Cloud IT formerly On-Site Technical Solutions: Firefox Leads in Europe, Microsoft Falls Further Behind

We're still a Microsoft partner but I don't write much about them because Google and Apple are way ahead of Microsoft in moving to the Cloud and that's where most of our efforts are concentrated.

Odds are you're working in a business using Microsoft. It may now be a hybrid technical environment that includes Apple or Linux, but most companies still use Microsoft. If you're not working in a large enterprise, plan on upgrading to Office 2007 or 2010 if you must, but plan on using something else within the next three years as your primary word processing, presentation and spreadsheet tools.

That something else may be some form of Microsoft's Cloud Office offering, Google Apps or an open office solution. But expect to leave the days of automatically upgrading to the latest and greatest (and buggiest) from Microsoft behind. Windows 7 may also be your last Microsoft operating system.

Larger enterprises may take longer or not move to a different solution because of the cost of the migration, including training. The benefits to smaller organizations clearly outweigh the costs and the return on investment in moving away from Microsoft can be immediate.

We wouldn't mind Microsoft being competitive with Google - we'd always prefer choices in our vendors - but we're not counting on it. Internet Explorer is one reason we're not high on Microsoft's prospects. They built themselves a wonderful business model of including their browser with their operating system. Because that browser does not function as efficiently or seamlessly with add-ons, their customers have been forced to step into that gap. Firefox was the primary alternative to IE for years, but now Google Chrome and Opera are also cutting into market share. Don't expect that to change- Chrome especially is built for the Cloud and is much more functional than IE.

Here's an article on Firefox surpassing IE in market share in Europe for the first time. Even if they're not quite there yet, as other tracking companies claim, the fall in IE's percentage is not going to stop.

Firefox Leads in Europe, Firm Says - NYTimes.com

Visit On-Site Technical Solutions for information on how you can move to Google Apps or other Cloud Computing applications. We can also help you with your mobile computing. You should follow us on Twitter @MHBoys and become a fan on Facebook. Call or text me at 1-949-212-2168.