Amy Wohl: How the Cloud Changes Microsoft’s Business Model
Microsoft has announced rental prices for Windows and Office and, at first, I thought this meant they were announcing “cloud” prices for platform providers who want to offer these products. But I seem to be wrong, since virtual versions of Windows and Office are excluded and the pricing applies more to people who rent physical PC’s (or their use, as in an Internet Cafe), offering a legal way to rent the software (which certainly is used today, by such users, but not within Microsoft’s licensing policies).
This brings to my mind the fact that the Cloud is affecting everything and everybody who is already in the software business. Basically, ISVs (and Microsoft is the biggest and most important ISV) have to decide how their business model will change with the cloud.