Microsoft | Internet Marketing Blog

Microsoft may make WebRTC a part of Skype's future

In the next couple of years, firing up a phone call or video chat with a friend on the opposite side of the world may not require you to launch Skype, Google Chat or one of the many programs that let individuals connect over the internet. Instead, you'll be able to communicate with voice and video using nothing more than your web browser.

If and when that day comes, you'll thank technologies WebRTC, which enable real-time communication between browsers. Originally developed by Google and currently supported only in development builds of Google's Chrome browser, companies like VOIP provider Voxeo are demonstrating WebRTC's nifty capabilities and providing a preview of what the future might look like for web-based communication.

by Patricio Robles 27 June 2012 17:27pm 1 comment

Microsoft buys Yammer, bets $1.2bn on enterprise social networking

Social networking's impact on the consumer internet is well-established and one need look no further than Facebook's current valuation to see that, despite healthy skepticism, social networking will continue to play a large role on the web.

But what about enterprise social networking?

by Patricio Robles 26 June 2012 18:25pm 1 comment

Microsoft announces Windows Phone 8

Windows 8 may be the biggest, boldest bet Microsoft has made in recent memory, and perhaps ever.

And the stakes got a lot higher for Microsoft on Wednesday as it announced what some had been speculating would come to pass: a new version of Windows Phone.

by Patricio Robles 21 June 2012 14:09pm 2 comments

Google courts developers with Developers Live portal

For the largest tech companies in the world, it's all about developers, developers, developers.

Apple has them in spades, Microsoft wants them and Facebook can thank them for helping it build one of the richest consumer internet companies ever in less than a decade.

by Patricio Robles 20 June 2012 22:16pm 0 comments

With Surface, Microsoft charts a new path

Yesterday, Microsoft made what may be remembered as one of its most important announcements ever: it announced that it is designing, manufacturing and selling its own tablets.

The tablets, which the Redmond software giant has dubbed Surface, will sport two flavors of Windows 8: Windows 8 RT and Windows 8 Pro.

by Patricio Robles 19 June 2012 16:34pm 0 comments

ICANN reveals new gTLD applications

After lots of media attention, speculation and intrigue, ICANN today finally revealed which organizations applied for new gTLDs and which gTLDs they applied for.

All told, ICANN received 1,930 applications, well more than the 1,200-plus figure previously cited. Each applicant ponied up $185,000 per application just for the privilege of applying.

by Patricio Robles 13 June 2012 19:56pm 3 comments

Not so fast: IE10 may not have Do Not Track on by default

Last week, Microsoft announced that its newest browser, IE10, set to launch when the Redmond software giant releases Windows 8 later this year, would ship with its 'Do Not Track' feature turned on by default.

The announcement attracted a lot of attention, and for good reason.

Given IE's marketshare, adoption of Windows 8 and Microsoft's new browser could create a troublesome scenario for advertisers, advertising networks and publishers as large numbers of users would be opted in to Do Not Track without any action required.

by Patricio Robles 07 June 2012 17:12pm 5 comments

IE10 to have 'Do Not Track' turned on by default

Yesterday, Microsoft unveiled to the world its Windows 8 Release Preview. The release will be the last before Microsoft ships Windows 8 later this year.

The Release Preview contained plenty for industry observers and the curious to digest. There are performance improvements, more apps, better support for multiple monitors and so on and so forth.

by Patricio Robles 01 June 2012 16:35pm 4 comments

Ballmer's bold prediction: up to 500m Windows 8 users in 2013

According to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Windows 8 represents a "rebirth" of Windows and it's the "deepest, broadest and most impactful" version of the operating system his company has yet created.

Those are strong words from a man whose legacy may hinge upon Windows 8's success. But Ballmer apparently isn't afraid to use them, or to offer up bold predictions about how fast Windows 8 will find its way onto consumer devices.

by Patricio Robles 23 May 2012 19:15pm 1 comment

Music and marketing: five tips for being heard in a noisy space

The other day I eavesdropped as a pretty girl faced the teenage boy seated across from her and sang, “Tonight / We are young / So let’s set the world on fire”.