Microsoft's 2014: Win10 is still the key

Computer store news: Microsoft's biggest move in 2014 is to release Windows 10, perhaps from the interface design and other aspects, it is like a fusion of Windows 7 and 8, the surprise is not too much, but the inner part Still showing the new direction of Microsoft.

<quo;Unified Platform> is a key feature of Windows 10 that will be fully compatible with mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and wearable devices to achieve a unified application store and service experience. Although Windows 10 is still in beta, more and more new features are being added, and the direction of the unified platform can be seen more clearly. For example, the notification center of Windows Phone is beginning to be mixed into the desktop platform, and the future Metro and Windows Phone applications are expected to be completely unified.

Obviously, Microsoft hopes to save Windows 8's poor market reputation through Windows 10, and hopes to further improve the current Windows platform splitting phenomenon, concentrate resources to improve Microsoft's disadvantage in the mobile field, and Consolidate the desktop and commercial markets.

In addition, one event that cannot be ignored is that Windows XP officially ended on April 8, 2014, and Microsoft no longer provides any support services.

Microsoft has changed its corporate positioning to "Hardware & Services", so cloud services are clearly another key project for its development. In 2014, Microsoft's initiatives included completely freeing the mobile platform's Office, providing basic editing capabilities and highlighting the advanced features that can be implemented after a paid subscription. This form of promotion is clearly very effective. According to statistics, the iPad version of Office has achieved 27 million paid subscriptions after 6 weeks of online launch, which is quite successful.

The Azure cloud platform for enterprises is also a promising business. Satya & middot; Nadella first lowered its annual fee threshold and attracted a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises to join. In addition, the promotional programs for recharging peripheral accessories, mobile phones, and Surface have also achieved certain results.

It is rumored that when Windows 10 is officially launched in the future, it will also offer subscription-based services for users in different markets. Therefore, it is also a clear direction for Microsoft to make a profit through service subscription.

Microsoft's hardware business mainly includes Surface, Xbox, etc., but the operation situation is mixed. The latest Surface Pro 3 completely abandoned its previous development direction and repositioned itself to “notebook competitors”. Microsoft has more than once publicly compared it to Apple’s MacBook Air, highlighting the flexibility and performance of Surface Pro 3. And other characteristics. From the current point of view, this positioning seems to be more effective. As of October this year, the Surface series achieved $908 million in revenue and was the first to make a profit.

Another Xbox One service from Microsoft was disappointing in 2014, with a series of erroneous marketing methods such as TV service and bundled sales of Kinect, which caused a large number of core players to lose in the early stage of the competition. Sales have been suppressed by Sony's PS4. After a series of measures such as price cuts, bonus games, and unbundled sales, Xbox One’s monthly sales in some markets once surpassed PS4, which is a good phenomenon for Microsoft.

Microsoft also launched its first wearable device in 2014. Its fitness wristband supports all mobile platforms, with built-in advanced sensors and excellent batteries. However, the media's overall experience is mixed. The most important thing is that the Microsoft wristband is not as beautiful as the Apple Watch, so the current market performance is more general. If Microsoft is determined to make a big push into the wearable market, it may need to seize more market hotspots and consumer psychology.