Office 365 Newswire: Google vs. Amazon – confusing cloud offerings – 7.4.2012

Happy 3rd and 4th of July. Both of these dates have special significance here at Add-in Express… and for similar reasons.

The 3rd of July is the Independence day of Belarus. This is the day the good people of Belarus celebrate liberation from Nazi Germany during WWII.

The 4th of July is the Independence day of the USA. This is the day Americans celebrate freedom from bad food, bad teeth, and silly wigs. The celebration typically involves parades, swimming, BBQ, fireworks, and homemade ice cream.

I will celebrate by eating several cinnamon rolls and watching Wimbledon. Oh the irony.

Office 365 score keeping

• Google Apps vs. Office 365: Apps and professional services marketplaces :: 0 points each. They both offer less than great options. Will that change with Office wave 15’s rumored app store?
• Microsoft Launches Office 365 in Pakistan :: Not just Pakistan… the entire Middle East and Africa. That’s 1 point for each market (2 points total for you folks in West Texas).
• The Confusing Comparison: Google vs. Amazon :: Cloud offerings are confusing. Everybody loses 1 point. Except Microsoft… but only because this video explains Office 365 so well. But don’t take my word for it.

Office 365 news & editorials!

• SharePoint 2013 name confirmed and SharePoint store details :: We’ve heard this news before from the same source. But the great inspector Furuknap is back again with more news. He has new information regarding the SharePoint app store as well… something I am keen to learn all I can.
• Top 3 reasons schools choose Office 365 over Google Apps :: This item is from MSFT. I'm including it because it has links that support their claims. My favorite link is the one to CareerBuilder that points out there are very few jobs looking for skilled users of Google Apps and Google Docs. I wonder how many jobs list beer drinking as a required skill?
• Vodacom inks Office 365 supplier deal :: Wow, Vodacom will bundle Office 365 with their broadband offerings. Microsoft still knows how to bundle.
• Microsoft Office 2013 beta now pushed back to later in July? :: Darn it…the wait continues.
• Case Study: Microsoft Exchange Online :: Exchange Online doesn't receive enough attention (at least here). Read how one organization is saving $60,000 just by migrating email to the MSFT's cloud.

Microsoft news & editorials

Special section this July 4th. When I see a theme this significant, I think it’s better to include it than not. I don’t think it hurts anything… do you?

• Microsoft’s downfall: Inside the executive e-mails and cannibalistic culture that felled a tech giant :: Great read, if only for the insight into Stack Ranking… a really silly way of valuing your staff and fostering team work. There is another bias that contributed to the downfall… one that might be fading in favor of a new attitude… just read the next item (which is based on this article)…
• Microsoft’s loyalty to Windows and Office blamed for a ‘lost’ decade :: And just last week we were talking about how Microsoft is cool again. Microsoft has a long row to hoe on the cool factor. Be sure and read the comments. Lively discussion going on there.
• For Microsoft, it’s not just the money lost, it’s the time, too :: Microsoft is writing off $6,500,000,000. That’s $6.5 BILLION dollars. It’s a balance sheet write off… meaning that, at this point, it’s paper loss. But given MSFT paid cash for aQuantive, the money was lost long ago. How many CEOs can lose over a $1 Billion dollars and remain CEO. Ballmer seems to be one. That JP Morgan guy, Jamie Dimon, is another.
• Microsoft’s $6 billion whoopsie :: Best headline I’ve seen in weeks. 

Office 365 tips, tricks & tools

• Yes, the Office Webs Apps can do that … better :: Multiple browsers fidelity (not sure if that is the correct term, just made it up), co-authoring, and more. This article targets MSFT partners but it’s good for you too even if you are not a partner. BTW – did you know there is such a thing as the Office 365 demo provisioning toolkit? Neither did I. I’m bookmarking it for future reference… it could prove quite handy.
• SharePoint Document Navigator :: Install this free tool from CodePlex and make it easier to navigate your SharePoint document libraries with your mobile devices.

Office 365 developer items of note

• Git is the new Subversion — just as Subversion was the new CVS :: A nice history of the SCM progression that has lead us to Git. Even the creators of Subversion think so. There is one comment… is that you Dmitry?
• Building cross-platform apps using jQuery Mobile :: Included because HTML + JS + CSS is apparently the future.
• 10 illustrated examples of Visual Studio 2012 :: I’ve been working in VS 2012 off and on since the beta. Each time I return to VS 2010, I find I can’t wait for the VS 2012 RTM. I didn’t like the UI initially, but now I dig it… ALL CAPS AND ALL!!!
• Updated release: RSS Feed Web Part for Office 365 :: I think I include news of this web part previously. If I didn’t let’s pretend I did. BTW – It has been updated… improved security, debugging support, & custom CSS linking.
• SharePoint Online & Windows Azure: Building hybrid applications :: SharePoint online’s sandboxed model places limits on what we (developers) can do. But Azure is here to help. Steve Fox calls this a hybrid application. A few years ago I think we were calling these mashups. Right? Oh, and to bring it all together, Steve even suggests you learn jQuery Mobile.

I love it when a newswire comes together.

Cutting room floor

• Bring on the Pablet: Why I am bullish about Microsoft’s Surface :: Some how, MJF always figures out a way to make the newswire.
• Microsoft explains why it killed the Windows 8 Start button :: You know, when I think about it. I don’t use it.

C’mon Federer… just one more title and you can retire in peace.