2012, Microsoft is very busy

2012, for Microsoft Global CEO Steve Ballmer (Steve Ballmer), is an extraordinary year to be included in the history of Microsoft together with 1995.
In 1995, Microsoft introduced the Windows 95 system, which achieved unprecedented success and opened up the path of Microsoft to the software empire.

And in 2012, although the release of Windows 8 and the first tablet was controversial, Microsoft still made a series of dazzling combination punches through acquisitions, new product launches, etc. in social, mobile, big data, etc. The stability of the field has made 2012 the brightest year for Microsoft after 1995.

In June 2012, Microsoft acquired Yammer, a corporate social networking company, for $1.2 billion, followed by Perceptive Pixel, Stor Simple, and Phone Factor.
At the same time of the acquisition, Microsoft released a series of milestone products for the enterprise and consumer markets: Windows 8 operating system, Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system, Windows RT system, Surface tablet, Windows Server 2012 , SQL Server 2012, System Center 2012, Visual Studio 2012, Team Foundation Server, Dynamics, the new version of the Office suite, and multi-platform compatible solutions for Windows Azure and Windows servers.

Next, I will check for you: 2012 major events in the enterprise market.

Event One: Win 8 Coming, Controversy

As early as February 2012, Microsoft released a consumer preview version of Windows 8.

On May 31, the release preview version of Windows 8 met with the public. Microsoft introduced the features and functions of Windows 8 through a blog.

On October 25th, Microsoft officially released a new generation of operating system Windows 8. The new system has two distinct user interfaces, one is the traditional Windows interface, and the other is the touch interface for the tablet. . Microsoft CEO Steve · Ballmer said that the importance of Windows 8 will surpass Windows 95.

On October 26th, Windows 8 was on sale.

At the end of November, Tami Reller, the chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of the Windows division, announced that it has sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses, including licenses to vendors and OEM partners. But Microsoft has not disclosed the specific figures for sales.

The emergence of Windows 8 has caused a lot of controversy. The industry's evaluation of Windows 8 is mixed. Some people like it very much. Some people prefer to use the previous version of Windows, and they are not willing to accept it.

People who like it think that Windows 8 is significant for Microsoft and the entire PC industry: on the one hand, it supports touch, and it is suitable for PCs and tablets, which has injected new resources into the stagnant PC industry. Energy; on the other hand, Microsoft also launched its own brand of hardware devices through the release of Windows 8: Surface Tablet.

Product usability assessment expert Jakob Nielsen believes that on mobile devices, Windows 8 is a soul that wants to be redeemed; on a traditional PC, Windows 8 is a monster. Killed the office work efficiency of office workers.

Some analysts believe that Windows 8 is awful, causing PC vendors to be reluctant to launch their own new hardware products. According to market research firm NPD, sales of Windows devices in the US market fell 21% in the first four weeks after the release of Windows 8.

More dramaticly, Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows, who is responsible for Windows 8 development, left Microsoft in just a few weeks after Windows 8 was released. Was it dismissed or voluntarily resigned? The two sides did not disclose it. Although many reports have characterized his departure as an uncoordinated management style, in any case, this moment, this event has made Windows 8 even more controversial.

Some analysts pointed out that the trend of Windows 8 release means that the Metro interface will redefine Microsoft's generation of products, which use the letterpress technology instead of the common icon. At present, the Metro interface has been quickly used for other Microsoft products, such as Win Phone operating system phones, Microsoft APP, and MSN. The corresponding facts are: user interface expert Julie · Julie Larson-Green will be in charge of the Windows hardware and software development business.

Eleven years ago, Windows XP was released. At the peak of 2007, Windows XP had a market share close to 4/5. Even now, after Microsoft released 3 generations of products to replace Windows XP, Windows XP is still the second-ranked operating system, accounting for a quarter of the world's 1.5 billion computers. Now, Microsoft is trying to change the operating system used by users again. Can Microsoft succeed this time?