Microsoft Surface

Microsoft surface

Microsoft surface fundamentally changes the way we interact with digital content. Microsoft surface consists of a 30-inch tabletop display whose unique features allow one or more people to work independently or together. It turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive surface.

Surface computing actually features four key attributes:

Direct interaction: Users can actually grab the information with their hand and interact with content through their gestures. All of this is done without using a mouse or a keyboard.

Multi-touch contact: unlike a touch screen that can only have point of contact at a time, surface computing recognizes simultaneously many points of contact.

Multi-user experience: several people can gather around surface computers together. This provides a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.

Object recognition: Users can place physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes on the surface to activate different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital information. This process is done through the use of series of infra red cameras to see what is on the surface. We could for example take a picture. Then put the camera on the surface and the picture would appear on the surface screen. Then, by dragging the photo to a cell phone that is put on the screen, the file would be transferred instantaneously.

Here is a nice video that demonstrates everything: http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-299208220151475401&q=microsoft+surface&total=825&start

The first potential business customers will be restaurants, hotels, retailers, and public entertainment venues. For example, consumers at restaurant could simply choose what they want to eat on a digital menu while strolling down the menu that would be projected on the surface. Once the choice is made, it could simply be dragged to an “order” box and the information would be sent directly to the kitchen. This makes the job a lot easier for waiters and we no longer have to worry about mistakes in our order. Also, fast-food restaurants could use it because customers could easily go to the counter and order via a digital menu. Since the surface recognizes objects, to pay, people could simply put the credit card on the bill that would appear on the surface and the exchange would be done.

Microsoft Surface can be shipped to business partners with a portfolio of basic applications, including photos, music, virtual concierge and games that can be customized to provide customers with unique experiences. It can also be very useful for marketing department of companies because it enable them to arrange pictures and to resize them. This way, they can create an amazing ad collectively since many people can work on it at the same time.

Porter’s five forces model

The Five Forces Model helps business people understand the relative attractiveness of an industry and includes the following 5 forces:

1) Buyer Power

2) Supplier Power

3) Threat of substitutes products or services

4) Threat of new entrants

5) Rivalry among existing competitors

I will inform you about the buyer power and the rivalry among existing competitors

Buyer Power

Right now, I can affirm that the buyer power is low because buyers do not have many choices from whom to buy. This is good for Microsoft who wishes to reduce buyer power as much as possible. There are some touch technologies like the Philips Entertainable, the iPhone, and the reacTable that enable touch technology, but nothing compares to what the Microsoft Surface is able to do. This is a competitive advantage for Microsoft because they make it more attractive for customers to buy from them than from their competition. Also, they are the first in their category and this is good because it places the Microsoft Surface ahead in consumers' minds.

If Microsoft Surface is able to create a good customer base, then it would be easy to offer loyalty programs which could offer free updates.

Rivalry among existing competitors

Right now, it is fair to assume that the rivalry among existing competitors is very low. As it has been said earlier, this is because Microsoft Surface does not have any competitors that compete in the same category. Other companies do have touch technologies but none which can be compared to the surface.

The overall trend is toward increased competition in just about every industry and this is very true for the Microsoft Surface. In fact, we can predict that in the near future many different companies will come up with similar products. This will make the rivalry between competitors very high. This will benefit the customers who will then have more power. Although it will take a lot of research to develop similar products, I can guaranty that other companies will come up with products that are similar or even better.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Surface

http://www.microsoft.com/surface/

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/surfacecomputing/default.mspx

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.html