More integration of Microsoft Products?
Microsoft Watch describes the trend at Microsoft towards more integration of Microsoft Server products. Although the areas of integrations described don’t seem that great to me:
- Management packs for all Windows Server System products that will allow them to be managed by Microsoft Operations Manager 2005;
- Windows Installer and Windows Update support for all Windows Server System products; and
- Consistent methodologies and prescriptive guidance support for all members of the Windows Server System family
There’s more on this topic here:
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3359261
However whilst the Architect in me likes the idea of integrated products, built in a layered infrastructure fashion, with each layer isolated by standards, I don’t see this happening with Microsoft. What I see is ever tighter integration between products, locking the products into a set that all need to be purchased from MS, and all upgraded together to get real business advantage. At enterprise scale linked upgrades of products always spells trouble, (making the business case, getting the agreement, managing the disruption, risk), and the assumption of everything from Microsoft is equally troubling, unless their is a REALLY compelling value proposition, and that’s definitely not evident today.
Loosely integrated products by contrast, ie those that rely on stable and open standards, IMAP, POP, LDAP, RSS? etc seem to provide for good integration and great flexibility and innovation. Of course the areas that Microsoft is integrating are not well served by standards, and even if they were the standards are probably not very mature and stable, however the principle still applies. Loose integration wins in my book over tight integration. Microsoft always goes for tight.
Microsoft Monitor also discusses the integration point at some length, although you have to talk to an analyst to get the real detail
