UK VARs grill Microsoft over Surface strategy
Score of UK partners given chance to talk devices with top Windows exec - who tells them to get on board with OEM partners
Microsoft has told a collection of top UK partners not to get too hung up on whether or not they can sell its Surface tablet device, and focus instead on the Windows 8 devices of its OEM hardware partners.
About 20 UK resellers gathered for a meeting with senior local and global executives at the software giant's London offices in Victoria this time last week, CRN understands. Reseller representatives were clued in on some upcoming updates to Windows 8.1, and given the chance to grill Microsoft leaders on what role the channel might play in the vendor's quest to become a "devices and services" company.
Heading the Microsoft delegation was one of its top Windows executives, Erwin Visser, who discussed with UK channel players the vendor's strategy for growing the Windows 8 installed base.
With only nine UK VARs currently permitted to sell the Surface, more than half the partners in attendance last week are currently excluded from providing customers with the Microsoft tablet. Execs reportedly faced the usual questions about if and when the route to market would be widened, and gave the usual response that the plan has always been to start small and broaden availability in due course. No updated timeframes or numbers were given, sources say.
Microsoft instead stressed that the Windows 8 device market does not begin and end with the Surface, and took the opportunity to encourage resellers to embrace machines from its OEM partners, with new Dell and Lenovo models among those singled out for praise. One source told CRN that the tone of the meeting spoke to the challenges Microsoft faces in building out its brand as a hardware player, while not alienating its long-standing OEM partners.
"They are walking a tightrope," said the source. "But overall the meeting was very positive."
Battle of the operating systems
Whoever makes the devices, Windows is in need of some momentum in the tablet space; in 2013 its share of the global market stood at just 2.1 per cent, compared with 61.9 per cent for Android, and 36 per cent for iOS.
Gartner figures reveal end-user sales of Windows tabs grew almost 250 per cent to more than four million as its market doubled from the one per cent posted in 2012. But the analyst noted that the software titan has still "failed to capture major consumers' interest on tablets".
"To compete, Microsoft needs to create compelling ecosystem propositions for consumers and developers across all mobile devices, as tablets and smartphones become key devices for delivering applications and services to users beyond the PC," said Gartner research director Roberta Cozza.
Microsoft reportedly also used last week's gathering to reiterate to resellers the importance of encouraging their customers to migrate from Windows XP.
The vendor has engaged in a lengthy campaign to warn users of the dangers of staying on the OS after support is ceased in just under a month. Its latest gambit is a pop-up message, which will appear on all machines running XP from Saturday and warn users of the upcoming end-of-support deadline.
Microsoft was unavailable to comment at the time of publication.