Microsoft plays in Nice

In the keynote address of Build, Microsoft's annual developer conference in Seattle, we heard more about Starbucks than Windows. A ten-minute demonstration of Starbuck's interaction with Azure, Microsoft's growing cloud-based computing platform, was a highlight of the event. This should tell you a little bit about the event itself. Build has never been the most exciting developer conference. While Google, Apple and even Facebook take a moment to give consumers a glimpse of the near future, Microsoft has always been focused on its developers, with loads of code on stage and weird demonstrations intended to excite the company more than the others. from U.S.

This year has been a little lighter than usual from the consumer's point of view (really, it's impressive considering all the other versions). One of the most important news of interest to a normal person might be more information about Microsoft's completely rebuilt multi-platform browser, built on Google Chromium, the latest instance of the group trying to play nicely with its competitors and consumers, rather Platform. The adoption of Chromium by Microsoft could be a boon for most of us, even if you do not use Edge. The company does not rely solely on chromium. He contributes to the open source project, which means that the tools he develops could lead to Chrome, Brave and other Chromium-based browsers.

That's wonderful, and it's a good example of why Microsoft's new cool gaming philosophy is good for consumers, even when they're not using the Microsoft products themselves. But if you're like me, it will seem a bit confusing. We are talking about Microsoft. And historically, society has not played well with others. In recent decades, Microsoft was notorious for its devastating monopoly on computing. This is the company at the heart of the antitrust lawsuit United States c. Microsoft, in which the company was accused of having forced Internet Explorer on every machine on which Windows was installed.

It was not so long ago, Microsoft wanted to be everywhere. There was Windows Phone for when you were mobile and Windows for when you were sedentary. There was Cortana when you could not be bothered to watch a screen and the Xbox when you wanted to watch TV or play a game. And if you wanted to enjoy the experience, everything had to be Windows-based, from phone to the computer, via the digital assistant and the TV decoder.

But then Microsoft was skimmed. Windows Phone has died a third place far behind Android and iOS. Cortana, her computerized digital assistant, is not as practical as Siri or Google, which work on your phone, or Alexa, which runs on small speakers throughout your home. The Xbox One, which was an expensive attempt to become the centerpiece of your living room, was defeated by the less expensive and more targeted PlayStation 4. And Windows … ok Windows has been really great and has improved rapidly since the launch of Windows 10 in July 2015..

But as Joe Belfiore, vice president of the Windows and Peripherals group told me, during a conversation in Build, the way we interact with technology has changed a lot in the last few years.

"What has happened in the world in the last ten years," he said, "In the past, there was a world where technology was used primarily on PCs, so we were very focused on that area, he added. and as the world changed and became heterogeneous, now everyone uses terminals. They do not usually come from the same company. "What he means is that people are using an iPhone or iPad at home and perhaps a Windows PC at work or a Chromebook at school. The device itself is much less important because, as cloud computing becomes more and more dominant, the information and technologies you use become more and more independent of the platform. You do not need a complete Microsoft system for a good experience. You can mix and match, and most people do.

And if Microsoft is adapted. We found this last year when Windows 10 started running with Android and iOS – you can even send SMS from your Android phone from Windows 10. And we saw it again and again with Xbox One. Microsoft has been leading the charge for cross-platform gaming for years. Last year he took advantage of FortniteThe popularity of Sony is based on its competitor much more powerful, Sony. At E3, Phil Spencer, executive chairman of Gaming at Microsoft, told Giant Bomb the following:

"If you bought your son, your kid, an Xbox, and me, a PlayStation for my kid – and I'm just a parent, it's their birthday, whatever – and the kids want to go play Fortnite and all of a sudden, they go home and can not play together anymore. It does not seem to help consumers. "

Sony has finally agreed to multi-platform game requests. Last year, Sony authorized PS4 Fortnite players to play with those of other platforms, and plans to add multiplatform support to other titles in the coming months.

We also saw how Microsoft is encouraging software development. The Mac has long been a popular computer for developers because it could support not only Apple's operating system, but also Windows and Linux. Many developers have opted for a Mac or have Linux installed on their computer and have completely forgotten about Windows. For example, Windows added support for Linux last year and this year introduced support for Docker, a popular operating system-level virtualization program. The Docker Support Announcement was one of the warmest acclaims in the Microsoft Keynote Build.

According to Belfiore, increasing openness was a necessity born of the current situation of Microsoft. "Your priorities change over time," he said. "Different people at Microsoft will have different points of view. My point is that there is a combination of realism and customer focus and a willingness to prioritize customer needs over other aspects of realism. "

Microsoft has lost the market share it has held for decades in the face of these new forms of interaction with computers and no longer has the power to say "it's like me or the highway".

At least for games, development, computers and phones. Microsoft plays well at all times when consumers like you and I interact with it. And if it is undoubtedly the pragmatic gesture of a business that has to earn money, it helps consumers, even if we never touch a Microsoft product.