Windows8 Release

If you've been waiting to get your hands on Microsoft's new, tablet-friendly Windows 8 operating system, your wait is nearing its end. This week, at Microsoft's annual Worldwide Partner Conference, it was confirmed that Windows 8 "will reach general availability by the end of October 2012".

Samsung and HP have already revealed their plans for manufacturing Windows 8 devices and Samsung will be launching devices based on the Windows RT operating system in October

Simply put, the news means you'll be able to buy your upgrade or new computer pre-loaded with Windows 8 in October. The operating system will be released to manufacturing in August, which is when certain enterprise business customers will be able to upgrade. Attached image shows the major milestones drafted on 2009 by Microsoft.  They are on mark.

According to the company, this release brings forth a number of enhancements to the platform. It proffers better personalization options and multi-monitor support. The updated list of preloaded applications that come along with the OS include Bing Travel, News and Sports. There are even gaming and music Xbox apps which are said to integrate with Zune pass.

Asia Mobile Revenue

The mobile application market is rapidly growing and gaining popularity as an emerging job opportunities market. India is the third fastest growing app market in the world. As per Gartner report, Indias active mobile connections will exceed 900 million by 2016, which translates to 72% penetration. According to Trai in January 2012 the number of active mobile connections in India has reached 659.99 million and the total mobile subscriber base stands at 903.72 million.

It is estimated that every Indian user spends nearly 52 minutes per-day using mobile apps. Similarly, mobile app economy-estimated at nearly $4 billion (Rs 20,000 crore) in 2009 and expected to grow to $18 billion in half a decade-continues to expand exponentially.

There is an increase in the demand of mobile applications as more and more people are using smart phones. It has been projected that mobile value-added services market (which includes mobile apps) will reach Rs 214.1 crore by the end of 2012 from Rs 158.6 crore in 2011. Revenue generated by mobile VAS was INR 122 billion, as on March 2011. It is estimated to reach Rs 482 billion by 2015.

As growth area, the future is mobile and all the services and offerings are going to run through application. India has more mobile connections than PCs or TVs and landline phones. Mobile app development is evolving to integrate with television, in-car navigation and entertainment, shopping, commerce and banking. It is safe to say that the future of apps is This talks about future growth prospects in the industry.  Attached Asian mobile revenue proves this statement.

MobileRevenue

In 2010, consumers spent $6.8 billion in mobile application stores while advertising revenue is $0.7 billion worldwide, according to Gartner, Inc. Analysts said mobile application revenue will easily touch 30 billion in 2013.

“As smartphones grow in popularity and application stores become the focus for several players in the value chain, more consumers will experiment with application downloads,” said Stephanie Baghdassarian, research director at Gartner. “Games remain the No. 1 application, and mobile shopping, social networking, utilities and productivity tools continue to grow and attract increasing amounts of money.”

Consumers will have a wide choice of stores and will seek the ones that make it easy for them to discover applications they are interested in and make it easy to pay for them when they have to. Developers will have to consider carefully not only which platform to support but also which store to promote their applications in.

High-end smartphone users today tend to be early adopters of new mobile applications and more trustful of billing mechanisms, so they will pay for applications that can meet their needs. Average smartphone users will become less tech-savvy as smartphones come down in price to have a mass market appeal and these users will be more reluctant to pay for applications.

Windows8

It is an interesting Sunday.  Yep. My home desktop is migrated to Windows8 OS. Cool stuff. As the end user, Top 3 remarkable points are:

1. Metro UI style
The Metro environment will feature a new tile-based Start screen similar to that of the Windows Phone operating system. Each tile will represent an application, and will be able to display relevant information such as the number of unread messages on the tile for an e-mail app or the current temperature on a weather application. Metro-style applications run in full-screen, and are able to share information between each other using "contracts" 

2. Jet speed startup and shutdown
Felt like a sub second response during Windows 8 start up and shut down process.  It is kind of thrilling experience for earlier Windows version users.  Isn't it cool?

3. App Store model
Windows Store is an upcoming digital distribution platform developed by Microsoft Corporation as part of Windows 8 for Metro style applications. The Windows Store will also allow developers to advertise their desktop applications. It will support both free and paid applications, with the paid applications ranging from $1.49 to $999.99. Developers will also be able to offer free trials. The Windows Store was made available concurrently with the release of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview which was released on February 29, 201.

Yet to explore as the developer; Just downloaded its SDK and installed VS2012 Express RC for Windows8.. Letz see!!!

Surface

Surface is a planned series of tablet computers designed and marketed by Microsoft. The Surface will be available in two versions, "Surface" or "Surface Pro". The product was announced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at a Los Angeles event on June 18, 2012, at Milk Studio.

There are five things which are better in Surface on comparision with iPad.

1. Touch Keyboard Cover
Typing on tablet computers can be a struggle for those accustomed to PC's physical keyboards. Microsoft Surface offers a solution with a lightweight keyboard attachment that clicks into place and doubles as a cover for the device.

2. Integrated Kickstand
Microsoft is keen on packing convenience into its new devices. Each Surface comes with a built-in kickstand that pops out from the back panel and props the device at an angle, letting the user enjoy media or type comfortably on a flat surface.

3. Digital Ink And Stylus
Microsoft designed the Windows 8 Pro version of the Surface tablet to accept stylus input. The company's demonstration of how the digital ink works gave the impression that writing, highlighting and underlining on the tablet is easy

4. USB Ports
Plenty of people weren't happy when the iPad launched without USB ports back in 2010. Microsoft seems to have taken that to heart. The width of the Surface offers just enough space for a traditional USB.

5. Options For Casual And Power Users
Microsoft can be used either as tablet for casual users or laptop for power users.

Web vs Mobile Apps

Microsoft, Apple and Google first shared the digital marketplace in 1998.  Since that year,their history has featured one battle after another for dominance and the top position in specific market segments, notably search engines, digital music, smartphones and tablets.

In 1998, Microsoft had the upper hand in the software market. This was due to founder Bill Gates’s specialized technical skills and personality. Apple founder Steve Jobs focused on users’ experience with his organization’s devices. Jobs was aiming to produce the best machines in a limited number of categories rather than emulating Microsoft’s wide reach. Google, which famously derives its name from misspelling a math term denoting an enormous sum, began when founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin explored the need for a search engine that would help users categorize and navigate the growing number of Internet resources.

Next war/revolution will be "Handheld" smartphone - designed to “act like a handheld computer.”  Attached is the industry data on web vs mobile applications development during 2010-2011. It clearly indicates the growth rate on mobile apps than web.

EnterpriseArchitecture

Enterprise is any collection of organizations that has a common set of goals.  The purpose of enterprise architecture is to optimize across the enterprise the often fragmented legacy of processes into an integrated environment that is responsive to change and supportive of the delivery of the business strategy.

In simple terms, an enterprise architecture addresses this need, by providing a strategic context for the evolution of the IT system in response to the constantly changing needs of the business environment.

If you have a good enterprise architecture, it can bring important business benefits as listed below:

• More efficient IT operation
• Better return on existing investment, reduced risk for future investment.
• Faster, simpler and cheaper procurement.

An architecture framework is a tool that can be used for developing a broad range of architectures.  It contains a list of recommended standards and compliant products that can be used to implement the building blocks of the firm's architecture.

As per Simon Townson, the benefits of enterprise architecture derive from the better planning, earlier visibility, and an more informed designs that result when it is introduced