NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Microsoft to Transition Corporate IT to Google Apps
Microsoft to Transition Corporate IT to Google Apps
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000701.html
REDMOND, Wash., April 1 /PRNewzwire/ -- In a move that may surprise
some industry onlookers, but that is being described by a company
spokesman as "making incredible sense at the bottom line," Microsoft
Corporation announced today that it will begin migrating its corporate
information technology operations to archrival Google's "Google Apps"
Internet "cloud"-based services environment by the start of the second
quarter this year.
"We've gone over the numbers more ways than you can crash Vista, said
Hymie Morander of the newly formed "Microogly" working group at the
software giant's Washington State headquarters. "We're going to save
millions -- maybe billions! -- by moving most of our employees over to
free Google Apps services like Gmail. Plus we'll be freeing up
resources here to concentrate on our core competencies like Flight
Simulator and stylus-based mobile phone operating systems."
Asked if the $50/user/year "Google Apps for Business" services tier
might be more appropriate for Microsoft's use, Morander noted that,
"Some of our top executives' needs will likely justify that level of
expenditure, but most of us will be able to do just fine with the very
generous allotments in the free versions of Google Apps. Seven gigs of
storage is more than enough to hold all of my Microsoft internal
correspondence, plus most of my uuencoded porn collection! Every
Microsoft employee will be assigned a nondescript alias for Gmail use
to avoid attracting Google's attention -- for instance, I'm
bangloryman@gmail.com."
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer emphasized that Microsoft's move to Google
Apps only involved Microsoft's internal global corporate operations,
and would not in any way impact customer-facing services such as
Microsoft's popular "Bing" decision engine.
"Given Microsoft's intense desire to enthusiastically embrace the
diverse and expansive censorship requirements of our partners in the
Chinese government, and Google's apparent reluctance to meet those
same requirements, we'll definitely be keeping our Bing and other
related public-use servers running on their current CP/M Windows 98
secure clusters into the foreseeable future," Ballmer promised.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses
realize their full potential.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
- - -
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein