Ah, the Apple press cycle, when other technology companies either try to preempt Cupertino’s news or bury their own nasty bits inside of the media whirlwind.
Today, Microsoft announced several things relating to the enterprise that come, it appears, only a few dozen hours before Apple announces a new iPad, aimed at corporate customers. The Redmond-based software shop has formed a deal with Dell that will see the now-private OEM sell and support the Surface Pro 3 through its “North America commercial sales organization.”
What that boils down to is that Microsoft now has a friend in moving its hardware, and a new way to push Windows 10 into the largest corporations out there — the enterprise, that is.
Microsoft also promised the following:
This month, we will roll out key enterprise features to our Windows Insiders, on track for broader availability later this year. For the first time, enterprises can experience features like Enterprise Data Protection (EDP), which provides personal and corporate data protection wherever data flows; Microsoft Passport for enterprise which helps business workers securely login to applications, websites and networks without the need for a password; and Windows Store For Business, which delivers business customers a unified Windows app store experience including a choice of Windows store apps alongside company-owned apps, and allow IT administers to acquire apps in bulk.
I think that we can read the above news as Microsoft trying to head off incoming market excitement surrounding Apple’s new iPad. However, whether a new sales and support partner and promised software upgrades are enough to neuter an Apple Media Event with all its associated gravitational pull, remains to be seen.
A fun question is which OEM out there is next to help push the Surface. And what does that move imply about their own hardware efforts?