February 29, 2016 at 11:17 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Learning from Microsoft
March 1, 2016 at 4:31 am
Microsoft has often been slated and belittled regarding their engineering skills and product output. There are plenty of Microsoft products that provide ammunition for that argument but plenty more that show well thought out product requirements, good customer interaction and great software development. It is all too easy to bash Microsoft, especially when ignoring context e.g. when products were released. Microsoft has certainly been slower than some to adjust focus (WWW usage and adoption of agile methodologies spring to mind) but not always the slowest.
What I learn from the Microsoft story is that it is big enough to have different parts of it that are failing/successful/out of date/innovative/following the market/market leaders/dull/inspiring. In short there are many areas in which it can improve and many others in which its competitors need to improve.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
March 1, 2016 at 7:12 am
The genius of Microsoft is the unit sale. The cloud seems like more of service business.
It will be interesting how they will compete if it doesn't drive license sales.
Their data tools are worth paying for at work, I'm not sure I can afford it at home.
412-977-3526 call/text
March 1, 2016 at 8:17 am
MS has made some significant changes to the SQL 2016 product.
SSRS is undergoing some major changes, including the potential to run Power BI reports locally/on-premise, along with the ability to publish SSRS reports on the Power BI mobile app. SSRS, along with Power BI may just become a major player in BI.
And the lagging master data services part is also getting an overdue upgrade. And Polybase is being incorporated into the core product.
After years of neglect, SQL Server looks to be coming back.
The more you are prepared, the less you need it.
March 1, 2016 at 9:25 am
Andrew..Peterson (3/1/2016)
...After years of neglect, SQL Server looks to be coming back.
Or is it that a lot of this is based on work over the last few years that made no visible difference to the product?
(Honest question...no sarcasm intended this time!!!)
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
March 2, 2016 at 4:01 am
Nice editorial with valid points, but perhaps too many "amazing"s :-).
It looks to me as if Microsoft is at last taking large scale configuration mnagement seriously, using it to control how things mix and match, and recognising that if you want freedom to evolve components independently of each other you must arrange that features in components can be switched on/off as required for compatability with other components without requiring a whole new binary and a system rebuild. That's a lesson that a lot of other software outfits ought to learn. But it will probably take the other outfits a while, and there will always be both luddites who think it's too hard to be worth doing as well as those mired in ancient history who will continue to believe in the face of all the evidence to the contrary that Microsoft can't produce secure software.
Tom
March 2, 2016 at 6:52 am
Microsoft is the IT equivalent of an 18 wheeled transport truck; it's definately in the slow lane when climbing a steep hill, but it's unstoppable on the flip side.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
March 2, 2016 at 8:09 am
TomThomson (3/2/2016)
Nice editorial with valid points, but perhaps too many "amazing"s :-).
Yes, I got hung up on that word. Meant to change a few, but didn't manage to do so 🙁
I do think what they have done is quite a feat. For the first time since I was 21, I would actually consider working at MS.
March 2, 2016 at 8:52 am
They would be lucky to have you Steve
412-977-3526 call/text
March 2, 2016 at 11:16 am
Gary Varga (3/1/2016)
Andrew..Peterson (3/1/2016)
...After years of neglect, SQL Server looks to be coming back.Or is it that a lot of this is based on work over the last few years that made no visible difference to the product?
(Honest question...no sarcasm intended this time!!!)
Good point. Perhaps both. For SSRS and MDS, they are finally being updated. MDS with mostly a UI facelift. SSRS seems to be getting a long over due internal rebuild. Who knows when they started. I do not know.
The main point is that they are again making strong improvements in the BI space, seems they want to win big. And that benefits all of us who spend most of our time with MS SQL. But, multi-dimensional seems to be unattended, while tabular gets all the attention.
The more you are prepared, the less you need it.
March 2, 2016 at 11:40 am
robert.sterbal 56890 (3/2/2016)
They would be lucky to have you Steve
Thanks. Maybe if they open a MS Research spot in CO. Or I go with Sales somehow. No chance I'm moving to SEA
March 2, 2016 at 11:43 am
I thought you were a SSCer for life.
412-977-3526 call/text
March 2, 2016 at 12:56 pm
robert.sterbal 56890 (3/2/2016)
I thought you were a SSCer for life.
It's not my choice anymore. I could be, but I like to always be prepared.
March 3, 2016 at 1:10 am
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (3/2/2016)
robert.sterbal 56890 (3/2/2016)
I thought you were a SSCer for life.It's not my choice anymore. I could be, but I like to always be prepared.
Surely he is. Right Steve? He may not always have the Editor mantle though.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
March 3, 2016 at 7:52 am
I hope to be
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply