Microsoft recently released the beta version of the next generation of its popular enterprise messaging product - Microsoft Exchange. Titled Exchange 2010, the product claims to be a major improvement over the last generation of Exchange, Exchange 2007. A commentator very aptly said "The new version of Exchange is light on new features and heavy on refinements". Microsoft also released the next version of the web version of its front end desktop mail client Outlook - OWA (Outlook Web Access). It is said that OWA 2010 makes up for some glaring omissions in the previous version of OWA, namely the ability to operate across multiple browsers on different operating systems.

Since this is a growing business focused blog, these products remain ever out of the reach of our focus audience, because of the tremendous costs. Although OWA does seem a major improvement over the previous version of OWA, which was sub standard at best, it still loses out on alternate messaging products like HyperOffice, since they also offer integrated collaboration features. It would be interesting to see if some kind of integration is possible between OWA 2010 and SharePoint portals.

Microsoft continued with its aggressive online strategy by recently announcing that Microsoft Online Services, the much hyped online versions of the company's popular on-premise messaging and collaboration solutions - SharePoint, Exchange, and Communications Server, will be available for trial in 19 countries in Europe and Asia, starting in April. 

Also in April, MS will launch its “Deskless Worker Suite”, including Exchange Online Deskless Worker and SharePoint Online Deskless Worker, which are stripped down online services for “deskless workers”, workers with a limited need for email access and online collaboration.

Earlier, the Deskless Worker Suite has received its share of flak from industry pundits who believe it targets a non existent chunk of the workforce. According to one expert “giving employees read-only access to important information such as company policies, training, and benefits.” constitutes a “reality-gap in Microsoft’s online strategy that needs a little fixing.” He further goes on to say that although deskless workers don’t interface with enterprise information much, but when they do “the needs are complex, very often mission-critical, and almost always interactive in nature.”The point is well taken, and raises the need of intermediate solutions for these “deskless workers”, which are not so stripped down as the Deskless Worker Suite, which reduces workers to passive recipients of information, or so complex as Microsoft’s full blown online services, which would overwhelm a non IT expert.

Such solutions do already exist. A case in point is the HyperOffice Collaboration Suite, which brings a nice mix of interactive functionality, and user friendliness. It is primarily targeted towards small businesses, whose needs are similar to those of deskless workers – the ability to easily access corporate documents, email, policies, contacts, schedules, or tasks; interact with and contribute to this information; do it flexibly (from any web connected PC, Mac or mobile); and do it easily (HyperOffice’s functionality is very simple and just about anybody can use it).

Work in progress

I came across an interesting article on NetworkWorld echoing my (and perhaps many other peoples) views.