Saturday, May 16, 2015

It's Hard to "Move up the Stack"

“Telcos must climb the value stack and not become dumb pipe providers.”  That bit of advice is hard to dismiss. For lots of reasons, it is hard to accomplish those objectives. Consider the simple matter of operating system updates.

You might argue mobile service providers would want to be central to that process, especially when specific apps are supplied to specific versions of devices supported o the carrier’s network.

Providing the updates arguably makes the carrier more relevant in terms of the device experience. So if Microsoft starts taking control of operating system updates, at least for some business customers, the potential mobile service provider is that much more reduced, in terms of role as an enabler.

Business customers might prefer that arrangement, especially where it comes to security updates.

“Windows Update for Business,” available with Windows 10, will allow enterprise information technology staffs to specify which devices go first in an update wave, and which ones will come later.

The new program will allow enterprises to create maintenance windows, where IT managers can specify the critical timeframes when updates should and should not occur.

Peer-to-peer delivery will enable updates to branch offices and remote sites with limited bandwidth.

Windows Update for Business, Microsoft argues, “will reduce management costs, provide controls over update deployment, offer quicker access to security updates, and provide access to the latest innovation from Microsoft on an ongoing basis.”

Windows Update for Business is free for Windows Pro and Windows Enterprise devices.

The point is that if Microsoft directly provides the service, that is one less service for consultants, system integrators or service providers to sell.

Microsoft, on the other hand, increases its value for device buyers and users. It is just a reminder: “moving up the stack” is hard.

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