Foster's Predictions for 2013

Foster Braun

Foster Braun

 

Microsoft Crucial year:

  • Leadership must change.  Balmer needs to lead or be replaced and with him the whole “silo” mentality.
  • Surface Pro will mark the end of the PC era and the battle of the hybrids will intensify.
  • Windows Phone 8 will struggle along in 3rd place, but will not disappear, too tightly integrate with Win 8 and may even become the face of an XBox Surface !
  • New cloud-based, cross-platform, subscription based Office 2013 (5 installs included: 3 PC’s and 2 iOS devices) will be a smash hit and will balance out other MS failures.  Office 2013 in the cloud and with subscriptions will kick Google Docs butt and once it is available to iOS (Apple) and Android (Google) devices (smartphones, phablets and tablets), it’s all over but the shouting.
  • Key component: MS PR must be revitalized with its key user base.  So far they have thrown a ton of money at great ads and product placement but haven’t let anyone get their hands on the product except in rare MS pop up stores and only lately in Staples and horrible Best Buy.
  • New Xbox (720 ??) will rock the gaming/TV/Device world late in 2013.

RIP

  • The Death of Mice: Mobile forces more natural ways of interacting with computers, e.g. Touch/Voice/Gestures will be the increasing way of interacting with devices in that order.
  • Barnes and Noble dies.  Nook hardware bought by another firm?  Reasons: ebooks are overwhelming print, Nook is excellent but can’t find a way of standing out from the crowd.
  • Nokia will die and be bought by Microsoft.  Excellent software, wonderful Windows Phone 8 but have not caught the imagination. HTC Win 8X is the hero phone for WP 8.
  • RIM: New OS is too little too late.  Legacy will hold on for a while but eventually fade.  Long slow death.

Fiber will be the most disruptive technology with Google leading the way. The first one to get the last mile to the home in glass wins.

Apple TV Set will arrive…finally.

Cloud Wars: Amazon, Google and Microsoft will battle for supremacy while Apple tries to figure out how to keep Siri from stuttering!

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