"Web 2.0 makes it less important which operating system you choose. It could level the playing field [between OSes]", he says.
Central to Silver's argument -- and others who say Microsoft must become more agile -- is that Web-based applications, even the entire ecosystem, can change much faster than the time it typically takes Microsoft to come up with a new operating system. From start to finish, including a massive restart, Vista was in the lab for five years.
Microsoft doesn't have that much time before the pendulum swings against it, says Silver.
"Today, about 70% to 80% of enterprise applications are Windows specific," Silver says. "But new applications are increasingly OS-agnostic. Sometime in 2011 we'll hit the equilibrium, when half are Windows and half are Web-based."
The tipping point for consumers is a lot closer. "If you're just doing basic productivity things, I'd argue that the tipping point is already here."
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
