Micro$oft Launch @ Mumbai

Microsoft is making its presence felt with a round of business and technical launch shows across India, showcasing products such as Exchange 2007, Office 2007, and Vista. I managed to attend a brief session at Hyatt.

Interestingly, despite registering ten days prior to the event, my name somehow didn’t make it to the list. Even my business card, adorned with orange and blue dots, failed to capture the attention of the event staff. Nevertheless, I made the most of the 40 minutes, tackling emails, engaging in business chats, and staying connected with my team, thanks to a CDMA mobile card. Amidst this, a captivating installation of Mumbai’s famous “dabbawalla” in the downstairs lobby caught my eye, serving as an artistic focal point.

Amidst Microsoft’s promises regarding enhanced security, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy about “Office Groove 2007.” It seems to use port 80 to connect and update SharePoint servers. I realize there’s more for me to understand before forming a final opinion. The buzzword of the day was “blog,” with speakers highlighting new search capabilities and distinguishing between the internet and blogs as separate entities. Pardon my confusion—doesn’t “blog” stand for “Web-Log” in short?

It’s Microsoft at the end of the day. Every launch comes with promises of increased openness in their software versions, ensuring seamless integration with heterogeneous network components. However, with Microsoft, this often involves redefining standards, requiring the technological world to take two steps back for every step forward. But let’s not delve into those details.

As the event wraps up, I might miss out on a good lunch, but I’m open to any goodies Microsoft might offer.