Description

In not much more than a decade, the Internet has remade large parts of the technology world. Despite these big changes, there are still many more to come. One of the most important is the shift within enterprises from relying solely on local software to a world of software plus services (S+S).

This overview describes S+S, focusing on what Microsoft is doing in this area. Yet don't be confused-while not everyone uses the same terms, the entire industry has embraced the idea of S+S under various headings. And while the move to S+S certainly affects consumers, this description focuses on S+S for business users.

S+S isn't a futuristic idea; it's a reality today. Yet the full impact of this transition is still years away. Understanding what that impact will look like requires thinking about the effect on applications-packages as well as custom software-and on the platforms those applications depend on.