File Virtualization

As a core part of Ray Ozzie’s vision to transform Microsoft from an “Old World” software company into a true innovator, Windows Live Mesh represents a hub of the future for the company. Bill Gates named Ozzie as his successor as the company’s Chief Software Architect, and Ozzie has a long track record of innovation including the creation of Lotus Notes. Mesh is simply a cloud-based service that combines storage with services in the company’s attempt to redefine their offerings beyond Vista (and even the core Windows 7.)

Recognizing that the static desktop is part of the past, Live Mesh allows for synchronization of multiple data sources including laptops, mobile phones and web-based accounts. From a technical perspective, Live Mesh centralizes data feeds from a number of devices into a centralized location where you can access and interact with your documents – in this sense, it’s the Windows of the future. Where the product is still fresh, however, is in its breadth: Live Mesh also draws upon various Live services such as News Feeds (a la Facebook) and photo sharing (think Flickr). As a result, the product tries to be everything to everyone, which, in a decentralized world, certainly cannot work.

Where Microsoft has true potential in the product, however, is by taking on Google Gears and Adobe Air directly: Live Mesh can become a delivery mechanism for device apps which actually site in the cloud. An important question remains, however: how will Microsoft’s Silverlight flash-competitor integrate into the product? Based upon existing releases, it should be concerning for consumers that proprietary technology is being used to create a universal OS (in fact, that’s an anathema to the very concept.) The company is undergoing an attempt to redefine itself around the Live brand, which is certainly long overdo but the product, like the larger company, seems to be steadily finding its way in a new era.