Could Windows Phone Blue be Microsoft's next tablet OS?

Could the Windows Phone operating system become Microsoft's operating system of choice for 7- to 10-inch tablets?

Based on new rumors, courtesy of Windows SuperSite's Paul Thurrott, this scenario isn't outside of the realm of possibility.

Windows Phone Blue, which may or may not ultimately be christened Windows Phone 8.1, is the first "major" update to the Windows Phone 8 OS since Microsoft launched it in the fall of 2012. We've known about the existence of WP Blue for months. The latest rumors I've heard continue to peg Windows Phone Blue's release-to-manufacturing date some time around "spring 2014."

Thurrott's new rumors, from a single source who asked not to be named, include some new specifics around both the UI and guts of the Windows Phone (WP) Blue OS. We've known since February 2013 (courtesy of one of my unnamed sources) that WP Blue would be a stepping stone along the way to bringing Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 into closer alignment around the NT core, programming interfaces and UI look-and-feel. Thurrott's source cites an interesting statistic (which I've not seen Microsoft state publicly), namely, that Windows Phone 8 currently has "33 percent API unity" with Windows RT. Supposedly the goal is for WP Blue to reach a (a very precise) 77 percent by the time it comes to market.

The ultimate goal, according to Thurrott's tipster, is to allow developers a single app that can run on both Windows RT and Windows Phone, thanks to universal binaries. That would fit nicely with the concept of a single Windows Store -- something to which Microsoft execs have committed privately to providing alongside the next major release of Windows (whatever that really means).

The same tipster told Thurrott that Microsoft is planning to do away with the Windows Phone back button in the WP Blue release. That's something I hadn't heard previously. It makes me wonder what Microsoft will do, backwards-compatibility-wise, for those of us who have Windows Phones that include back buttons as part of the actual handset. (I'd love to see Microsoft move the Bing search button to the left on Windows Phones, given it's currently far too easily to accidentally hit the search button on WP handsets.)

But none of these tidbits are as interesting to me as one other piece of information from Thurrott's source. Supposedly, Windows Phone Blue will work on devices with 7- to 10-inch screens. Right now, Microsoft prohibits OEMs from putting the Windows Phone OS on new devices with those screen sizes; their only choice, if they want Windows, is to go either Windows RT or Windows 8. As I've reported previously, the coming GDR3 update for Windows Phone 8 will support devices with 5- and 6-inch screens, like the expected Nokia "Bandit" Lumia 1520 phablet, for example.

Remember: Microsoft's own OS chief, Terry Myerson, recently said publicly that "as phones extend into tablets, expect us to see many more ARM tablets, Windows ARM tablets in the future."

I'm thinking this could mean Microsoft ends up dropping the Windows RT name and instead goes for a single unified OS brand across devices. Whether this ultimately is called "Windows Phone OS" or just "Windows" (or something else all together) will be interesting to see. Whatever it's called, this branded OS should, I'd think, work on ARM-based phones and ARM-based tablets.

It's funny to think of it this way, but after a number of us called for Microsoft to make Windows Phone OS the Microsoft solution for tablets, we just might get our wish, albeit two or three years later than we asked....

For now, it's worth reiterating that this new info is from one unnamed source. It's not official, so don't take it as being set in stone. If I hear more, I'll update this post.

Microsoft's Ballmer: We'll get to one Windows, multiple screens

Summary: What is one Windows? "What it really means common user interface, common programming interface, common security architecture and user interface adaptability and common developer model and key services," said Ballmer.

ORLANDO — Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that the company is moving toward one Windows across multiple screens and devices and that a touch-first Office will ultimately get to the iPad when it gets to Windows.

Ballmer, speaking at the Gartner Symposium ITXpo, most likely made one of his final appearances before its core enterprise customers. The CIOs in attendance were all Microsoft customers in some form.

In many respects, Ballmer defended and outlined Microsoft's current approach. He didn't cover a lot of new ground, but was typically animated and had his share of quips. The big takeaway is that Microsoft is aiming to be an integrator on multiple fronts.

"We grew up as a company by dividing things into smaller manageable problems. The number one thing we're hearing from customers is that we want you to put it together," said Ballmer, who said Microsoft has to be an integrator.

For Ballmer, putting it all together means hardware, but the heavy lifting will be on interfaces, developer tools and creating a common Windows platform for a heterogeneous world.

See also: Microsoft talks up single app store at company meeting | Microsoft developer directions: One Windows core doesn't mean one store | Microsoft: 'Metro-Style' Office not due until 2014 | Microsoft working to unify further its Windows and Windows Phone platforms

Ballmer said it's realistic to have one Windows platform across multiple screens. "Sometime in the next short cycle we'll see great progress on that. What it really means common user interface, common programming interface, common security architecture and user interface adaptability and common developer model and key services," said Ballmer.

He noted that a common experience will be coming sooner rather than later, but "I'm not going to give you a schedule."

"We need to build a common operating system as well as a common back end based on what the device knows about you," said Ballmer.

As for other platforms, Ballmer said Microsoft has made Office and terminal services to the iPad. Lync and OneNote are native. Outlook may make sense, but hard to believe Apple will let us make that available, he said. Word and Office are optimized for keyboard and mice. "iPad will be picked up when there's a touch first user interface. That's in progress for Office," said Ballmer.

Here's Ballmer on other key topics:

What's the new dream for Microsoft? "We're talking about a new world and enabling people to achieve what's more valuable in life," said Ballmer. Devices and services are just the "how" behind those personal and professional lives. Have we completely redone the way people conduct themselves through digital techniques? Ballmer pointed out that the Gartner analysts had notebooks and pens. Paper is failsafe and prove that Microsoft can still add value. "Think about the way we conduct everyday tasks," said Ballmer. "We see a range of activities driven by software activities...that make us stronger." Partnership strategies. Ballmer said that partnerships with OEMs have changed over the last year. "We've spent a lot of time talking with our key partners about the need to push forward," said Ballmer. "We're pushing through with hardware innovation and we're also licensing. We see a world that's heterogeneous with Windows and things that are easier if we push forward with integration." Pen systems. "I believe in the power of the pen," said Ballmer. "I think a lot of systems will have a stylus built in. We're going to go all in." Microsoft's approach will be to make the big all-in bets and then give it to the ecosystem. Design. There's software and hardware design, said Ballmer. User interface is critical and there are a number of people focused on it. On the hardware side, Nokia will bring expertise to the table. Windows does form the center of design and interaction principles. Microsoft also has a design guide that all applications follow, said Ballmer. Spread too thin? "Our most ambitions competitors are trying to compete in all the same areas that we are," said Ballmer. "We have more success in more areas than anyone else does." Enterprise customers are asking three questions: How do I manage infrastructure? What will we use for business process? What will be use to empower our workers? "We have a broad footprint," said Ballmer. Multiple devices. If you're going to be on one screen you need to be on all of them (from a software perspective)," said Ballmer. He dismissed talk that about buying a PC vendor. Ballmer did say that Microsoft is working on an 82-inch screen Windows 8 device. "It looks great on a wall, but isn't very portable," he quipped. There's no disconnect between designing for consumer and enterprise. "People are people," said Ballmer. "They are people in their work and personal personas. Consumers want to have an integrated life." The biggest consumer businesses are Google, Apple and Microsoft, noted Ballmer. There are connections everywhere. For example, Microsoft needs to make Lync and Skype more interoperable to bridge both communication tools. Licensing. "What we've learned about licensing is the best thing we can do to make it simpler is not changing it," said Ballmer. About 10 years ago, Ballmer said Microsoft changed licensing and "we made every customer mad." Licensing changes cause more upheaval than wanting to simplify. "What we're doing is looking forward as we add SaaS and cloud options that we're not making things more complicated," said Ballmer. Developers solve tech problems. Ballmer said every problem in technology is fixed by developers. Developers, however, will operate differently. Deployments will happen more quickly. "The cycle from development, test to deployment will happen much faster," said Ballmer. Who is the top competitor? Google, Apple or Amazon. "All of the above," said Ballmer. The day you say it's all about one guy the other one emerges, said Ballmer. Apple and Samsung have grown revenue and earnings more than anyone else, he noted. Ballmer said five years ago he wouldn't have projected that outcome. Future trends. Ballmer was upbeat on the potential for learning machines and 3D printing. "We need to focus on enabling 3D printing," said Ballmer. What makes a great CIO? "It takes two things. One I do believe CIOs need to understand technology and feel comfortable. On the flip side, all CIOs need to understand the culture, go-to-market processes and the business processes. A lot of CIOs feel divorced from the business of the business," he said. Best places for tech to make a difference. Ballmer said education, healthcare and communication and making the world feel smaller via real-time translation software and other tools.

Related stories:

Topics: Enterprise Software, Microsoft, Mobility

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

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Microsoft's Surface 2 with LTE to debut on AT&T, Vodafone

Summary: Microsoft's first LTE-enabled Surface 2 tablets will debut on AT&T and Vodafone.

Microsoft officials committed last week to providing an ARM-based Surface 2 tablet with LTE wireless connectivity in early 2014. This week, Surface execs disclosed that the Surface 2 with LTE would debut on AT&T and Vodafone first.

A number of current and potential Surface users have been requesting an LTE Surface. Last year, Microsoft officials said that the company's telemetry data showed that the majority of potential tablet purchasers didn't want or need LTE.

As GeekWire noted, Microsoft's Surface chief Panos Panay told attendees of a Microsoft Surface promotional event at a Microsoft Store in Seattle more details on the LTE Surface. Panay also said there won't be an Intel-based Surface Pro 2 with LTE (though it's not entirely clear if that means there never will be any Intel-based Surface with LTE).

Microsoft is working on a Surface Mini with a screen size somewhere between 7 and 8 inches, and according to my sources, it will launch in the spring of 2014. The Surface Mini will be ARM-based from what I've heard from my contacts. (Qualcomm is the expected processor, rather than the NVIDIA chip that powers the ARM-based Surface 2.)

I'm wondering whether the Surface Mini is also going to be LTE-enabled or Wi-Fi only. No word on that (so far) from my sources.

Speaking of Surfaces, Microsoft showed off some interesting enteprise Surface peripherals in a new video, as noted by Neowin, including some point-of-sale attachments and a charging cart for multiple Surfaces. 

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Microsoft's new financial structure shows off enterprise strength

Summary: The goal of Microsoft's financial structure is to show data center expenses and commercial vs. consumer licensing revenue.

Microsoft outlined its new financial reporting structure under its "One Microsoft." The upshot: There are really two Microsofts and the enterprise business is the big dog on the block.

Amy Hood, Microsoft's financial chief, on Thursday outlined how the company will report its financial results. Here's a look at the reporting units and the financials for the year ended June 30.

 

What you get out of these charts is the realization there are really two Microsofts---even though executives spent much of the financial analyst meeting trying to convince people consumer and enterprise were symbiotic.

More from Microsoft's analyst powwow: Microsoft: Touch-first Office apps will come to more devices | Microsoft: Office 365 at $1.5 billion annual run rate | Microsoft: Surface made us better with Windows 8.1, OEM partners

Consider:

The enterprise licensing business dominates in sales with $39.7 billion in revenue for fiscal 2013.Windows and Windows Phone on the consumer side had revenue of $19 billion in fiscal 2013.

Hood, however, did note that the acquisition of Nokia will change the picture for the device business. She said of the new reporting structure:

The goal is to show the progress we're making on devices and services more clearly. And the goal is to show more accountability to the gross margin profiles. Why make a change this big? In some ways it's hard. But adding accountability to our progress in all those areas and transparency in how we're doing in our devices and consumer efforts and commercial efforts is important.

Hood added that shareholders need to see how licensing revenue turns into services sales. Shareholders also need to better track Windows commercial vs. consumer revenue.

Add it up and Microsoft's reporting structure may be able to highlight what needs to be quarantined. Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said:

For the first time over the last couple of years windows has done something other than just grow. And we understand the shift that is going on in the market.

Microsoft will hold a conference call next week to go over its new financial reporting structure as well as historical information.

 

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

Lumia tablets? Surface phablets? Microsoft's tricky new post-Nokia positioning challenges

With its Nokia handset purchase, announced on September 3, Microsoft is going to be taking over not just Nokia's Lumia and Asha phone lines, but also Nokia's still unannounced ARM-based tablet and phablet.

Although the acquisition transaction isn't slated to close until early 2014, the move still means Microsoft is going to have to find a way to position its own Microsoft Surface tablets alongside the soon-to-be-Microsoft-owned Lumia tablets and phablets.

Both Microsoft and Nokia are expected to launch new 10.1-inch ARM-based tablets this holiday season. Nokia's "Sirius" is Qualcomm-based, according to rumors; Microsoft's Surface 2 will be NVIDIA-based, according to tipsters. These two devices will have a few distinguishing characteristics, like different attachable keyboards and different kickstands. Nokia also is expected to launch a six-inch phablet, codenamed "Bandit," running the Windows Phone 8 operating system. The rumored launch event for the new Nokia tablet, and maybe also the phablet, has been September 26.

Microsoft has gone through a lot of gyrations over the past few years in trying to figure out how to position its various mobile device offerings -- its PCs, tablets, slates and phones.

Officials largely abandoned its consumption vs. creation device pitch when it decided to stop hawking tablets based on its Windows Embedded Compact operating system. The company seems to have mostly moved away from the "all tablets are PCs" positioning, too. I've been hearing a lot more from the Softies about marketing its Surface RT and Surface Pro devices as "enterprise tablets" that are ready for business, thanks to integrated Office, a USB port, and keyboard cover. (The Intel-based Surfaces also run existing Win32 apps and can be managed using Active Directory, too.)

So where does that leave Nokia's coming Lumia tablet? Is that another enterprise tablet? And if so, how is that different from the Surface 2? (Or any other Windows RT tablets that may still be on the market as of this holiday season?) And where does it also leave the ARM-based Lumia phablet that's expected to arrive this fall, too?

On a conference call with analysts and press to discuss the deal on September 3, Microsoft's Executive Vice President Terry Myerson said Microsoft is viewing tablets and phones as "a continuum."

"I think it's fair to say that customers are expecting us to offer great tablets that look and feel and act in every way like our phones. We'll be pursuing a strategy along those lines," Myerson added. 

This might have been nothing more than a comment about the increasing number of components that are shared across the Windows and Windows Phone OS -- everything from the common NT core, to the tiled "Metro-Style"/Modern interface, to the increasingly common development platform/framework. It also might have been a passing reference by Myerson, who is now the engineering chief of the new OS division at Microsoft that is in charge of the Windows Phone, Windows, and Xbox One operating systems, to the cross-platform unification steps that are expected.

With the GDR3 update to Windows Phone 8, due this fall, Microsoft will enable OEMs -- including itself -- to put the Windows Phone OS on five- and six-inch devices with 1080p resolutions. (It's GDR3 that's expected to power the Lumia Bandit phablet.) Microsoft also has been rumored to be working on a seven to eight-inch Surface device, but supposedly that device will run Windows 8.1, not the Windows Phone 8 OS. 

Microsoft's next few months on the operating system front should be very interesting. Just a year ago, Microsoft was embarking on an ambitious plan to deliver a new version of its Windows operating system on a near-annual basis. If it continues that strategy, the next Windows OS should be Windows 8.2 due in the fall of 2014. But meanwhile, Windows Phone Blue, the complement to Windows 8.1, isn't supposed to arrive until early 2014, last I or my sources heard. 

Will Microsoft stick with those plans? Will it start releasing more minor, interim updates to the Windows OS on a near-quarterly basis, as it has done this year with the Windows Phone OS GDR updates? Will Windows RT and the Windows Phone OS operating systems become one -- in more than just name? So many questions for the new Microsoft + Nokia team. And so few certainties....

Microsoft's 'custom' Windows XP patches: Not a panacea

I've been seeing a few posts over the past week that may be giving some Windows XP users false hope that they will still be able to get patches for the operating system after April 8, 2014.

I think it was this statement from a Microsoft spokesperson that may have raised some expectations.

"After April 8, 2014, Windows XP users will no longer receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft. Third parties may provide ongoing support, but it’s important to recognize that support will not address fixes and security patches in the core Windows kernel. If an organization continues to use Windows XP and purchases Custom Support, they will receive critical security updates as new threats are discovered, along with technical support through their Premier contract." (Emphasis mine.)

It's worth repeating these patches aren't for everyone, or, in fact, almost anyone. To get these custom patches, users need an active Premier Support agreement, a Microsoft spokesperson reiterated. On top of that, you need to purchase Custom Support. The combo is costly. For many, other than those in Fortune 500 companies, who are still running Windows XP, it's probably outside the realm of possibility.

In case you were wondering, this kind of custom support option isn't new. Microsoft also made custom patches for XP SP2 available to those with Premier Support contracts when SP2 was moved to end of support (EOS) in 2010.

But back to the kinds of customers who are holding onto Windows XP in spite of potential new vulnerabilities which may arise after Microsoft stops making all patches -- including security patches -- available after April 8 , 2014. Who are those in the 35-plus percent group plus running XP as their desktop OS?

I asked readers recently to explain why they aren't willing and/or able to get off XP. I heard back from a number of individuals via email, in addition to the answers sprinkled through the hundreds of (sadly, mostly off-topic) comments on this post.

As has been noted numerous times before, a number of those still running Windows XP in their organizations are doing so because they have written custom, internal-facing applications that are dependent on IE 6. Some of these shops also are running custom-built apps that don't use IE, but which they have not had time/money to rebuild to run on newer versions of Windows.

There are others who say they do not have the money to buy new software and hardware. This includes retirees; some government users, noting their organizations and agencies haven't got funds to upgrade; and others who are just going to keep running XP machines until they die.

I heard from one user who said his XP PC is not connected to the Internet, so he feels no need to upgrade. I heard from a couple of folks who said they are counting on their firewall and security software, coupled with common sense, to protect them once Microsoft stops issuing security patches. And I heard from more than a few users who cited their dislike of Windows 8 as a reason to avoid moving off XP -- despite the fact users still can find PCs running Windows 7.

Microsoft has made it clear to its reseller partners that one of their biggest priorities in fiscal 2014 should be to get XP users to migrate to a more recent version of Windows. Microsoft recently warned XP users they'd risk being in a "zero day forever" state after April 8, 2014.

All this said, there won't be any kind of global meltdown happening on April 9, 2014. PCs running XP won't just stop working or burst into balls of flame. However, it's still worth noting, things will likely get worse for XP users over time, as ZDNet's Larry Seltzer noted. With no more security patches for XP, one important layer of defense will be weakened. Windows XP users will put more stress on antivirus software and firewalls as long as they continue to remain on the OS.