I'm currently testing what I believe will be the future of computing, a Novatium Nova Navigator PC. Basically the idea is a multi OS digital desktop which provides the user with a complete computing experience via a broadband connection. Security, service, upgrades and applications are all either accessible via a browser or provided by Novatium's own servers.
The Navigator has a dual Linux/Windows operating system and is based on a low purchase price and monthly subscriptions for provision of applications, upgrades and security.
Novatium is an Indian based company that initially aims to penetrate the massive Indian market with a low cost, easy to use cloud computer. The machine I was testing then was connecting to Indian servers and showing the offering as Novatium's Indian customers see it.
The truly interesting thing with the Indian offering however is in the applications that are available. It seems Indian customers can access an on-demand, streamed and subscription based Microsoft Office offering.
Earlier this year I wrote about UK company FastHosts who eventually got into hot water with Microsoft for providing MS Office as a subscription product, streamed over the web. In fact Microsoft themselevs came out saying that;
At present, streaming Microsoft products like Office 2007 via the Web infringes our licence regulations. Fasthosts have been informed of this and we are currently working with them to rectify this situation
Seemingly Microsoft has a different approach towards its Indian customers – or is the Novatium situation the start of the great big Microsoft open up? Somehow I think not…
Ben, I have been following Novatium since their incubation period. I like their idea but I wonder if they can succeed by offering fat applications over narrow pipes (many places in India still have 256 KBps broadband).
Hey Ben,
We’ve known about this for a while. Apparently MS operates a kind of appartied model. In developing nations (which we of course argued we were), you can get the complete back of notebook and apps rented on a monthly basis. HAve been able to for a while.
The developed nations of course can’t do this because they have more money than sense are let themselves get rorted
[..] Microsoft Office as SaaS – Yes, You Read That Right! [..]
@Krish – yeah – true, but if it works with bad connectivity in India then they’re onto something.
@bunreasonable – interesting that Australasia should be lumped in with the third world – oh well I guess we’re heading that way anyway!
http://www.ngenx.com/OfficeAnywhere.html