Recent Blog Posts
-
Cable Companies Assail Rural Phone Subsidies
Nov 06 20092:16 pm EDT -
Windows 7 Sales Are Strong
Nov 06 20097:46 am EDT -
Biotech Firm Light Sciences Raises $35 Million
Nov 05 20095:57 pm EDT -
Tough VC Market Claims Frazier Technology
Nov 05 20098:02 am EDT -
Digby Buys Mobile Commerce Site Movaya
Nov 04 20091:08 pm EDT
Links
- Engadget
- Pandora
- GigaOM
- USA TODAY Tech
- Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog
- Somewhat Frank's tech conference list
- BuzzTracker Tech
- The Long Tail
- Tom Foremski
- Roger McGuinn's Folk Den
- John Battelle's SearchBlog
- Mark Cuban's blog
- SciTech Daily
- Romenesko
- Kevin Maney's site
- Steven Johnson
- Marc Andreessen
- TechCrunch
- Fred Wilson
- paidContent
- Spiedies, mmmm
Microsoft To Rent Its Software -- Sort of
Blaise Zerega waits with bated breath: Microsoft today announced that it will offer software on a subscription model. But is it WOW - all caps and exclamation mark? Or is it wow-- a lowercase whimper? Likely it's a little of both.
In a press statement, Microsoft said that it will be begin offering a software bundle called Equipt, for an annual subscription of $70. Equipt consists of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 ( basically Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and Windows Live OneCare, a security service. And, as part of the subscription price, users will automatically get version upgrades.
The WOW: That Microsoft would be wiling to experiment with new revenue models should be applauded. It's tough to call this cloud computing but it's definitely a step in that direction. Equipt was code-named Albany during its development.
The wow: That Microsoft is offering this only through Circuit City stores, shows that the company is still behaving like a traditional software company. If it is still selling software in a box, then it is not ready for as Bill Gates put it, The Internet Tidal Wave (PDF).
The new software will be available from 700 Circuit City stores in mid-July.
