Microsoft have long been seen as the enemy of The True Web ™, and to be honest they haven’t always been on the ball when it comes to Internet developments. However perhaps all that is to change. This particularly intrigues me:
Later this year, it will offer Live CRM, a Microsoft-hosted, subscription-based version of its customer relationship application, part of its Dynamics line of business apps. Microsoft has hinted that it will offer its Dynamics ERP apps online and says new versions of the shrink-wrapped products coming out this year will feature links to Microsoft-hosted online communities. The first, a social network for financial professionals, will feature blogs, discussion boards, wikis, and the ability to create personal profiles, Ã la MySpace.
Why ‘financial professionals’? Why not add these sorts of facilities to the already huge Hotmail community? Or create a MySpace killer (if such a thing is possible)? Oh well, whatever they do I’m sure it will be worth watching.