to start exploring all the details. You can go to Preview.Windows.com for all the info you need and to actually download the Windows 8.1 Preview release. And whether you’re working with the Windows Store on desktops, on the Web, every one of your apps is going to benefit from Windows 8.1. If you create PCs or tablets or other devices, Windows 8.1 opens many, many new experiences for you to innovate. And we’re really looking forward to seeing what you will do.

Now, here to speak to you about some more developer opportunities around Microsoft Surface is Gurdeep Singh Pall from the Bing team.

Thanks, everyone.

GURDEEP SINGH PALL: Good morning, folks.

So Steve, Julie, and Antoine mentioned Bing in their talks. So I’m here to talk to you a bit more about Bing. Now Bing, as all of you know, is a beautiful, powerful search engine. Bing is on a roll. Let me tell you about momentum for Bing: 17.4 percent share in the U.S., gaining month over month, Facebook Bings, Yahoo Bings, and Apple Siri Bings. Folks, all these people know something. They’re smart people; they know something. They know that Bing is an incredible product. It’s an incredible product that is built by incredible engineers.

Now, these engineers have not only built a great search engine, they’ve also built some amazing capabilities, an Internet scale infrastructure, machine-learning plant, ability to understand user intent, understand, sort of make sense of, a lot of unstructured content on the Web. Now it turns out that all these things can be actually quite valuable even beyond the search box. For a long time, we’ve had this vision that you can take these capabilities and enable a whole bunch of new experiences; and that was the journey that we started down on a couple of years ago.

Now you can see, of course, search is a huge, huge piece of what Bing is about. But, we started to extract some of the capabilities out. So for example, the Web index and relevance is a huge capability, with lots of potential. Entities and knowledge, the ability to extract, conflate, and to organize entities into an ontology so that you can now start reasoning over information, as opposed to just looking at it as pieces of text. NUI capabilities, natural user interfaces are all about understanding user intent. Now, it turns out that the great work that was done in Bing can be divided into a lot of interesting natural user interface technologies.

And then there is about the real world. The Web has become sort of a proxy for the real world that we live in, and we sort of go back and forth between those. It turns out in Bing we had to tackle that problem. So is there a way that we could take all these capabilities out and then start enabling some first-party experiences? Now Antoine talked about some, and Julie talked about some great features in Windows 8.1, the Search charm, the ability to use Bing to really make apps discoverable in the marketplace. Some examples, we’ve had the translator app, which is this brilliant, new, interesting application on Windows 8. So that’s one example.

When you look at Office, Office 2013 has some award-winning Bing Apps for Office, which allow you to think about Office not just as a set of tools, but also to connect it into the Web and information that naturally belongs inside those applications. We’ve seen the GeoFlow application in Office 2013, which lets you render a lot of content on top of this beautiful real-world canvas. In Xbox 360, some great NUI work was done by Bing. You saw that, how you access entertainment and information, with Xbox One that goes to a completely new level. And then there’s other things like the Windows Phone 8, which has lots and lots of Bing functionality, which is built in.

Now folks, I learned a lesson in the ’90s when I was a developer on the Windows operating system. And that is that if we can do something with an API that is good, third parties can do something with it, which is dynamite. So today, what I’m here to announce with you is the availability of Bing as a platform for you, the developers. (Cheers, applause.)

So let me tell you what all you can do with this. With entities and knowledge, now firstly, with Web index and relevance, we already have a bunch of Bing APIs that are used by tens of thousands of developers today, mostly using the search pattern. Now let’s talk about entities and knowledge. Now think of it as being the brain, the knowledge of the Web, the unbounded knowledge of the Web, is now available to your applications. Let’s talk about natural user interfaces, the ears and the mouth and the eyes. These capabilities, which have never been available for developers in a large-scale way, we are providing through the new Bing platform. And then for the real world, we want to bring a whole lot of new mapping and visualization capabilities, and also capabilities with which you can connect the real world with the virtual world, through a set of APIs and controls.

Now I can talk a lot about APIs, but I thought it might be interesting to show you what you can do with these APIs. Now what we did here is that we put ourselves in your shoes and built an interesting application. This is not a shipping application by any stretch, but it’s an application to exemplify the use of these controls. So this application tackles the very simple task, which is trip-planning task for users. So let me come over here, and I’ll start by, I’ll go to my Windows Phone here, and I have sort of a Trip Companion app, which runs on the phone. So let me go ahead and do something with it. Trip Companion, add Spain to my vacation ideas.

VOICE: Added Spain to your vacation ideas.

GURDEEP SINGH PALL: OK. So you can see that this application on the phone added Spain to my vacation ideas. Now I did that when I was standing by the water cooler with the phone in my hand, and my friend was telling me about the great trips that they had to Spain. Now later on, I’m thinking about my long summer. I’m thinking maybe I need to go pick a trip for my family. So I come back to my desk, and I’ve got my Surface sitting there, and I see the Road Trip Companion app is right here. So let me open that up. Now you’ll notice that Spain, it shows a star, which means that this idea just got added to my apps. So you can see how the Bing platform will work across the family of devices for the user.

So let me click on Spain, and here the developer has created an application experience with Spain in there. They’ve used one of our controls. That’s nice. Let me just browse through and now my friend, who was at the water cooler, was telling me about Valencia. So let me click on Valencia, beautiful pictures of Valencia that you put inside your app. I can browse through them. And this is what I call pretty much what an experience is today.

Now let’s see what we can do when we sprinkle this with the magic of some of our new controls. So you integrated one of our controls, and you have this what looks like a street side view. OK. Let’s see if you can make this more interesting. Let’s create a bit of a virtual tour here.

VOICE: This is the city of arts and sciences in Valencia. It is one of the largest cultural centers of Europe. You could easily spend more than a day here. You must see the Oceanographic, the Prince Philip Museum, and the Queen Sophia Arts Palace here. There are quite a few good hotels nearby. You can check out the views that you get from them to see if you should believe their marketing.

GURDEEP SINGH PALL: OK, great. So that was a little gritty thing, I thought developers would like that. So now you said believe, that’s great, you’ve given me a control where you flew a plane over Valencia, and we got to have it. So OK, fine. Let me see if we can do something more interesting with it.

Folks, can you guys keep a secret? I know you’re all developers, so I trust you guys. What we’ve not announced to anybody yet is that Windows 8.1 Maps app will come with 3-D capability, 3-D imagery. OK. Now, we’re going one step further. (Cheers, applause.) We’re going to go one step further, because we’re going to take this 3-D imagery, all the content we are creating, and enable it through a 3-D control that you can embed inside your applications. I guess that’s what I’m showing you here today, OK. So let me play with this a little. (Applause.)

Let’s see, there are some hotels here. Maybe we can go along the hotels, maybe I can go explore a little bit before I go with it. Now, this takes the idea of going and visiting a city to a whole new level. And you can see how beautiful this imagery is. This is built using cameras that we have built ourselves, with some amazing optics. This is very, very high-resolution imagery. You can see all the details, and these details actually become really interesting, when you really think about interacting with the real world.

Here’s the beautiful building here. There’s some basketball courts. So you can see how this beautiful imagery can actually provide a canvas for a whole lot of interesting things. So let’s see what are some interesting things that we can do. Now you know one of the things about the real world, and especially when you look at the real world in this amazing way, is that it really starts begging the questions that I’ve got lots of questions. I’m going to visit Valencia. I’m going to visit some really beautiful architecture, some churches there. And the question that pops to your head is, “Hey, who designed this thing?”

Now, normally a user would have to change from this application, go to a browser, type in Valencia, type in whatever little context they can put in. But, the reality is the user is looking at your app at a particular object. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just say who is the architect? Folks, what you see here is that we’ve taken a whole lot of steps away from the user. and we’ve allowed you to create an unbounded amount of knowledge right into your applications, because I could have asked a different question, which would have again gone to the Bing platform, and it would have returned with an entity, which best relates to what you’re looking at.

So let’s keep going. So I’ve decided that Valencia is, indeed, a very nice place. So I’m going to visit it. So I’m going to go ahead and add Valencia to my itineraries. Now while I was standing at the water cooler, this friend of mine said that they had some of the best food when they were in Valencia. I said, well, that’s great. And what does he do? He reaches into his wallet, and he gives me a card. Now this is a little analog artifact that he brought from Valencia. Now if I go put this into my   if I go ahead and put this into my wallet, I’ll probably lose it a week later. And I definitely will not find it when I’m in Valencia. So let’s see if we can do something better.

Let me use some of the functionality in the Bing platform and scan this card, which I can then use later. So I go to scan it. So using the OCR capability that is available through the Bing controls, you can now scan the information, which is wonderful except that I don’t speak Spanish. So let me see if I can do something a little bit more interesting. Great. So now using the OCR capabilities of the Bing platform, and the translator capability, I’ve combined those two things, and now let me go ahead and save this later, so that when I’m in Valencia I won’t forget it. Add this idea for dinner to my itinerary. Great, so now this information, which existed in an analog artifact, is now saved with my itinerary, available for me when I’m in Valencia.

Now, roll forward, and here I am in Valencia now, and I said, hey, I want to go try out some nice places to eat. And I remember that I’d filed some of these things away. So let me bring back my Windows Phone that is with me. And remember I had a Trip Companion app here. So I could say, Trip Companion, find ideas for dinner.

VOICE: Finding ideas for dinner.

GURDEEP SINGH PALL: Great, so now we had extracted that information, translated it, and now connected it to a speech-based search on that information. And now I’ve got it right here, so I can open it up, and you can see that this is exactly what I had scanned into my little artifact.

So folks, what you’ve seen here is a little sample application that we have put together to show you the power of these controls. I really believe that in this coming decade, apps are going to have eyes, they’re going to have ears, they’re going to have a mouth, and that will enable a really, really seamless experience for you as you are trying to create these seamless experiences for your developers.

Now all this is great. I’m very happy to announce this new platform, which is available to you. There’s a new developer portal that you can go really try it on. Next year, I want to be standing here onstage, showing some really interesting apps that you have built, and that’s why we come in to do the work that we do.

Thank you, folks. (Cheers, applause.)

(Video segment.)

(Cheers, applause.)

STEVE BALLMER: Well, about an hour and a half ago, I promised you we had lots to show today. And I hope at this stage, you’ve got a sense of the sort of diversity of what we’re doing, and the speed with which we are trying to do it. With Windows 8.1 particularly, I think we state clearly a new rapid release cadence. I hope you agree, you saw some beautiful, beautiful new phones, some unbelievable transformation in Windows devices, from the PCs we knew and loved, to these new two-in-ones, touch notebooks and very, very small tablets, all very interesting and very capable, in terms of what they permit, in terms of application-level innovation, certainly new applications coming to market, and all of the tools and technologies that both Antoine and Gurdeep had a chance to talk about that will really allow you to do phenomenal new applications, both in the modern style, as well as enhancements in new applications in the desktop style.

We really have paid some attention to this notion of the desktop and modern applications and how people mix and match and use their environments and have made some pretty transformative changes.

And last, but not least, I think building Bing into Windows, and into Windows Phone, then into Xboxes allows not only us but all developers to be able to very rapidly do some of the exciting new kinds of applications that Gurdeep gave you a sense of in his last talk.

So a lot of new things, a lot of new ground, a lot of innovation, and a lot of excitement, all available in the Windows family of devices, from phones to tablets to notebooks to two-in-ones to desktop, I think all very, very exciting.

Tomorrow, we’ll get a chance to talk about a different set of subjects, but also moving at a very rapid rate with a very rapid release cadence. We’ll anchor tomorrow’s discussion in what’s going on in the cloud backend with Windows Azure. We’ll talk to you about new capabilities in Azure that really make it a cloud on which businesses and enterprise can really operate. We’ll talk about the popularity of Office 365, which is a SaaS application, has taken off like a rocket ship. And things that we’re doing to make it extensible by you with customizations, new applications, integration into Active Directory and the security model. We’ll show how that extends beyond Office 365 and Azure to any SaaS application that you want to create, the ability to integrate securely data and identity with on premise and SaaS applications.

And, of course, tomorrow again we’ll talk about tools, tools, tools, because at the end of the day, particularly as the infrastructures that are available to you get more sophisticated, the importance of giving you tools that let you rapidly and simply build this modern style of application, front-end and cloud infrastructure, is increasingly important.

So enthused about the range of things that we get to talk to you about at Build, but before I wrap up, I wanted to show you just one more demonstration, one more demonstration. We’re going to show you an application that’s also a development environment that uses kind of everything we’ve talked about today to some measure. It uses the graphics capabilities. It uses phones and tablets. It runs on Azure, on the backend. And this is a game we first talked about at the E3 Conference just a few weeks ago. We call it Project Spark, and I think it will, again, spark your imagination in terms of some of the things that you can do in this modern environment.

So this is a game that’s also a development environment for building games, but let’s welcome on stage Rusty McLellan and Dave McCarthy from our Interactive Entertainment Group. They’re going to whet your whistle for one final time this morning.

Dave.

DAVE MCCARTHY: Hi, everyone. Rusty and I are excited to be here today to give you a small glimpse at what Project Spark can do across devices on a variety of inputs. Rusty is going to start off by creating a beautiful world on a Windows 8 desktop with touch controls. In less than five minutes, we’ll build a game from scratch via Smart Glass on the recently announced Xbox One.

Project Spark is an open-world digital canvas. It enables anyone to build, play and share whatever they can imagine. It’s a powerful yet simple way to create your own worlds, stories, and games.

Project Spark will be available on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows 8, and through the power of the cloud, it lets you seamlessly carry over your progress and content from one platform to another. It’s an ongoing service with frequent updates and content additions across all of our platforms. Play the way you want on whichever platform you want.

Now, Rusty is just putting the finishing touches here on our game setting. We’ve chosen desert oasis. He’s using our paintbrush to put in some finite detail, a little greenery around the pond there. Let’s put a couple more finishing touches on this, Rusty. We’ll play with the time of day. And let’s do the position of the sun. That’s cool. And then we’ll finish off with placing an enemy for our gameplay scenario. Your choice. He chose the goblin, nice. Place him in there. Excellent.

All right. So Rusty is going to save what he just made for the cloud, and we’ll pick up over here in our living room without losing a beat. Imagine the possibilities that are unlocked by creating away from your console, and then playing your masterpiece over on the big screen. Seamlessly creating back and forth, devices at your ready, just waiting for your next inspiration. This is digital age nirvana.

All right, Rusty, so we’re loading this up on the Xbox One. We want to see our desert oasis, and our little gameplay moment with the goblin here. Rusty is on controller right now. There we are. It looks good.

Now, being across all devices opens up new methods of input and allows us to innovate with games of all types. Even though we’re now playing on an Xbox One, we can use Smart Glass and remote rendering on any Windows 8 device to keep creating with amazing touch controls.

So Rusty, let’s change this controller based action mechanic into something maybe a little less predictable for console gaming.

In Project Spark, we can add behaviors to anything in the world or alter brains that exist on things. I’m going to play around with this goblin brain and make a quick touch game for everyone. So Rusty started by deleting the default brain, and we’re going to build one from scratch. The brain is broken up into a when and a do side. The visual language is simple yet very powerful.

We’re going to tell the goblin here to jump on the ground after a specified time to a height of   what are we going to pick?

RUSTY MCLELLAN: Meters.

DAVE MCCARTHY: That’s good.

Now Rusty is going to change the camera next to a different view. He’s going to start again by deleting our default brain here, and then we’re going to place a sixth camera, and we’ll see how this comes into play in a second. You have to frame it perfectly, Rusty, this is your chance. The scene looks pretty good. Desert Oasis looks nice. All right. Awesome.

Now it’s time to put our controls in. So we’re going to make this a touch-based instead of a controller-based game. So we’ve got our touch mechanic in. And when Rusty touches an object what we want to do is create a visual effect that we’ll pull out of our library here. Let’s let Rusty put this line in. We’ll go into our library and choose an effect. These include things that are both created by our team over in Xbox and some that can be created by the community as well.

Then we want to put one other child rule in, and that will execute after the effect, which will destroy whatever we touch making this our main mechanic. All right. It looks good.

Finally, we’ll use our clone command to make more goblins here. We just can’t have one goblin jumping around. And with more time, Rusty could set up timers, scores, sounds, and so much more.

Rusty, let’s change a couple of those goblins into something different, give it a little visual variety here. The desert, he’s chosen the yeti, interesting choice. So we’ll put a yeti in there, maybe another one. Looking good. Perfect. And then let’s play with the position a little bit, so we get some height variety. There we go.

Now Rusty should be able to swipe or touch these entities and try and defeat them all. There they are. Now in just a few minutes, he was able to create a touch game he started on Windows 8 and completed over on Xbox One with Smart Glass. With Project Spark and Microsoft Services, the power to create across devices, to delight with multiple inputs, and the freedom to do it anywhere has never been easier for developers and players. We’re taking registration for our beta on Windows 8 at JoinProjectSpark.com. And you can also come by and check us out later in the gaming lounge to see the creativity that Project Spark can unlock.

We’d like to finish by showing you a short sample of some of the cross-platform games people just like you have brought to life using Project Spark. Thank you.

(Video segment.)

STEVE BALLMER: Simple point in showing you a little bit of Project Spark, because I think it really helps define what the new world of applications looks like, rich clients, interacting and taking advantage of very rich and sophisticated service infrastructure, and able to be customized and developed upon and enhanced, whether it’s client code or cloud code by literally hundreds and thousands of people around the world.

And whether we’re talking about productivity in the office, enjoyment at home, serious kind of hardcore fun, which I guess Project Spark certainly would be for my 14-year-old, we’re trying to facilitate that kind of deep innovation across everything we do.

Rapid release, an incredible family of devices, with incredible services to back them up, and across the Windows family, we’re really trying to bring together, and allow you as developers to bring together, one innovative experience on every device for everything from work to play to serious fun that’s important in somebody’s life.

As developers, we know you have a lot of choices. When it comes time for choosing the things to choose to build the innovation that people are going to really lean in on, when people really need to get something done, when people really want to plan the trip, when people really need to get some work done, when people want to hard core lean in and have some fun, we think we’ve got absolutely the highest volume platform on the planet. We will sell literally hundreds of millions of Windows devices this year. Windows Phones, Windows tablets, Windows PCs, Windows, Windows, Windows. And while certainly some of the form factors that have been most important traditionally in Windows will see an interesting transition, the rise of new Windows form factors, phones, tablets, two-in-ones, all-in-ones, even in the sense of the future of where we take Xbox and the ability to participate in Windows experiences is unparalleled. And the opportunity as an application developer to use Windows on the device, and Windows Azure in the cloud to build next-generation mobile, connected, experiences has absolutely never been better than it is today.

We appreciate you taking the time and joining us. We appreciate all of the energy you put in to studying and to learning and to innovating on our platform. And I want you to leave with but one thought — the future of Windows is very, very bright.

Thank you. (Applause.)

END

Windows Embedded is an enterprise business now, like the whole Windows business, with Handheld and Compact versions to lead in the overall Internet of Things market as well

June 8, 2013 2:09 pm / 4 Comments on Windows Embedded is an enterprise business now, like the whole Windows business, with Handheld and Compact versions to lead in the overall Internet of Things market as well

OR Windows Embedded: Recommitting to x86 across all of the edge devices of the future intelligent systems of enterprise customers and consumers while pushing ARM along its current positions in mobile and real-time, which is essentially corresponding to the Windows 7 licensing and pricing described by this source
OR Windows Embedded enterprise solutions strategy based on creating actionable operation intelligence extended to edge devices in retail and hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive industries
OR Capitalizing on the Internet of Things [WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel, March 20, 2013] and Transforming Business
OR Building Edge Devices & Intelligent Solutions [WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel, March 20, 2013]
OR (as stemming from The future of Windows Embedded: from standalone devices to intelligent systems [this same ‘Experiencing the Cloud’ blog, March 9-29, 2012], note however that ARM architecture support was delivered only in Handheld and Compact versions despite original hint included into that post)

An intelligent system built on Windows Embedded—with the expertise of the extensive community of established Windows Embedded partners—extends the power of Windows and Microsoft technologies to edge devices. Our portfolio of products powers solutions that meet unique industry needs and span enterprises of any size and complexity.

coinciding with:
1. Microsoft betting on boosting Windows RT demand with top level ARM SoCs from its SoC partners, Windows 8.1 enhancements, Outlook addition to the Office 2013 RT and very deep tactical discounts to its OEM partners for tablet offerings of more value and capability [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 6, 2013] and
2. “Cloud first” from Microsoft is ready to change enterprise computing in all of its facets [‘Experiencing the Cloud’, June 4, 2013], as well as
3. Visual Studio 2012 Update 2 is here [The Visual Studio Blog, April 4, 2013] which according to ANNOUNCING VISUAL STUDIO 2012 UPDATE 2 CTP 2 [BlendInsider, Jan 30, 2013] providing the utmost effectivity in developer productivity, finally achieving uniformity in XAML based embedded user experience design as well with one version of Blend for everything (highlighted inserts are mine):

as Windows Azure is providing a leading cloud application platform for all that (download):
and an excellent testimony to that is given in Discovering Intelligent Systems at work in Manufacturing [Windows Embedded Blog, Nov 27, 2012] from which it is important to include the basic story (just substitute “’intelligent’screwdriver” with “any enterprise or consumer device enhanced with ‘intelligence’”, “larger network in the factory” with “classic and mobile Internet” and the “backend” with “Windows Azure” to understand the enormous potential which is becoming available for Microsoft in terms of the Internet of Things market):

Hey everyone, recently our Windows Embedded team was on a customer site visit in Europe, and we came across a fantastic example of Intelligent Systems in action. While we were touring an automobile manufacturing plant, we observed the line using electric screwdrivers like the one pictured below. They had two cables running into them. Power and Ethernet. We asked the tour director about the network cable, and they explained that the screwdriver was actually an ‘intelligent’ screwdriver.

We smiled at the thought of this basic piece of hardware actually being able to think about what it was doing. Then he explained it and we were amazed. The screwdriver was hung off a manufacturing line Windows Embedded Compact PC that was connected to a larger network in the factory. The backend provided the screwdriver engineering specs about the screw going into that location on the car, including the required torque and even the number of revolutions that Class 1 screw should take to achieve the desired torque. So, when the technician popped the screw into the chassis, all they had to do was fire the trigger, and everything was automatic. They even had some scenarios where this was done using robotic arms instead of people.

When the screw was installed in the car, a data point was generated that came back down the network cable and registered in the factory database. Basically, an ‘OK’, or ‘NOT OK’ was registered, and in the case of either the torque being missed, or that torque being achieved in an unexpected number of revolutions, a flag was popped to investigate further. In summary, the car would not get off the production line if the quality bar wasn’t met.

We have learned since this visit that a number of our partners, and several large automotive manufacturers have deployed this technology in their factories both here in North America and in Europe.

The volume of parts going into just one car is massive, a true big data story, and the business doesn’t necessarily want to know about the hundreds of thousands of screws installed in their factory. What they do want to know is when a threshold like an engineering spec is missed. This type of approach enables business critical data to be presented, relevant, and not washed out in the volumes of activities/events happening minute by minute on the factory floor. …

In the IDC iView, sponsored by Microsoft, The Rise of Intelligent Systems: Connecting Enterprises and Smart Devices in Seamless Networks [April 18, 2012], you can find the following market forecast:

… embedded and intelligent systems represent a much larger opportunity than the PC, tablet, or even the smartphone market. IDC estimates that the intelligent systems market will grow from 19% of all major electronic system unit shipments in 2010, to more than 27% of all systems by 2016. Revenue for the intelligent systems market will grow from more than $649 billion in 2012, to more than $1.4 trillion in 2016 (PCs and smartphones excluded from market-size numbers).

On the market for more than five years and with more than 5 million cars sold already, but in joint development since 2005, Ford SYNC based on Microsoft embedded technology is the best showcase of both the market potential and the level of achievements possible in this post-PC market for Microsoft:

The Ford Focus now comes with the optional Ford Sync system, which provides voice control and smartphone app integration. Jason Johnson, of Ford, takes us through a detailed demonstration of the system, showing off its ability to recognise navigation and phone book commands, as well as its wireless hot spot feature.

Soon we will have further advancements: Ford to Show the Smarter Way to Get There at Computex 2013 [press release, May 23, 2013] which you can follow on a special Ford Motor Company – Computex FB site which currently contains teaser videos about Future Technology Trends, Open Innovation and Device Interaction featuring Microsoft as well(note that those things are quite necessary as competition is getting stronger)

Ford will be the only automaker at Computex 2013, the largest computer exhibition in Asia

Ford will make several major announcements on its smart technologies for both Taiwan and Asia Pacific and Africa markets

Ford to showcase its most advanced class-leading technologies, designed to take the driving experience for customers to a new level

Inserted later: Ford Press Conference Highlights at Computex 2013 [FordAPA YouTube channel, June 6, 2013]

Ford Motor Company today announced it will bring its Ford Developer Program to markets in Asia Pacific and Africa to allow developers to create voice-activated apps for the car, further reinforcing its position as a global leader in technology.

TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 23, 2013 – Ford Motor Company will show the Smarter Way to Get There at Computex 2013 with the most advanced class-leading technologies to further enhance the driving experience for customers.

Ford will be the only automaker at Asia’s biggest computer exhibition from June 4-8, 2013, where it will make several major announcements for both Taiwan and Asia Pacific.

“As one of the world’s largest and most influential technology shows, Computex is the ideal platform for Ford to showcase how our smart technologies are improving the driving experience for our customers in the digital age, ” said John Lawler, chairman and CEO, Ford Motor China.

“In a world where consumers want to be connected all the time, be it at home, in the office or in their cars, we have a great opportunity to provide driver-connect technologies in our vehicles which enable drivers to stay connected through voice commands while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. The technologies we are bringing to our vehicles not only give our customers a connected driving experience, they also make that experience simple, safe and personalized.”

The Ford stand at Computex will not only feature the company’s most advanced technology developments, but also the all-new Ford Kuga, dubbed by Ford as the “Smarter SUV” because of its fuel economy, versatility and new technology that makes driving easier and more fun.

Inserted later: Ford at Computex 2013 – Panel Discussion
[FordAPA YouTube channel, June 5, 2013]

On June 4, Ford will be part of the Computex Smart Living Industry Forum at which Edward Pleet, Connected Services Director, Ford Motor Company, Asia Pacific and Africa, and Europe will discuss The Smart Living, Networked Society.

The Ford booth will be located at Taipei Word Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall, 4^th Floor, booth number M2005.

OR Windows Embedded: Recommitting to x86 across all of the edge devices of the future intelligent systems of enterprise customers and consumers while pushing ARM along its current positions in mobile and real-time, which is essentially corresponding to the Windows 7 licensing and pricing described by this source as (here only WIN7 COMPACT (CE) has ARM support as well):
(click here or on the above image to see the full table, note also that the true enterprise licensing via even cheaper SELECT and EA (Enterprise Agreement) programs is not shown in the table, for explanations also see WES 7 “E” & “P”, WES SKU Differences, FES, FES 7 Pro, FES 7 Ultimate, WES vs FES, FES Pro & Ultimate SKU Differences, Win7 Compact (CE), Win7 Compact (CE) SKU Differences, Win7 Compact (CE) OS Components and “SKU rationale” from Microsoft) on which I overlaid the corresponding Windows Embedded 8 products and their already known (like General Embedded / NR / Entry for Windows Embedded Compact 2013 to be generally available on June 13) or supposed (like Standard ?…? / Standard ?Enterprise? for the Windows Embedded 8 Standard) SKUs.

Note that the above table could be misleading since it is just representing low-volume purchases while Microsoft is using License Packs as well where the per unit price is non-linearly decreasing with the number of licenses in the Pack. Fortunately I’ve found current trade data records for WINDOWS EMBEDDED STANDARD 8 EMB ESD OEI RUNTIME -7WT-00094(N-77P-3153) [April 9, 2013] and WIN PRO EMBEDDED 8 EMB ESD OEI -42C-00051(N-77P-3154) [April 9, 2013] from Taiwan to India which I could use as Model 1 and Model 2 for supposed pricing of the Windows Embedded 8 Standard, see the results on the above right. This could certainly be not so steep in reality (e.g. the model numbers were “more decreased” in trade declarations for the larger License Packs representing higher absolute value in order to decrease the absolute tax even more) as it is only giving a kind of idea for License Packs.

It is also important to include here the argumentation why Isn’t a Linux or Android solution cheaper? [one of FAQs answered by Avnet Embedded, May 1, 2013]:

Linux or Android solutions may seem cheaper initially. However, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) should be taken into account as a useful metric for assessing the overall cost impact of your investment. For example:

Acquisition costs— Inexpensive comparable products can cost as much or more than Windows to acquire and support.
Total costs—Acquisition costs are a very small component of TCO. Even when the costs of different operating systems are comparable, research shows that Windows often offers a lower TCO because of cost advantages in the other, larger components, such as staffing and downtime.
Cost vs. Value—In addition to what you must pay for, if you are making an investment in IT you should also consider what you will get in return; including features or capabilities that improve productivity and deliver additional value.

To find out more about the TCO of Windows Embedded, read ‘The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) benefits of Windows Embedded software’ ebook.

If the runtime license still looks too expensive than it is important to consider that we are talking here about very special types of devices with the x86 based Windows Embedded 8. Here is how Microsoft representing that x86-only focus on the top of “edge devices of the future intelligent systems of enterprise customers“:
This has even very strong industry focus: Retail (from Kiosk to ATM), Manufacturing and Health Care. So we can proceed to other post titles which are equally important to properly represent the redefined Windows Embedded positioning:

OR Windows Embedded enterprise solutions strategy based on creating actionable operation intelligence extended to edge devices in retail and hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive industries

OR Capitalizing on the Internet of Things [WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel, March 20, 2013] and watch also: Transforming Business

The Internet of Things is prompting businesses to re-think how they use their digital assets. Kevin Dallas, GM of Windows Embedded at Microsoft, tells GigaOM Research’s Adam Lesser how companies can build intelligent systems to take advantage of the data their devices are already generating, for better business intelligence.

OR Building Edge Devices & Intelligent Solutions [WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel, March 20, 2013]

To be a part of the Internet of Things, businesses need the right kinds of devices. Kevin Dallas, GM of Windows Embedded at Microsoft, tells GigaOM Research’s Adam Lesser what OEM/ODMs should think about as they help their customers build intelligent systems to take advantage of the data their devices are already generating.

Other videos in the “Building Edge Devices & Intelligent Solutions” series:
Dell Wyse, HP, Omnicell and ParTech, Inc. I will embedd here even Bravo Outdoor Advertising Reaches Greater Heights With Intelligent System [WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel, Feb 11, 2013] as it shows very well how the range of edge devices could be hugely extended over the years (here with digital signage on the public transport in Ireland):

Adrian O’Farrell, former marketing director for Bravo Outdoor Advertising, describes the many benefits — flexibility, customization and cost — of digital signage as opposed to traditional advertising on the Dublin bus system.

OR
(as stemming from The future of Windows Embedded: from standalone devices to intelligent systems [this same ‘Experiencing the Cloud’ blog, March 9-29, 2012], note however that ARM architecture support was delivered only in Handheld and Compact versions despite original hint included into that post)

An intelligent system built on Windows Embedded—with the expertise of the extensive community of established Windows Embedded partners—extends the power of Windows and Microsoft technologies to edge devices. Our portfolio of products powers solutions that meet unique industry needs and span enterprises of any size and complexity.

From Learn more about intelligent systems subpage linked on Microsoft > Windows Embedded > Products and Solutions page [May 6, 2013] which page also contains:

Unlock intelligence with the full breadth of Microsoft technologies

What happens when devices at the edge of enterprise networks are connected to software and services in the back end or the cloud? Suddenly, a rich new source of information is available. The data has always been there—but today, an integrated stack of Microsoft technologies, extending from the server room to the customer’s fingertips, can help evolve business intelligence to operational intelligence by enabling enterprises to identify and act on opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. For OEMs, the ability to harness the power of Microsoft technologies to capitalize on data gathered from edge devices translates to new and expanded potential for creating solutions for customers.

[The Big Shift From Software to Cloud Services video of Nov 13, 2012 from WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel is quite important to embed here, since it clearly shows that Microsoft is shifting from being a software company to a hardware & services company:]

Windows Azure Marketing General Manager Eron Kelly discusses Microsoft Corp.’s focus on delivering software through the cloud and the opportunity it creates for devices and intelligent systems.

One Microsoft, everything you need

When connecting industry devices powered by Windows Embedded to back-end systems running SQL Server on-premise—or secured by Azure in the cloud–business data is without boundaries. Those building intelligent system solutions will shorten development time, and simplify implementation and management by harnessing the full breadth of Microsoft technologies, from the rich, familiar experience of Windows, to simplified management with System Center and security with Forefront. Device manufacturers, evaluate your intelligent systems business capabilities with Microsoft.

Devices at the network edge: critical infrastructure for intelligent systems

Intelligent systems are revolutionizing business, and Microsoft is focused on driving innovation in a number of industries, including retail and hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing and automotive. Whether streamlining inventory management with industry handheld devices, securely handling medical records using a thin-client solution, reinventing the customer experience with point-of-sale devices, transforming factory efficiencies with embedded robots, or reimagining the driving experience with an in-car infotainment system, edge devices are all around us. Powering these devices with Windows Embedded harnesses Microsoft technologies to create customized solutions that address specific industry needs and drive innovation—and profits—forward.

According to IDC, unit shipments of IP-connected embedded systems, excluding mobile phones and PCs, will more than double by 2015, growing from approximately 1.4 billion in 2010 to over 3.3 billion.

Source: IDC, “Smart Tech Market Forecast and 2020 Vision.”

Specialized devices in the marketplace

Select an industry [with a latest video of May 6, 2013 embedded here for each from WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel, in order to let you see how Microsoft and Windows Embedded are providing the technology, strategic leadership and partner ecosystem that are driving innovation]

Retail

Tap into the huge amount of data generated by edge devices, and you’ll enhance business insight, streamline operations and transform customer service

Read also:
– Signs of the times: the shifting consumer experience [Windows Embedded blog]: part 1 [May 15, 2013] and part 2 [May 16, 2013] “From attracting customers through digital signage to creating in-store dressing-room intelligent systems, technology is no doubt transforming the consumer experience.”
– Intelligent systems in retail: Even the credit-card reader cares! [Windows Embedded blog, June 6, 2013]
– Seen at the Show: Three Outstanding Retail Solutions [Windows Embedded blog, April 9, 2013]
– Augmented Reality Vending Machines, and Other Glimpses of the Future of Retail [Windows Embedded blog, March 14, 2013]
– The Intelligent Grocery Store: The Future of the Retail Industry [Windows Embedded blog, March 4, 2013]
– A Prediction for the Future of Retail Technology: The Rise of Vending Machines [Windows Embedded blog, Jan 15, 2013]
Watch also:
– Exploring Intelligent Systems in Retail Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3
– Transforming Business in Retail
– Intelligent Systems Changing the Face of Retail
– Microsoft Redefines the Retail Experience
– Intelligent Systems in the Hospitality and Retail Industries

Healthcare

Improve patient care—and transform healthcare processes—with a connected solution based on Windows Embedded.

Watch also:
– Exploring Intelligent Systems in Healthcare Part 1 and Part 2
– Transforming Business in Health
– How Intelligent Systems Streamline Data Landscapes in Healthcare
– Interactive Terminals Connect Patients to Their Care
Read also:
– Spotted in real life: Windows Embedded making life a little easier for patients [Windows Embedded blog, June 5, 2013]

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is fueled by big data, and intelligent systems have the potential to transform the industry.

Watch also:
– Exploring Intelligent Systems in Manufacturing Part 1 and Part 2
– Transforming Business in Manufacturing
– Intelligent Systems in Manufacturing [related blog post: Discovering Intelligent Systems at work in Manufacturing [Windows Embedded blog, Nov 27, 2012]]
– Driving Efficiency with Intelligent Systems

Automotive

Microsoft designer Melissa Quintanilha combines technical savvy, an artist’s passion for design, and a global perspective that comes from growing up in Brazil, to design a car that doesn’t just drive, but learns who you are and anticipates your needs.

Other videos in the “Designing the Future of the Intelligent Car” series:
Glanceable Design, Experience Matters, The Driving Experience and
The Updateable Car
Read also: – Building the intelligent car of the future
[Microsoft feature story, May 7, 2013]
– A gearhead’s perspective on the car of the future [Windows Embedded blog, June 3, 2013]
– Behind the scenes at the birth of Microsoft’s intelligent car program [Windows Embedded blog, May 20, 2013]
– Introducing the Windows Embedded Automotive Team! [Windows Embedded blog, May 7, 2013] “Today, Microsoft launched the “Designing the Future of the Intelligent Car” digital series to showcase the team we have working on Microsoft’s automotive solutions and our vision for the intelligent car of the future. To kick-off the series I’ve asked the leader of the Windows Embedded Automotive team, Pranish Kumar, to provide some perspective on the team and the work they are doing.”
– Designing the Car Experience of the Future [Windows Embedded blog, Nov 9, 2012] “Together with Ford, we celebrated the 5th anniversary of Ford SYNC and 5 million SYNC enabled vehicles [mostly in North America] shipped milestone. The conference theme was “connected design,” exploring how design and user interface impact the experience people have interacting with connected devices. This is a topic my team is focused on in our work with Ford and our other automotive partners as we explore how our intelligent systems strategy can help deliver a richer, more personalized experience in the car. We are thinking about the contextual environment inside the car and how computing helps that experience for customers.”

As far as the Windows Embedded 8 is concerned we have a pretty clear picture now:
Windows Embedded 8 [Microsoft > Windows Embedded > Products and Solutions > Windows Embedded Products page, May 6, 2013]

From this page the basic offerings (based on Windows 8) are the following ones:

The Windows Embedded 8 family of platforms and tools helps companies extend their operational intelligence [by harnessing the flow of data across industry devices on the edge and back-end systems], using their existing IT infrastructure and industry devices that securely exchange data with back-end systems. Offering the same rich, multi-touch experience as Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 , Windows Embedded 8 delivers compelling user experiences on a range of industry devices.

Windows Embedded 8 Pro

The power and flexibility of Windows 8 in a platform designed specifically for building edge devices [digital signs or point-of-service terminals in a store environment, handheld devices, robots on the manufacturing floor, or thin client devices in hospitals to transform business intelligence to actionable operation intelligence] and intelligent systems solutions [such as kiosks, medical devices, digital signage and HMI (human machine interface)].

Deliver a user experience that’s identical to Windows 8.
Design custom apps that feature the fast, fluid behavior of Windows 8.
Security features such as Bitlocker and Trusted Boot.
Compatible with line-of-business and productivity apps.

Learn more

[The Next Generation Digital Signage on Display at Computex 2012 video of June 25, 2012 from WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel is quite important to embed here, since it clearly discusses the direction for digital signage systems where full Windows compatibility is essential:]

Windows Embedded’s John Boladian and Intel’s Gark Tan show off today’s interactive digital signage that create an engaging and connected experience for customers through combined technologies from Kinect for Windows, Windows Embedded and Intel’s Core processors.

Windows Embedded 8 Standard

Offers flexibility for purpose-built devices, such as thin clients, kiosks [digital signage] and automated manufacturing solutions.

Compelling UI, powerful app support, security and manageability of Windows 8.
Modular format allows you to use only the components needed.
Ensure consistent configuration with embedded specific lockdown features.
Custom branding feature.

Learn more

[The Demo: Windows 8 on Embedded Devices video of Nov 13, 2012 from WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel is quite important to embed here, since it clearly shows the actually best example of a purpose-built ruggedized device (from a long-time partner Motion Computing) based on Windows 8 which is a kind of prototype of similar “custom branded” devices based on Windows Embedded 8 Standard:]

Embedded Group Manager John Coyne shows off an industry application on a PC running Windows Embedded 8.

Windows Embedded 8 Industry

A consistent, streamlined application platform that shortens development cycles for specific industry device scenarios in retail, manufacturing and other industries [such as POS terminals, ATMs, automated manufacturing solutions and medical devices].

Compelling UI, powerful app support, security and manageability of Windows 8.
Ensure consistent configuration with lockdown features.
Fixed platform provides a consistent development experience.
Plug and play peripheral capabilities with POS for .NET.

Learn more

[The Intelligent Systems Making Vending Machines Fun at Computex 2012 video of June 25, 2012 from WindowsEmbedded YouTube channel is quite important to embed here, since it demonstrates an interactive smart vending machine where retail peripheral support is essential:]

Windows Embedded’s John Boladian and Intel’s Gark Tan discuss the value and growth of intelligent systems across devices and the cloud. By highlighting an interactive smart vending machine, they show that intelligent systems not only make the purchase experience fun, but give the vendor a competitive advantage through increased connectivity, data collection, manageability and business analytics

[Read also: Windows Embedded 8 Industry: A Modern OS for Industry Devices [Windows Embedded blog, April 2, 2013] “On the heels of our recent release of the Windows Embedded 8 platform, we’re making another member of the Windows Embedded family available today — Windows Embedded 8 Industry. David Wurster, Microsoft Windows Embedded’s senior product manager, has details on how Windows Embedded has evolved beyond point-of-service (POS) systems in retail to do much more in the Windows 8 era.”]

Compare Windows Embedded 8 products

Features

Pro

Standard

Industry

Rich multitouch, multi-user interface

Connectivity features, including connected standby, mobile broadband and WiFi

Powerful security features, including anti-malware support, BitLocker and Trusted Boot

Lockdown support, including unified write filter, gesture and keyboard filters

Retail peripheral support

Custom branding

Full Windows compatibility

Fixed image

Easy end-to-end device management with Microsoft System Center

Modular OS

In addition there are the following complementary offerings, which are not based on Windows 8, are shown on the same page as well:

Windows Embedded 8 Handheld

Built on Windows Phone 8 to offer intuitive line-of-business applications [such as package delivery, mobile point-of-service, communication and collaboration, and scanning and data capture], with proven integration and security for industry handheld devices.

Common application programming interfaces so that devices easily integrate.
Manage devices across the network through the use of Windows Intune and SCCM 2012.
Benefit from a large selection of Windows Phone 8 apps.
Use the Windows Phone 8 SDK and Visual Studio 2012 to create custom apps.

Learn more

[Read also: Windows Embedded 8 Handheld joins the Windows Embedded 8 family [Windows Embedded blog, Jan 14, 2013] “Windows Embedded 8 Handheld is more than just the successor to Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5. It’s a complete re-imagination of the enterprise mobile device. With Windows Embedded 8 Handheld, the platform is now based on the Windows Phone 8, which itself is built on Windows 8. In addition to the highly-praised Windows Phone 8 user interface, both Windows Phone 8 and Windows Embedded 8 Handheld now share a common kernel with Windows.”]

Windows Server 2012 for Embedded Systems

Binary identical to Windows Server, a proven, highly reliable operating system for embedded applications in server appliances [such as of telecommunications, medical imaging, industrial automation and corporate headquarters]

Enable informed, real-time decisions that keep your enterprise ahead of the competition.
New storage features optimize the reliability and efficiency of data stores and scale to meet demand and reduce costs.
Equip employees with insightful analysis and reporting services.

Learn more

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 for Embedded Systems

A database management tool, binary identical to Microsoft SQL Server, for use with purpose-built hardware running the Windows Embedded Server operating system [such as in telecommunications, medical imaging, industrial automation and corporate headquarters].

Glean new business insights from data, and harness it in real time.
Provide access to powerful data analysis and visualization tools.
Flexibility and usability for auditing and security manageability across SQL Server environment.

Learn more

Windows Embedded 8 Mission and Vision (from Microsoft’s Intelligent Systems [Microsoft > Windows Embedded > Intelligent Systems page, May 7, 2013])

Actionable data fueled by intelligent systems is the new currency for business, and its value is expected to increase exponentially, improving how people live, learn and conduct business. Gartner predicts that big data will “deliver transformational benefits to enterprises” in the coming 2-5 years, and that by 2015, enterprises that employ big data strategies “will begin to outperform their unprepared competitors within their industry sectors by 20 percentage in every available financial metric.” (Source: Hype Cycle for Cloud Computing, August, 2012.) With intelligent systems, Microsoft is helping organizations access and transform critical data into operational intelligence by providing a wide range of operating systems, tools, and systems and services.

Our mission is to drive business growth and competitive advantage for our enterprise customers and partners through technology innovations that capitalize on the vast potential of data. Your investment in Windows Embedded is backed by Microsoft’s proven commitment to intelligent systems through more than 15 years of experience in the market.

Industry Focus (from Microsoft’s Intelligent Systems [Microsoft > Windows Embedded > Intelligent Systems page, May 7, 2013])

Intelligent systems are revolutionizing business and Microsoft is focused on driving innovation in retail and hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive industries. Customized solutions built with Windows Embedded harness Microsoft technologies to address specific industry needs by connecting devices on the edge of enterprise networks with existing IT infrastructures—on a single platform. The resulting intelligent systems help retailers deliver personal, seamless and differentiated experiences to customers; manufacturers increase efficiencies at every level of the operation to deliver innovative services, implement best-practice operations and enhance planning and decision-making processes; healthcare institutions optimize patient care and outcomes by bringing people, processes and information together; and automakers evolve “intelligent car” experiences, allowing drivers to access innovative in-car communication, infotainment, navigation and fuel-efficiency features.

Our Solutions Approach (from Microsoft’s Intelligent Systems [Microsoft > Windows Embedded > Intelligent Systems page, May 7, 2013])

Microsoft’s tools and technologies for intelligent system solutions extend beyond a software package or device; the great power and flexibility of industry devices running the Windows Embedded platform is that it works in concert with Microsoft’s cloud products and services, and with existing IT infrastructure to customize a complete connected system.

Windows Embedded minimizes risk and complexity by providing one trusted platform with which to build solutions and broaden business opportunity. Windows Embedded fits with your needs, connecting data across a diverse set of technologies, providing compatibility across your existing systems, and enabling customization through a worldwide network of partners, to increase ease of use and drive efficiency. And a Microsoft solution extends the intelligence of your organization, increasing opportunities for your workforce to act on data and insights that would otherwise be out of reach.

On the adjacent to the above “Windows Embedded Products” page there is a “Product Lifecycles” [May 7, 2013] page which contains the following

Road map for intelligent systems

With Windows Embedded 8, Microsoft extends Windows 8 to intelligent systems, creating the next wave of enterprise tools and technology. The release schedule includes the Windows Embedded 8 family of device operating systems, each with a distinct feature set that includes the building blocks for an intelligent system across hardware, software and services.

It means that from the whole portfolio the “Windows Embedded Compact 2013” was missing on May 7 as it was to be delivered in Q2 2013. When clicking on its “+” sign one gets the following description (corrections came in the first week of June with v.3 mark deleted after Blend and “sensory input and Kinect for Windows” deleted, and XAML for Windows embedded, multi-core support as well as Snapshot Boot added; it also coincided with “Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 2013 ISO-TBE” availability for download):

A streamlined, componentized device operating system, Windows Embedded Compact 2013 gives developers all the tools they need to create the next generation of intelligent systems solutions. Compact 2013 provides the flexibility and real-time support to reduce time to market, while creating an easy-to-use, multi-touch experience that helps enterprise customers improve worker productivity.

Access to up-to-date tools such as Platform Builder, Visual Studio 2012 and Expression Blend ~~v.3~~ helps developers to streamline development.
Support for XAML for Windows embedded, multi-touch, ~~sensory input and Kinect for Windows~~ and multi-core support enables the creation of immersive applications.
Leverage the power of cloud computing through Windows Azure Application Services, giving customers a greater ability to extend their intelligence.
Improved file system performance and Snapshot Boot gives companies the confidence that their devices will always be available, whatever their current state .

The first description of it was given in Windows Embedded Compact v.Next uncovered [Windows Embedded Blog, Nov 14, 2012] as follows

Posted By David Campbell
Program Manager

Woo hoo, it’s finally time to share more information about the upcoming release! First, the release now officially has a name: Windows Embedded Compact 2013. (I know that folks probably have questions around why we chose this name. We thoroughly considered a long list of potential names, including Windows CE again, and Windows Embedded Compact 2013 really did receive the best response.)

I’ll be doing a number of posts about the various key features and changes in Windows Embedded Compact 2013 over the next few posts, but I want to start with arguably the most interesting of the new features: the investments made for Visual Studio 2012 support, both ISV/app development via Visual Studio directly; and the OEM/device development experience with Platform Builder, now hosted in Visual Studio 2012!

With all development now in Visual Studio 2012, there is no longer a need for multiple versions of Visual Studio to support Compact development alongside other Windows platforms. Plus, you’ll get many of the new features and productivity improvements available in Visual Studio 2012 when developing for Compact! We now have the same C++ toolset and standards supported everywhere. (And of course Visual Studio 2012 includes the new features from Visual Studio 2010, which were not previously to Compact developers.)

We also have a new CRT, which has key new functionality aligned as well. (The existing CRT on Compact hasn’t been updated in some time.) And the new optimizer supports functionality like auto-parallelization of your code and auto-vectorization–so if your processor has FP registers, the optimizer will automatically generate code to use vector FP. The 2012 C++ compiler also includes many of the language features from the new C++11 standards.

C++11 has new language features that allow you to write better performing, safer code and code it faster than ever before. For example, RValue references let you operate on data without having to copy it. And C++11 brings in functional semantics to make writing code more efficient, like having anonymous functions. We also support range based loops, letting you iterate over members of a list directly. More information is available on the Visual Studio team blog.

.Net CF has also been upgraded to 3.9, which inherits the support Windows Phone updates while still being app compatible with 3.5. This upgrade improves performance significantly in a number of ways. .Net CF 3.9 has greatly improved performance overall, as well as memory allocation and garbage collection using the generational garbage collector. This not only improves performance, but also provides more predictability in the execution of applications. The memory footprint of the runtime is also smaller for both the framework and applications, using what is known as “the sharing server,” allowing loaded code to be reused across applications. The runtime itself is also multi-core enabled, which can improve the performance of all your applications. More information on the updated .Net CF is available on the .NET Framework blog.

The embedded developer experience improvements of bringing the new features of Visual Studio 2012 to Windows Embedded Compact are amazing, and I’m sure you’ll be as excited as I am to get started using the new features of Visual Studio 2012, Platform Builder and the new Compact OS.

For information on the upcoming Windows Embedded Compact release, visit www.windowsembedded.com.

Previous versions with some important new features (my own judgement + Windows CE Wikipedia article + other inputs):

CE7: Windows Embedded Compact 7 (March 2011)
– Silverlight for Windows Embedded (UX C++ XAML API): application development made easy, synching designers and developers.
– Windows Phone 7 IE with Flash 10.1 support: panning, zooming, multitouch and viewing bookmarks using thumbnails, etc
– Multi-core support

CE6: Windows Embedded CE 6.0 (September 2006)
– Significant change in architecture over previous versions of CE (process address space is increased from 32 MB to 2 GB, number of processes has been increased from 32 to 32,768 etc.)
– Incremental updates to features as R1, R2 and R3 releases
– Silverlight introduced, Microsoft Office and PDF viewers support too.

CE5: Windows CE 5.0 (August 2004)
– Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) introduced
– Updates to Graphics and Multimedia support

CE4: Windows CE 4.x (Jan 7, 2002)
– .Net Compact Framework introduced
– Since Windows CE.NET 4.2 system uses a new shell with integrated Internet Explorer

CE3: Windows CE 3.0 (June 15, 2000)
– Major recode that made CE hard real time down to the microsecond level
– Base for the Pocket PC 2000, Handheld PC 2000, Pocket PC 2002 and Smartphone 2002

CE2: Windows CE 2.x (Sept 29, 1997)
– Real-time deterministic task scheduling
– Architectures: ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, StrongARM, SuperH and x86

CE1: Windows CE 1.0 (November 1996)

Related post: Introducing NETCF 3.9 in Windows Embedded Compact 2013 – a faster, leaner and multi-core runtime! [.NET Framework blog, Nov 16, 2012]

Ever since .NET Compact Framework was introduced at the PDC conference in 2001, programming with .NET has scaled from some of the smallest devices to the largest servers. With C# and Visual Basic, developers can apply the same skills to program both devices and servers to form a complete end-to-end solution. As the devices become more prevalent in our daily lives, .NET is evolving too. Abhishek Mondal, the program manager for .NET Compact Framework [note that Abdishek Mondal was the program manager for GC as well], shares the following highlights of the latest version. –Brandon

NETCF 3.9 advances the Windows Embedded Compact Platform

We are happy to announce that we will be including the .NET Compact Framework 3.9 in Windows Embedded Compact 2013, as part of its upcoming release. We have made major updates in this version of the .NET Compact Framework, which deliver benefits in startup time, application responsiveness and memory utilization. You should see significantly better performance characteristics of your applications on both x86 and ARM devices, running Windows Embedded Compact 2013. You can read more about the Windows Embedded Compact 2013 release at the Microsoft News Center.

The .NET Compact Framework is a version of the .NET Framework for embedded devices. It provides .NET development support for low-end embedded devices that run the Windows Embedded Compact 2013 OS. NETCF provides a familiar and rich development platform for embedded application development, with a small foot print and an extensive set of .NET functionality. For clarity, the other Windows Embedded OSes use the desktop .NET Framework, the same version that is included with desktop Windows.

NETCF 3.9 is based on the NETCF version that shipped with Windows Phone 7.5. The following features are the key advances in NETCF 3.9, all big steps forward for app performance:

New Generational Garbage Collector for more responsive apps

NETCF runtime is now multi-core safe to take advantage of multi-core hardware

Sharing Server feature that reduces working set and improves app launch

Another major benefit of NETCF 3.9 is Visual Studio 2012 support! You will be able to use the same tools for Windows Embedded Compact 2013 development as you use for Windows, Windows Phone and Windows Azure development. Visual C++ development for this new Windows Embedded Compact version will also be supported in Visual Studio 2012, as reported on the Visual C++ team blog.

Applications run (a lot) faster with NETCF 3.9

NETCF 3.9 is a faster and leaner runtime for Windows Embedded Compact 2013. We have made many changes that should enable your apps to run much faster. NETCF is also multi-core safe, enabling you to take advantage of multiple cores on embedded devices. Multiple cores are increasingly available on today’s devices, and can be an important part of delivering a compelling experience to your customers. Let’s take a more in-depth look at some of the additional improvements that are part of NETCF 3.9.

Faster app performance

NETCF 3.9 has greatly improved performance overall. There are three key features that will speed up your apps. Let’s start with the new garbage collector in NETCF. We have observed app performance in the lab that shows 50-60% drops in GC time. We no longer see GC pauses significantly affecting app responsiveness, in our lab apps, which was a problem that was reported in the past. The new GC is a lot faster!

For apps that use floating point arithmetic code, you may notice an additional performance boost, since NetCF takes advantage of ARM VFP instructions.

Last, we’ll look at the new Sharing Server feature. Sharing Server enables a significant improvement in the warm start-up time of your app, particularly in scenarios where multiple applications run on a device. It is able to achieve this benefit by sharing loaded assemblies and JITed machine code across apps (including re-launching the same app).

Efficient memory utilization of managed application

The Sharing Server feature also enables lower memory use for NETCF 3.9 apps. As already discussed, the Sharing Server allows code to be reused across applications. In addition to benefiting app launch performance, this feature significantly lowers the aggregate memory use of devices in scenarios where multiple apps are in use.

Developing apps with NETCF 3.9

You will find that NETCF is a great addition to a modern development environment. You can use Visual Studio 2012 for development, including features such as Team Foundation Server for source control and feature management.

Visual Studio 2012 will support Windows Embedded Compact development

The single most compelling attraction of this release for many of you is the support for embedded development in Visual Studio 2012. This support will simplify development if you are already developing for both Windows or Windows Phone and Windows Embedded Compact, since you can do all of your work in a single Visual Studio environment.

If you develop exclusively for the embedded platform, then Visual Studio 2012 support will enable you to use ALM tools and TFS in your development environment. There are also other benefits to Visual Studio 2012 such as performance improvements and other tools, which you can explore and enjoy.

Here is a snapshot of a sample managed application developed using NETCF 3.9 with VS2012:

A simple “Hello World” application on NETCF 3.9

You can see this same app, running in Hyper-V, stopped at a breakpoint in Visual Studio 2012, using remote debugging:

Debugging a NETCF 3.9 app on Windows, using Hyper-V

NETCF 3.9 is source compatible with NETCF 3.5

NETCF 3.9 is a big step forward for performance, however, the APIs that you’ve used in NETCF 3.5 stay the same. As a result, you can move existing .NETCF source code and investments forward to NETCF 3.9.

You may wonder why NETCF 3.9 is source compatible with NETCF 3.5 and not binary compatible, since .NET assemblies are compiled to the machine-independent MSIL format. There is no change in our assembly format, nor are there any compatibility checks in NETCF 3.9.

We chose a single compatibility message for Windows Compact Embedded 2013, for both native and .NET development, which is source compatibility. The single biggest driver of this support policy is C++, which needs to be re-compiled for the ARM thumb2 instruction set, with the new Visual Studio 2012 Visual C++ compiler. We have also found that many of you pair your managed code with native implementations. As part of re-compiling that native code, we expect that you may make API changes that would affect your P/Invoke declarations. As a result, we decided that a single compatibility policy for the whole release was the best choice.

Wrapping Up

If you are an embedded developer, I’m sure that you are excited that we are making NETCF 3.9 available to you for your embedded apps. We have already talked to a set of developers, who are looking forward to this big update, to significantly improve the runtime performance of the apps that you run on your devices. We look forward to seeing your new devices and the rich experiences that they deliver, after Windows Embedded Compact 2013 is released.

NETCF 3.9 will be made available with the Windows Embedded Compact 2013 OS, when it is released. It isn’t available at this time. It will also be included in the SDK for the OS, for use with Visual Studio 2012. Watch the Windows Embedded Newsroom for future updates on release plans.

Follow us or talk to us on Twitter — http://twitter.com/dotnet.

Then here is Windows Embedded Compact 2013 presentation @Embedded World 2013 [kojtp2 YouTube channel, March 3, 2013]

[2:55] The “Silverlight for Windows Embedded” name was changed to “XAML for Windows Embedded” because Silverlight was associated with a browser plug-in technology in developers’ minds while here we have nothing like that.

Since this video has bad voice recording quality it is also worth to watch the Windows Embedded Compact 2013 Technical Overview of what’s new [Microsoft Webinar Live Meeting record, April 30, 2013] from which I will include the following slide screenshots and some transcripts of my own:

[21:35] Very cool news: „an entirely rewritten and upgraded .NET Compact runtime”

[25:25] „XAML for [Windows] Embedded” [changed the name to XAML from Silverlight] allowing UI developers to write using Silverlight, in Expression Blend 5.0 with this release [vs Blend 3 in the previous], which will generate XAML describing the user inerface and the user interactions. We link that in with native C++ code in the back-end, and that allows for extremely powerful interfaces while still allowing for high performance that we use native code plus there’s nothing between us and the operating system, and there’s nothing between us and the hardware, so we have much better performance, from real-time perspective as well, not just general performance perspective. … There is increased functionality [in this release] in terms of data binding and data context. … We’ve got new triggers that are supported. … This is still a very, very important area for Microsoft, and frankly from embedded perspective XAML gives you in many ways a superior user interface description environment compared to HTML5. … [27:30]

[36:00] .. all-up general SKU … NR SKU for personal navigation devices … and we are coming with a brand new SKU „Windows Embedded Compact 2013 Entry” SKU. And this is the SKU for smaller devices that don’t need XAML capability. .. We haven’t announced our pricing for the 3 SKUs yet. That will be announced around the general availability [GA] timeline. … Windows Embedded Compact 2013 is still on schedule to ship in the first half of 2013. That means June. So we will be shipping and announcing the product in June. What we are giving now is a kind of sneak preview which will give you a technical introduction to the product. [27:53]

From Q&A

Using the same rendering engine as before

XAML for Windows Embedded is not supporting C#

More information:
– Windows Embedded Compact 2013 [MSDN Library, April 26, 2013]
from which of particular interest are:
– What’s New (Compact 2013) [MSDN Library, April 26, 2013]
– Expression Blend and XAML for Windows Embedded (Compact 2013) [MSDN Library, April 26, 2013]
– XAML for Windows Embedded Application Development (Compact 2013) [MSDN Library, April 26, 2013]
– Developer Guides (Compact 2013) [MSDN Library, April 26, 2013]
from which of particular interest is:
– .NET Compact Framework (Compact 2013) [MSDN Library, April 26, 2013]

Windows Embedded Compact 7 [Windows Embedded Products Overview > Windows Embedded Compact 7 Product Details page, May 7, 2013]

Windows Embedded Compact 7 is a componentized, real-time operating system designed for small-footprint devices at the edge of enterprise networks. With support for x86 and ARM architectures, Windows Embedded Compact 7 allows devices to leverage the latest innovations in hardware, and equips developers and device manufacturers with the tools they need to create nimble, enterprise-class intelligent system solutions, while reducing time to market.

Top features

Rich user interface

Includes XAML for Windows Embedded, a powerful technology that allows you to build interfaces that incorporate touch and gesture support.

Flexible architecture

Real-time operating system supports an array of hardware requirements and key processor architectures, including x86 and ARM, to power everything from tiny controls to fully automated factories.

Secure and reliable

One-tier security model feature is SDL compliant and helps ensure that only authenticated applications can run on an industry device, with reliable wireless connectivity and networking performance.

Ease of development

Familiar tools like Visual Studio and Expression Blend allow you to create attractive and intuitive user interfaces, and bring differentiated devices to market faster than ever before.

Things you can do

For Enterprises

One trusted platform

Devices running on Windows Embedded Compact 7 are covered under a 10-year support program from Microsoft. You can deploy industry devices with the assurance that technical support will be there, when and if it’s needed. And because you can continue using your existing applications based on Windows Embedded CE 6.0, there is a smooth upgrade path for using current applications while moving to the next generation of touch-enabled apps that provide an easy-to-use experience for getting things done more quickly.

Meets your needs

Arm your employees with a new breed of business applications harnessing touch and gesture input that showcase your company’s work and give employees better tools to get things done with intuitive access to information. Windows Embedded Compact 7 also provides a flexible device platform that can run on the smallest of devices, or power rich device experiences. And with the capabilities of a real-time operating system, you can be confident of its ability to meet the most exacting of industry requirements.

Extend business intelligence

Windows Embedded Compact 7 supports a variety of connectivity options, providing more flexibility for connecting industry devices to your company’s network. Support for enhanced WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth and USB enables you to deploy devices across your corporate network, where they can help automate business processes and generate data that leads to greater insight. Collectively, these devices can provide you with greater visibility into what’s happening throughout your company. As critical components of an intelligent system, these devices can help you make decisions in real-time, as well as formulate long-term plans for the growth of your business.

For OEMs

One trusted platform

With Windows Embedded Compact 7, you can develop industry devices within the integrated environment of Platform Builder, to allow adjustments on the hard, real-time operating system while working on specific projects simultaneously. And support for Visual Studio 2008, Expression Blend 3.0 and the .NET Compact Framework 3.5 provides access to the tools that OEMs rely on. Windows Embedded Compact 7 also ensures a consistency of APIs and SDKs, making it possible to leverage past investments and current skillsets to create products that are supported by a 10-year support program from Microsoft, along with the assurance that Windows Embedded Compact 7 will be available for 15 years from the time it was first released.

Create differentiated devices

Windows Embedded Compact 7 includes a development framework based on XAML and supports a range of architecture options, including ARM, MIPS and x86. As a result, you have greater flexibility to create devices that match your customers’ specifications. Creating these experiences is simplified with tools such as 3D transformation and Pixel/Shader effects. Your devices will give customers the ability to seamlessly share content on business networks, as well as network devices. And the introduction of touch gesture interface allows developers to create a more natural, interactive experience.

Extend business intelligence

Create an experience that helps companies get more done. With Windows Embedded Compact 7, you can design a solution that’s more seamless, making it easier for companies to synchronize content with their Windows PCs. And with the Connection Manager feature and multiple connectivity options, you can ensure that businesses have the optimum level of connectivity across the workplace. Support for enhanced WiFi, Ethernet, USB and Bluetooth virtually guarantees that your device will connect with the other devices, PCs and servers already running in the enterprise. With this connectivity in place, employees will be able to remotely access Microsoft Outlook via Microsoft Air Sync. And the ability to view Adobe and Microsoft Office files will help them stay current on business developments.

Sample device types

Human machine interface (HMI)

The devices provide the ability to monitor automated processes, such as manufacturing, to safegueard against diminished product quality or equipment breakdowns

RFID scanners

Speed the completion of common tasks such as inventory, shipping and receiving with these devices

Medical devices

Sonograms and other medical devices enable doctors to monitor a baby’s health in utero and send images to researchers in real time via a wireless network

GPS devices

Help people stay on course to their destination with these navigation devices

News: Building the intelligent car of the future
[Microsoft feature story, May 7, 2013]
Microsoft: Working with automotive industry to design an updateable car that’s easier to use and responds to the driver’s needs.

In the 1920’s, carmakers started offering an accessory that would revolutionize the driving experience: the radio. While tooling down the road you could tune into the nightly newscast, a live jazz performance or the seventh game in the series. It provided a connected experience that replaced the steady drone of the four liter under the hood with the soaring notes of Duke Ellington’s bugle or the crack of Babe Ruth’s bat as the ball hurtled toward the right-field stands.

Since then, the notion of the connected car has changed. Features such as streaming music from your smartphone and using voice commands to control the stereo and environment are standard equipment in many models. And Microsoft has a vision for in-car technology that takes us beyond the confines of the cockpit to what they call the intelligent car — a scenario in which telematics data can help improve the driving experience, and the design of the vehicle.

Led by Group Program Manager Pranish Kumar, the Windows Embedded Automotive team is focused on fulfilling this vision and, in the process, developing an upgradeable technology solution that extends the useful life of the vehicle.

Says Kumar: “The automotive industry faces a lot of unique challenges, perhaps first of which is that cars must be supportable for much longer than consumer electronics devices — 10 or 20 years, in most cases. I think we’ve developed a solid understanding of some of these challenges and how technology can address them, while providing drivers with a better experience.”

Microsoft’s Pranish Kumar and his team work to develop reliable in-car experiences, not by sitting at a desk but by working behind the wheel of a fleet of test vehicles.

A relationship built on experience and trust

Microsoft’s involvement in the automotive industry stretches back 15 years to 1998 when the company partnered with Clarion to announce the Auto PC, a first-of-its-kind solution that gave drivers access to email, driving directions, paging and traffic alerts, and their entertainment system. And in 2003 Microsoft developed the Microsoft TBox, a telematics device that went on to power infotainment systems for a variety of carmakers.

When it came to working directly with carmakers, Kumar says it was an uphill battle to gain their trust. Many had tried to design their own infotainment system and were convinced that it couldn’t be done in a shorter time than seven or eight years. Microsoft has since proven itself by reducing development time down to just two to three years.

Kumar’s team also adopted the same level of rigor and many of the testing methodologies that carmakers use when conducting customer road tests. Making this change gave the team a “greater degree of confidence” that their development and reporting processes met the carmaker’s need and that the finished product would meet or exceed the driver’s expectations.

From the connected car to the intelligent car

For carmakers, the Promised Land lies in giving drivers the ability to access information and services anywhere they live, whether an app on their smartphones, a music file on their tablet at home, or customer contact information on their computer at work or in the cloud. Over time, members of the Windows Embedded Automotive team have earned a reputation for providing solid insight to help make these experiences a reality.

Together with Kumar, Creative Director John Hendricks, Principal Program Manager Jay Loney, Partner Development Manager David Kelley, and Experience Designers David Walker and Melissa Quintanilha are part of a larger team developing and designing the future of Microsoft’s automotive technologies.

Top Gear U.S.’s Tanner Foust talks with Microsoft engineers and designers about their vision for the future intelligent car.

In doing so, they are moving away from a focus on creating in-dash technologies, such as the entertainment or navigation systems, to an emphasis on creating a solution that would power these technologies as part of an overall user experience. Taking this approach has given carmakers the ability to provide periodic updates that refresh the driving experience and extend compatibility to the latest consumer devices.

In the future Microsoft wants to take that experience a step further. Whereas today consumers demand a car that’s more connected — to their phones, their music and their services — Windows Embedded Automotive is focused on designing intelligent cars that respond to the driver’s needs.

One example that Kumar cites involves the difficulty of pairing new phones, which is one of the most frequent problems facing car owners. According to IDC, 722 million smartphones were shipped globally in 2012, a 46.1 percent increase over the previous year.[1] As demand for smartphones continues, ensuring compatibility between new models and infotainment systems will remain a challenge.

A Windows Embedded-based system could transmit data about the unsuccessful pairing to Microsoft and overnight a solution could be identified and downloaded to the car. When the owner gets in his car the next morning, his phone would automatically pair. Over time, that same data could be used to design a user experience that’s not only easier to use but that performs tasks on your behalf, such as tuning to your favorite station or rescheduling a meeting due to traffic delays.

Drivers also stand to gain from the availability of data. Many vehicles contain sensors that monitor factors such as speed, braking, fuel consumption, tire pressure and environmental conditions. Drivers can already use this information to assess their performance and get recommendations on how to improve fuel efficiency or vehicle maintenance.

Using the same data, carmakers could augment the existing battery of tests that are part of their proving process. So in addition to putting a vehicle through the environmental extremes of Northern Sweden or California’s Death Valley, they could evaluate its performance in day-to-day conditions. Engineers and product planners could get a head start on the next year’s model through insights around where design improvements are needed or where a car has been over-engineered. They could even fine tune an engine over-the-air to improve fuel economy of the current model year.

Kumar believes that many of the systems are already in place to make this vision a reality. Using technologies such as Windows Update, cars could be automatically updated — in much the same way as smartphones automatically update when you activate them. And the combination of big data and machine learning could lead to cars that develop an understanding of your preferences and driving behavior to become more responsive to your needs.

“We’ve come a long way in terms of creating a product that works reliably and meets the quality standards of the automotive industry. And we’re continuing our work with carmakers to reach the full potential of in-car technology,” says Kumar. “Through a combination of software, hardware and user-centric design, we believe that car owners will experience driving like never before possible.”

[1] IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, Jan. 24, 2013

See also: Maximizing Internet Explorer in Windows Embedded Compact 7 [Windows Embedded blog, June 11, 2012]

Windows Embedded Compact has a customized version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer named Internet Explorer (IE) for Embedded. This powerful browser can be used in a number of ways in an embedded system to enhance the functionality of the system. This post will discuss the various ways to tune, customize and even embed IE for Embedded inside embedded applications.

IE for Embedded is a customized version of Internet Explorer 7 for the desktop with performance enhancements from IE 8 added as well. Specifically, the JScript engine brought from IE 8 provides a 400% performance improvement over the original IE 7 scripting engine. In addition gesture support along with zoom and pan support is in this browser.

Internet Explorer for Embedded is fundamentally an HTML rendering engine. As such, the user input surrounding the engine, (the “chrome”) isn’t really part of IE for Embedded. Windows Embedded Compact comes with two examples of IE for Embedded; one with classic “Windows” controls and the other one with the chrome rendered with the XAML-driven, Silverlight for Embedded framework. Both of these examples come with the source code that demonstrates how to host the IE control. They also both illustrate that almost all the functionality of these Browsers is contained within the control itself. The chrome only provides input from the user and a platform for returning feedback.

The classic browser example, IESample, supports a favorites list, browser history and URL completion. It incorporates an internet control panel that can tune how the browser connects to the web as well as setting security settings. The XAML-based browser, IEExr, has a vastly different look and feel. However, it too handles a favorites list, history and control pane. IEExr even supports tabbed browsing using a thumbnail page to switch between pages. The reason the two examples have similar features is that most of the functionality, is incorporated in the IE ActiveX control itself.

…

Silverlight for Windows Embedded (Windows Embedded Compact 7) [MSDN Library, Jan 23, 2013]

Microsoft Silverlight for Windows Embedded is a native (C++) UI development framework for Windows Embedded Compact powered devices that is founded on Microsoft Silverlight 3. You can use Silverlight for Windows Embedded to do the following:

Separate programming logic and UI design.
Define visual UIs for applications in XAML.
Add, modify, and customize the UI at run time.
Create interactive multimedia UIs.
Collaborate with designers who use Microsoft Expression Blend 3 projects.
Simultaneously develop applications for Microsoft Silverlight 3 and Silverlight for Windows Embedded with a common UI defined in XAML files.

Silverlight for Windows Embedded is compatible with Silverlight 3 XAML and provides a set of equivalent classes for supported XAML elements. For information about Silverlight 3, see http://www.silverlight.net/.

Silverlight for Windows Embedded is also compatible with existing Windows Embedded Compact window controls, so you can use your existing window controls.

To add this feature to your OS, see Silverlight for Windows Embedded Catalog Items and Sysgen Variables.

For reference information, see Silverlight for Windows Embedded Reference.

…

For step-by-step guidelines and code examples to help you learn how to create a UI by using Silverlight for Windows Embedded, see Silverlight for Windows Embedded Application Development.

For recommendations on which hardware to use with Silverlight for Windows Embedded, see Silverlight for Windows Embedded Hardware Recommendations.

More information:
– Differences Between Microsoft Silverlight 3 and Silverlight for Windows Embedded [MSDN Library, Jan 23, 2013]
– Silverlight for Windows Embedded Application Development [MSDN Library, Jan 23, 2013]

Microsoft Silverlight for Windows Embedded is a “UI development framework” for “embedded devices” and is based on Microsoft Silverlight for the desktop browser. By using Silverlight for Windows Embedded, you can create an application that supports features such as storyboard animations, transformations, interactive controls, a layout system, and a visual tree.

Silverlight for Windows Embedded is a native C++ development framework in which you can design a UI for the shell and applications for a Windows Embedded Compact device. You can use Microsoft Expression Blend 3 to quickly design a UI in Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML), which you can then convert, or you can build your application from scratch in Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 by using one of the Smart Device project templates. In the native C++ source files for your application, you can use the rest of the features of Windows Embedded Compact 7, including any existing window controls.

By using Silverlight for Windows Embedded, you can create a UI that provides advanced visual effects for your Windows Embedded Compact device shell and applications. Silverlight for Windows Embedded makes this possible by supporting a subset of Silverlight XAML elements and by supplying a set of C++ classes that provide access to these elements.

– Graphics and Performance in Silverlight for Windows Embedded (Windows Embedded Compact 7) [MSDN Library, Jan 23, 2013]
– Hardware Acceleration in Silverlight for Windows Embedded (Windows Embedded Compact 7) [MSDN Library, Jan 23, 2013]

Many modern device platforms include on-board graphics processing units (GPUs) with two-dimensional or three-dimensional capabilities or both. Microsoft Silverlight for Windows Embedded provides support for using a GPU to accelerate certain types of animations. Hardware acceleration is accomplished by using the GPU (rather than the CPU) to do some critical composition steps in the rendering process. Silverlight for Windows Embedded supports hardware-based acceleration of graphics for both Microsoft DirectDraw and OpenGL.

For information on how to implement hardware acceleration, see Implement Hardware Acceleration for Graphics in Silverlight for Windows Embedded [Reference].

With Visual Studio 2012 Update 2 Now Available [Somasegar’s blog on MSDN, April 4, 2013]

It includes support in Blend for SketchFlow, WPF 4.5, and Silverlight 5.

which according to ANNOUNCING VISUAL STUDIO 2012 UPDATE 2 CTP 2 [Blend Insider, Jan 30, 2013]

Blend for Visual Studio [as part of a consolidated designer/developer offering retained only from previous Expression products that were phased out with the Visual Studio 2012] now support WPF, Silverlight and SketchFlow projects in the same version of Blend (support for these was previously available only as a standalone Preview release of Blend). With this CTP release, Blend now supports developing Windows Store, Windows Phone, WPF and Silverlight apps without needing to have multiple versions of Blend on the same machine. The table below highlights the various platforms that are now supported in Blend for Visual Studio 2012:

TARGET PLATFORM

VERSIONS SUPPORTED

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Windows Store XAML and HTML

Windows 8

Windows 8

Windows Phone

Windows Phone 8, Windows Phone 7.5

Windows Phone 8 SDK

WPF

3.5, 4.0, 4.5

Silverlight

4, 5

SketchFlow

WPF 4.0 and Silverlight 4

Visual Studio 2012 Premium or higher

…

Additional details:
– in Silverlight 5 Beta – available now! [Silverlight Team blog on MSDN, April 22, 2011] for Silverlight 5 Available for Download Today [Silverlight Team blog on MSDN, Dec 9, 2011]
– in What’s New in Silverlight for Windows Phone [MSDN Library] (which is part of Silverlight for Windows Phone [MSDN Library])

Silverlight for Windows Phone OS 7.1 is based on Silverlight 4. That means if you create a new Silverlight for Windows Phone application that targets Windows Phone OS 7.1, you can take advantage of several new features. You can still write applications that target Windows Phone OS 7.0, but to take advantage of the new features, you must target Windows Phone OS 7.1. Applications that target Windows Phone OS 7.0 will run on devices running Windows Phone OS 7.1. This topic introduces some of the new features and improvements in Silverlight for Windows Phone.

– in What Version is Windows Phone Mango? [Shawn Wildermuth blog, Aug 19, 2011]

In finishing up my new Windows Phone book, I had to deal with the confusing version problem. There are three version numbers to be aware of:

Windows Phone 7.5
Windows Phone OS 7.1
Windows Phone SDK 7.1

So what is Mango? It comes down to this:

Windows Phone 7.5: The marketing name of the phone. This is the phrase you’ll see in the ads to consumers.
Windows Phone OS 7.1: The name of the actual operating system. When you create a new application in Visual Studio (or upgrade an existing one), you’ll see this version.
Windows Phone SDK 7.1: The name of the Mango tools.

So get your nomenclature right and stop being confused.

– Features Differences Between Silverlight and Silverlight for Windows Phone [MSDN Library]
– Implementation Differences Between Silverlight and Silverlight for Windows Phone [MSDN Library]

Essentials
Status	Launched
Launch Date	Q3’13
Processor Number	C2750
# of Cores	8
# of Threads	8
Clock Speed	2.4 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency	2.6 GHz
Cache	4 MB
Instruction Set	64-bit
Embedded Options Available	No
Lithography	22 nm
Max TDP	20 W
Recommended Customer Price	TRAY: $171.00
Memory Specifications
Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type)	64 GB
Memory Types	DDR3, 3L 1600
# of Memory Channels	2
Max Memory Bandwidth	25.6 GB/s
Physical Address Extensions	36-bit
ECC Memory Supported ^‡	Yes

Expansion Options
PCI Express Revision	2
PCI Express Configurations ^‡	x1,x2,x4,x8,x16
Max # of PCI Express Lanes	16
I/O Specifications
USB Revision	2
# of USB Ports	4
Total # of SATA Ports	6
Integrated LAN	4x 2.5 GbE
UART	2
Max # of SATA 6.0 Gb/s Ports	2

Package Specifications
T_CASE	97°C
Package Size	34 mm x 28 mm
Sockets Supported	FCBGA1283
Low Halogen Options Available	See MDDS
Advanced Technologies
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ^‡	2.0
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) ^‡	Yes

Intel® Data Protection Technology
AES New Instructions	Yes

Feature	Function	Benefit
4 Energy Efficient X86 Cores, Codenamed “Jaguar”	Optimize x86 performance/watt for microservers.	Helps enable low datacenter TCO
Flexible TDP	Allows user to control their own power profile by adjusting CPU and GPU frequencies in the BIOS to match their application needs (GPU integrated in X2150 only)	Gives users more control over their workload performance and power consumption
Integrated I/O	Integrates legacy Northbridge and Southbridge functionality directly on the processor	Smaller footprint enables dense microserver designs
Core, Northbridge and Memory P-states	Dynamically adjusts performance levels based on application requirements	Helps reduce power consumption

Features	Pro	Standard	Industry
Rich multitouch, multi-user interface
Connectivity features, including connected standby, mobile broadband and WiFi
Powerful security features, including anti-malware support, BitLocker and Trusted Boot
Lockdown support, including unified write filter, gesture and keyboard filters
Retail peripheral support
Custom branding
Full Windows compatibility
Fixed image
Easy end-to-end device management with Microsoft System Center
Modular OS

TARGET PLATFORM	VERSIONS SUPPORTED	SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
Windows Store XAML and HTML	Windows 8	Windows 8
Windows Phone	Windows Phone 8, Windows Phone 7.5	Windows Phone 8 SDK
WPF	3.5, 4.0, 4.5
Silverlight	4, 5
SketchFlow	WPF 4.0 and Silverlight 4	Visual Studio 2012 Premium or higher

Experiencing the Cloud

Search Results for: "Windows Azure"

Disaggregation in the next-generation datacenter and HP’s Moonshot approach for the upcoming HP CloudSystem “private cloud in-a-box” with the promised HP Cloud OS based on the 4 years old OpenStack effort with others

The essence of IT industry’s state-of-the-art regarding the datacenter and the cloud

The Future of Big Data – an interview with John Sontag, VP and director of HP Labs’ Systems Research [HP Enterprise Business Community, Nov 14, 2013] is providing even bigger prospects as:

If Moonshot is helping us make computers smaller and less energy-hungry, then our work on memristors will allow us to collapse the old processor/memory/storage hierarchy, and put processing right next to the data.

Next, our work on photonics will help collapse the communication fabric and bring these very large scales into closer proximity. That lets us combine systems in new and interesting ways.

Now back to the academic research for Network Support for Resource Disaggregation in Next-Generation Datacenters [presentation slides on HotNets-XII*, Nov 21-22, 2013] to illustrate their understandin of the trends

3. And next continue with the details about HP’s converged systems and next-gen cloud technology:

In the future the HP ConvergedSystem products will support additional workloads and ISV applications, and will be used as building blocks for HP CloudSystem private clouds, so stay tuned for more.

4. Finally latest details about HP’s Moonshot technology:

Moonshot: one of the “INFRA” (see above in the “HP Cloud OS Whiteboard Demo” video) building blocks for the HP CloudOS, actually the most future-oriented one

Linux Distributions

The initial release of the HP Moonshot System is compatible with these versions of Linux:• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4• SuSE SLES 11SP2• Ubuntu 12.04

HP Insight Cluster Management Utility

The CMU is optional and basic network installation of the OS may be performed using a standard PXE-based installation server.

SPECIFICATIONS

Essentials

Status

Launched

Launch Date

Q3’13

Processor Number

C2750

# of Cores

8

# of Threads

8

Clock Speed

2.4 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

2.6 GHz

Cache

4 MB

Instruction Set

64-bit

Embedded Options Available

No

Lithography

22 nm

Max TDP

20 W

Recommended Customer Price

TRAY: $171.00

Memory Specifications

Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type)

64 GB

Memory Types

DDR3, 3L 1600

# of Memory Channels

2

Max Memory Bandwidth

25.6 GB/s

Physical Address Extensions

36-bit

ECC Memory Supported ‡

Yes

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision

2

PCI Express Configurations ‡

x1,x2,x4,x8,x16

Max # of PCI Express Lanes

16

I/O Specifications

USB Revision

2

# of USB Ports

4

Total # of SATA Ports

6

Integrated LAN

4x 2.5 GbE

UART

2

Max # of SATA 6.0 Gb/s Ports

2

Package Specifications

TCASE

97°C

The initial release of the HP Moonshot System is compatible with these versions of Linux:
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4
• SuSE SLES 11SP2
• Ubuntu 12.04

ECC Memory Supported ^‡

PCI Express Configurations ^‡

T_CASE

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ^‡

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) ^‡