Brief: Microsoft Office Crosses The Cloud Rubicon

Microsoft used the SharePoint Conference 2014 to forcefully assert that its entire Office portfolio is pivoting to cloud-first development and delivery. Microsoft gave services like Yammer and OneDrive for Business center stage and teased the audience with next-generation capabilities, like Office Graph, that it will deliver only from the Office 365 cloud platform. Microsoft followed a few weeks later with an announcement of Office on iPad for Office 365 users. The message to technology management leaders is clear: In the near future, the best way to consume Microsoft Office technology will be via Office 365. This is emphatically a good thing: The cloud facilitates sharing, communication, and individual mobility across your business ecosystem. This report lays out how Microsoft is positioning itself to help your business become more agile and responsive to a customer-driven marketplace.