Microsoft readying ‘BPOS Lite’

For such a smart company, Microsoft really, truly does some boneheaded things.

Really, they do.

Take the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Services, or BPOS.

(Now, who is the dum-dum who came up with that moniker? Isn’t there a branding department up there in Redmond?)

Introduced at a $120 per annum rate, it is too rich for many companies.

While BPOS is very good – we use it – and affordable for us, we think, it is still a bear.

For instance, do you know that the only migration path to BPOS is from Exchange Server?

Think about this: Microsoft has NO upgrade/migration path from Hotmail/Office Live Mail to BPOS!!!

I know, I found out about this several months ago, and I am still in disbelief.

Now, Mary Jo Foley, plugged in to Microsoft, as usual, is reporting that Microsoft is in the process of creating a BPOS-Lite which will be targeted at smaller companies than BPOS.

This is a very good idea.

Hopefully, one of the paths being considered for this BPOS-Lite service is the creation of upgrade paths from Office Live to it, which will be a boon for all the small companies that use Office Live.

Comments

[UK_BPOS]

Thanks for the info although your opinions are less userful, BPOS has been selling like hot cakes to the SMB market in the UK and MS's experience of the suite across corporate is that 5-100 users has been the biggest up take.

[John Obeto]

@UK_BPOS: How many have you sold? Elucidate me on what 'hotcakes' means in figures. Please?