Microsoft to open new chapter in education

Will the $40 billion software giant Microsoft be the same after Bill Gates transits past his day-to-day role? As Gates plans his transition, Ray Ozzie (founder of Lotus Notes and Groove Virtual Office) has assumed the position of chief software architect and Craig Mundie (pictured) has taken the new title of chief research and strategy officer.

Now, Mundie will also guide Microsoft's intellectual property "� the domain in which Gates was the final decision-maker till now "� and technology policy efforts. His current role includes all the responsibilities that he held as Microsoft chief technology officer, too. Speaking from Redmond to Business Standard, Mundie outlines the Microsoft strategy as Gates works out his transition. Excerpts:

Will Microsoft be the same after Bill Gates?

First, Bill isn't leaving the company. And he certainly won't be silent about his beliefs (referring to the Bill & Melissa Gates Foundation) even as he transits to working full-time for the foundation. Microsoft will continue to look at ways in which IT "� and software in particular "� can help the education sector on a global basis.

Are your responsibility areas vastly different from the ones you held as Microsoft CTO? What kind of synergy will there be between Ray Ozzie's work and yours?

I have retained all my responsibilities as CTO in addition to the new ones. However, I've been working with Bill in all these areas (referring to his new role as chief research and strategy officer) for quite a few years. Our roles our complimentary.

While I will be focusing on core technologies (such as microprocessors) Ray will be concentrating on the applications of these technologies. I will be focusing on research and not on development, which is the domain of the business group.

The major revenue drivers for Microsoft still appear to be Office and Windows. With you at the helm of research, will we be seeing some major changes?

Microsoft has just unveiled its Unified Communications Product (UCP) roadmap and Office 2007 system products to deliver an enterprise communications solution that unifies voice, conferencing, instant messaging and collaboration.

Unified communications, among other things, will let you know if the person you need to talk to is in the office and is available to take your call.

Besides, it will have the intelligence to know who is allowed to interrupt you when you are busy and automatically route phone calls, emails and instant messages to the right device when you leave the office.

The focus is on developing an appealing user interface (UI) so that users discover the ease of using a product "� be it a computer, laptop or cellphone. For instance, Excel and Powerpoint were feature-rich applications but opaque till now. Office 2007 will change that perception.

Today, Microsoft's arch rival appears to be Google. What will be your approach, to tackle Google?

Google has done a great job with search and advertising models. We are investing heavily in these areas. Microsoft, however, is a larger, older and more diverse company. We are a leader in areas like small businesses, software development, media-centre capabilities and cellphone platforms. These are areas where Google has no presence.

Microsoft is cautiously veering towards "open" rather than "proprietary" software. Is this perception true?

When people refer to "open", they are asking whether the software supports standards. And if you are referring to standards, then Microsoft is very aggressive in this area. Not only do we support standards but in most cases create them, too.

Microsoft has established a group known as the 'Interoperability Customer Executive Council' with the aim of identifying areas for interoperability improvements across its range of products and the overall software industry.

Microsoft recognises that its software has to operate in a heterogeneous environment, particularly with regard to Unix and Linux. and that many government agencies around the world require products that are considered 'interoperable' before they can be considered for tender.

However, if you imply "open" as software becoming "free" some day, then our belief is that it will never happen. Even those who advocate the 'open source' model are trying to monetise the software.

Bill Gates has always been lavish in his praise for India. What are new directions for the Asia-Pacific region, especially India?

India is our newest youngster. Our presence in India is small but growing. We are very pleased with our growth in China and India.

There is a significant opportunity for further growth given our online service and development capabilities and new products like Internet Protocol TV and cellphones, which are greenfield markets.