Ancoris hits out at Microsoft's anti-Google campaign
Google Apps reseller reckons Microsoft might be making a rod for its own back by taking high ground over scanning emails
Microsoft could be the architect of its own downfall by pushing its Scroogled campaign, according to Google reseller Ancoris, which said that the software giant could be left red-faced if ever it performs a U-turn and decides to scan the content of its users' inboxes.
Microsoft's Scroogled campaign targets Google on a number of its offerings – shopping, apps, privacy, laptops and spam – and on its website points out all the areas in which it thinks its own offering is superior to Google's.
On the theme of email, Microsoft attacks Google for allegedly selling data retrieved from users' inboxes to advertisers with no opt-out clause and claims it is an "invasion of your privacy", while adding that its mail offerings would never do anything of the sort.
However, Ancoris' chief technology officer Stuart Keeble said that Microsoft's bold claims against Google could come back to bite it.
"It's given us all a laugh, which is a good thing, but I think it's rather tasteless myself," he said.
"I think Microsoft is painting itself into a corner because the future of delivering services, like mail-based services, is about adding value to me as a user by interpreting information that's coming through my mailbox.
"Recommendations and reminders – like don't be late for your flight because traffic is bad – you're never going to do that if you're not scanning the contents of a mailbox. Is Microsoft seriously saying they're never going to offer those services? Because I don't believe it. It's an amusing campaign but it's not a good campaign. They're going to be in such trouble."
Keeble joined Ancoris at the start of this year after the company snapped up Appogee, the firm he used to run. The acquisition saw all Appogee's staff transfer to Ancoris' Bracknell base and no staff were let go throughout the process, said Keeble.
Before the acquisition, Ancoris announced it was embarking on a campaign to lure Microsoft partners' customers over to its Google Apps offering instead, and Keeble said the end of support for veteran OS XP would spell further opportunity for his company.
Microsoft urged companies to consider upgrading back in April when there was just one year to go until support ran out, claiming that migration could take months.
Keeble said Google Chromebooks will be a great alternative to Microsoft's operating systems.
"It seems to me that the lowest total cost of ownership for a device these days is a Chromebook," he said. "There is no antivirus maintenance, no software installation – you just take it off the shelf and give it to someone. You can just pop open a Chromebook and off you go.
"I think Ancoris is one of the new Chromebook management resellers recognised out there and we'll be doing some good business on it. I think the first part of next year is all about XP migration."