Free Essay

Microsoft Smart Watch

In:

Submitted By mitt
Words 777
Pages 4
Microsoft: Launching the Smart Watch

Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, which initially sold operating system software for personal computers and, over time, expanded into office application software, web browser software, entertainment devices, and other technologies. By 2003, Microsoft generates over $32 billion in annual revenues and more than 54,000 employees globally, a worldwide leader in software, services, and Internet technologies for consumers and businesses.

With the believe that a new software platform could be built for non-computer devices, Mitchell made a presentation to Microsoft management in which he reviewed the progression of computing platforms over time – from mainframes to PCs to personal digital assistants (PDAs) to cellular phones – and asked what could be the next platform in late 1999. Later, Mitchell formed a team and identified watch as the first SPOT-enabled device after a series research within the wearable market. At that time, there are already several watch manufacturers launched their smart watch, for instance, Seiko introduced its MessageWatch in 1990, Timex launched its DataLink Watch in 1994 and Motorola introduced a wristwatch word pager in 1997. Mitchell commented: “ The idea was quite visionary, but the technology just wasn’t there yet.”

Therefore, Mitchell built the SPOT watch based on different aspects, content, the FM radio network, the software and microchips and the watch itself in order to maximum user experience with the SPOT watch.

Firstly, there were two types of content the SPOT watch team offered. One was broadcast content – information that could be sent on a one-to many bases, with each consumer customizing his watch to “grab” only that information he wanted to receive, such as weather channel, sports channel, news channel and traffic channel. Another one was personalized – information that was transmitted on a one-to-one bases, with the intended receiver being the only person who could capture the data being sent, such as calendar updates and personal messaging.

Secondly, Microsoft secured multiyear leases for 300 towers, with at least two towers in each of the 100 major markets in the United States and Canada, which offered reach to about 80% of the US population. In regard to the capacity of the network, there would be limit information flow to one-way, with a bandwidth of only 12 kilobits per second, a speed much slower than the typical dial-up modern, a watch user would be unable to surf the net, respond to messages, or update her calendar using the watch.

Furthermore, the SPOT team worked with National Semiconductor, a major chip manufacturer, to develop chips that could receive and process signals sent to a SPOT wristwatch, including an eighth of an inch by eighth of an inch application chip that processed and displayed the content received, and a quarter-inch by quarter-inch radio frequency receiver chip that grabbed the relevant content from the airwaves.

Last but not least, there was the watch itself. From a technology standpoint, the choice of the wristwatch limited the packaging of any solution in terms of size and weight. And from a fashion standpoint, the high visibility of a person’s watch meant that any solution needed to “look good”. The SPOT team sought out to make a wristwatch not only technical excellence, but also appearance fashionable.

Eventually, on June 4, 2003, as part of its smart personal objects technology (SPOT) initiative, Microsoft unveiled MSN Direct, a specialized new wireless service that combines technology with fashion to deliver customized information to a new category of watches. Customers subscribing to MSN Direct service will be able to stay informed about news, weather, sports scores, stock quotes, movies, dining, games and more. Besides, they also will be able to receive personal messages via MSN messenger and calendar appointment reminders from Microsoft outlook with a monthly subscription rate of $9.95 per month with the first month free or an annual payment of $59 for a full year service. However, bad market performance led the SPOT watches were discontinued in 2008, and the MSN Direct radio service was stopped on January 1, 2012.

In a brief summary, there are three main reasons cause SPOT watch failure. The first and the most important one, by the time SPOT watch shows in the market, almost all customers have a cellphone with more advanced function in hand, which makes no reason for consumer to pay an extra subscription fee on a watch. Then, SPOT watch needs to recharge every couple of days, makes it useless for activities such as camping. Last but not least, SPOT watch was only receiver not transmitters, which makes individual who loves to stay with his/her friends inconvenient.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Case Study Smart Watch

...Case Study: Microsoft Smart Watch 1. Is the Smart Watch a good idea? - first there is to state that the idea was very innovative even though parts of the technology were already available on the market Positive: - using the existing platform Msn in order to maintain the flow of information - not too expensive - further developed than the ones of their competitor such as Message Watch or the Internet Messenger Watch - just providing the technology and not launching the produduct on its own Negative: - too many system like the Internet or Cell phones were doing the same job better - the target customer were mostly in possession of either one of the mentioned items - monthly or annual pay - using a brand like fossil who just targets a market with lower income - the time when the product was launched was too late - the watch just was not as fashionable as they predicted - Smart Watch was nothing which was created out of the customers demand - A watch which needs to be recharged on a 3 to 5 day basis? The outcome definitely was that Smart Watch was a bad idea! 2. How have the SPOT developers come to believe in their product? Have they been objective? - the idea of the Smart Watch was developed during the research of inexpensive operating systems for “smart personal objects” - it has not been developed out of consumers demand! - Therefore customers have not been involved in the...

Words: 886 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Recent It Developments

...Type | Summary-Description (what is it) | Examples of Recent Developments (eg new models, recent changes or new versions) | Images | Computer Platforms | PC |  A PC, also known as personal computer, a typical PC includes a system unit, monitor, keyboard and mouse. PC's allow us to write papers, create spreadsheets and play games, all with the help of software as well as the hardware. |  HPENVY 23-d180ea Touch Smart 23" Touchscreen All-in-One PC | |   | Apple MAC |  The Macintosh or Mac, are a series of personal computers designed by Apple inc. It is targeted at the home, education and creative professionals market. |  iMac | | | Tablet PC (eg iPad, Galaxy) | A tablet is a mobile computer with display, circuitry and battery all in one place. Tablets are normally touch screen, meaning we can interact with the screen with our fingers, or some can be used with a stylus (pen) | IPad Mini | | Communication Technologies | smart phones |  A smart phone is a type of phone that basically exceeds the limit of a regular cellular phone. Some of the components of a smart phone include, the ability to send and receive emails, the ability download applications such as personal and business finance managers, or just games. Another important factor is that basically all smartphones have the capability to connect to the internet. |  iPhone 5c | |   | Bluetooth | Bluetooth is a wireless technology for passing data over short distances. Bluetooth can be found in phones, cameras and...

Words: 1536 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Apple Analysis

...* Microsoft is now much smaller than Apple, but growing faster. * Microsoft is seeking the bulk of its new money from subscriptions, not product sales. * It may be time for Apple AND Microsoft in your portfolio. For most of this century, the choice between Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been a no-brainer. You buy Apple. You leave Microsoft alone. But under Satya Nadella, who became Microsoft CEO about a year ago, that may be changing. Suddenly it's Microsoft that has momentum, potential and opportunity, while Apple seems to be slowing down. Take the top line. For the 12 months between fiscal 2013 and 2014, Apple grew sales from $170.9 billion to $182.8 billion. That's a gain of about 7%. For Microsoft, sales grew from $77.9 billion to $88.8 billion. That's a gain of 11%. Through the third quarter (Microsoft reports its Christmas quarter on Monday) the company was bringing 19.5% of its revenue to the net income line. Apple was bringing in 20%. Apple is now worth 70% more than Microsoft, $644 billion vs. $379 billion. Now look at what's coming. From Apple, a new Phone, a new Watch, the headphones and music service it bought with Beats. From Microsoft, a downloaded Windows that updates like iOS, a holographic headset with software and a competitive Azure cloud. Remember, Microsoft is growing from a smaller base, with barely half of Apple's sales. Apple hasn't always been the smart bet. In fact, if you had bought shares in both at their IPOs and just...

Words: 550 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Nt1110 Week1

...improved a backup solution to help keep information safe. My Operating system also has a new enhancement feature which allows you to see the icons larger on the task bar. You basically get a sneak peek of what that window contains so you don’t have to click open each icon to find out what they contain. Another Cool feature Windows 7 has is the ability of resizing the screens that are open on your desktop. You can maximize a window by dragging its border to the top of the screen, and you can minimize it as well by dragging its border away from the top of the screen. The feature that I love the most is being able to switch my screen’s view, as a duplicate of extended. I will usually use the extended feature when my kids want to watch a movie, so they can watch the movie without being bothered by what I am working on. The only times I use a duplicate is when I am not working on anything and I relax and enjoy the movie on the projector with my kids. Lastly Windows 7 has a Problem Steps Recorder option so you can capture steps that you take on your computer including text descriptions of where you click your mouse and a picture of the screen during each click. After you troubleshoot the issue you can save it in a file so that it is easy for you to find to help you solve future trouble shooting issues. I currently have a processor with the speed of 3.30GHz, and it has 4GB of RAM space. My computer also has a capacity of 446GB of disk space, and I currently have 367 GB of free space...

Words: 582 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Watch Industry - Luxury vs Smart

...Economics Project by YSR Raghav(14070) Introduction History and Evolution of Time Keeping Machines Watch is a small time keeping machine, historically worn on the wrist or attached on a chain carried in the pocket or around the neck for convenience. Timekeeping has a history dating back to ancient times. The first watch in the 15th century made was spring powered and was strictly mechanical, but with the technological advances this mechanism was replaced by quartz vibrations or electromagnetic pulses. Figure 1 shows the evolutionary era of the various time keeping machines/watches since 1300 BC from the sundial, water clock, to the mechanical wrist watches. Wrist watches became popular in 1920s, after soldiers came back from the World War I wearing military-issue ‘trench watches’, which were later discontinued as their told only the time. However, in mid 1970s, a novel calculator wrist watch came in the market and was widely used. In subsequent decades, pager watches and phone watches, appeared in the market but did not last for long. Then in 2004, Microsoft produced the SPOT watch, a 300 USD device that conveyed instant messages, stock up dates, weather forecasts and broadcasted FM radio signals. After a few years, this watch died due to marketing strategies. So today, the only surviving wrist watch from this cheerless era is in fact the original calculator watch, which currently retails for about 25 USD. In general, wrist watches have been categorized with respect...

Words: 2468 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Apple

...Here we will briefly mention Apple’s strategic position in each of the markets that it has become involved in, to better understand how this company has been able to attain financial success despite near bankruptcy in 1996. How Attractive is the PC industry In 1970, a ‘personal computer’ was sold for a ridiculous cost of nearly $100,000 in today’s money, which were only bought and used by enthusiasts. In 1975, Apple Computers was founded by two college students, who created the first PC with the intention that anybody could use it, named Apple I. A year later they introduced an improved version named Apple II, the computer that symbolized the explosive growth in the PC industry. Competition soon arose; by 1981, IBM partnered with Microsoft to launch their first PC, which eventually reached a peak of 85 percent market share within the industry. With the strategic implementation of selling their computers in department stores and the decision to make the PC an open system, IBM’s success was undoubtedly evidential. The latter factor soon proved to be the cause of Apples downfall in the 1980’s, who reverted to a close architecture Macintosh Computer, while IBM invited hardware and software companies to develop on the basis of their computers. Early Stages Industry Analysis: Both IBM and Apple were leaders at the beginning of the boom, setting the course for clone makers who also wanted to get a taste of this growing industry. Within these early stages, U.S. PC sales grew...

Words: 2616 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Immigrant

...throughout our lives. We are exposed to over 2000 ads a day, aiming to persuade consumers to buy a certain product. American values are culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful that serve as broad guidelines for social living. In order to sell products, advertising has to appeal to people’s needs and prove how it can play a role in their lives. There are three American cultural values that are promoted in advertisement and those are beauty, work ethic and diversity. One of the American cultural values that is promoted in advertisement is beauty. Many woman are also obsessed living up to the beauty standard that advertisers set in place. In our society we grow up with perfection around us. We watch advertisement in the TV and look at ads,which have been photo-shopped into perfection. They can trick you into thinking the flawless model could be you if you buy their product, but in reality the model themselves are not even that perfect. The value they promotes sometime in advertising physically talks about the perfection of skin. Advertisement use the value of beauty to attract or target woman’s attention of their product advertisement. This is because woman tend to remember and see an ad more times from commercials. They are easy sometimes to convinced and they might consider buying it if the commercial is clever. Women now are conscious about their superficial appearance. Some women cannot go out without wearing make up maybe because...

Words: 2502 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Smartwatch

...SMART WATCH A new gadget called samrt watch now, you can find easily this watches in many stores leaders such as samsung or sony have created one so it's a new market to be more precise , a smartwatch allows you to receive calls , messages, emails , always in connexion with your cell phone you put your smartwatch like a watch in your arm so you can see your message directly in your smartwatch without needing look at your cell phone. But you always need to have your smartphone near from the smartwatch In thz article that I read, they advise you to wait to buy a smartwatch beacause it's too recent, so it's very expensive. Moreover, soon, new versions more efficient and developed will be sold For instance, they talk about an Iwatch by apple , o other watches by microsoft For the time being , autonomy remains low Moreover, smarwatches are simple in desing But about style , opinions are shared . For some people the watches are inelegant and for other people they are design and fashion This watches are just compatible with some cell phones, not all the smartphones And they said, that it may be weird talk to his watch, beacause we are not James Bond or K2000! So in a nutshell, if you wait to buy one, you can have a better version , cheap , compatible with more cellphones, with a better and new desing I found this article in internet , on the website « France TV Info » the article dates from September 7 ,2013...

Words: 266 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Understanding Mis

...and thorough understanding of how these concepts work together. By using MIS a greater asset has been added to any company that wants to succeed. Smart grids differ from the current electricity infrastructure the United States uses by distributing electricity from its network to customers in the form of digital technology so that energy will be conserved, costs will be cut and the assurance level will be valued more as well as accurately (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Whereas, the present way electricity is handled in the United States by electrical companies sending their workers out into the field to collect information that is needed to service customers. This is done by the workers reading the customer’s meters, searching for equipment that need repairing and measuring voltage. There is room for updating the devices that utility companies are using (Smart Grid, 2012). When developing a smart grid the issues that should be considered is the technology behind it. There are the network and switches that need to be managed, devices to keep an eye on as to how much energy are being used and distributed. Ways to keep communication lines between customers and providers open with the information of how much usage has been used (Laundon & Laundon, 2012). Challenges that could deter the development of smart grids would be how much it would cost. With the estimated cost of $75 billion for suppliers that’s quite a costly upgrade. Approximately $250 - $500 for...

Words: 1169 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Report on M-Commerce

...media presence. One of the weaknesses of Samsung is that their costs are relatively high as compared to the competition. Also the fact that Samsung operates in a very competitive market, another weakness is lack of penetration in the Business Mobile market being outperformed by Blackberry an even Apple. With the rapid changes of technologies today, Samsung has to manage the company in a very efficient manner to be even more productive. (“Company Profile” Bloomberg.com, 2011) Although Samsung is already one of the most profitable and one of the leaders in the market, still the competition is huge; Samsung must take it into consideration. Opportunity for the Galaxy S II is that the current market is operating in a Full Demand environment for smart phones and portable devices. Full Demand market is defined when their volume of business and operation is close to current capacity. (Marketing 7ed, 2009). According with the Australian Interactive Media...

Words: 699 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Will Tv Succumb to the Internet? Case Study

...What’s the Buzz on Smart Grids? CASE STUDY What’s the Buzz on Smart Grids? CASE STUDY T T he existing electricity infrastructure in the United States is outdated and inefficient. Energy companies provide power to consumers, but the grid provides no information about how the consumers are using that energy, making it difficult to develop more efficient approaches to distribution. Also, the current electric- ity grid offers few ways to handle power provided by alternative energy sources, which are critical compo- nents of most efforts to go “green.” Enter the smart grid. A smart grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using digital technology to save energy, reduce costs, and increase reliability and trans- parency. The smart grid enables information to flow back and forth between electric power providers and individual households to allow both consumers and energy companies to make more intelligent decisions regarding energy consumption and production. Information from smart grids would show utilities when to raise prices when demand is high and lower them when demand lessens. Smart grids would also help consumers program high-use electrical appliances like heating and air condition- ing systems to reduce consumption during times of peak usage. If implemented nationwide, proponents believe, smart grids would lead to a 5 to 15 percent decrease in energy consumption. Electricity grids are sized to meet the maximum electricity need, so a drop in peak demand...

Words: 5332 - Pages: 22

Free Essay

Final Project

...stations 20 | 9 | | | 21 | 8 | | | 22 | 7 | | | 23 | 6 | | | 24 | 5 | | | 25 | 4 | | | 26 | 3 | | | 27 | 2 | | | 28 | 1 | | Teacher Desk Teacher Desk | 29 | | | 30 | | Teacher Resource area Teacher Resource area DoorSmart Board Smart Board | | Classroom dimensions: approximately 27’ by 42’ Classroom consists of 30 desktop PC’s for individual student use. These PC’s are situated on a shelf that is built into the wall and not able to be moved. The PC’s are hard wired into the network for internet connections. PC’s are all configured with Microsoft Office 2013. In addition to individual student PC’s, there are 15 traditional student desks that are used for discussion areas and for students to use when not on the PC. Some students find it more convenient to use the traditional desks when watching a video on the Smart Board. Individual student work area includes a desktop PC that includes speakers and text book. Text Book Speakers Text Book Speakers All students in our county have been issued Chrome books at have WiFi connections to the school network and are about to be connected at home. These Chrome books are not able to have Microsoft Office on them,...

Words: 9203 - Pages: 37

Premium Essay

Xbox vs Playstation

...media capabilities. Netflix and HULU Plus are just some of the apps that are available on the Xbox and PlayStation. Not only are both systems able to instantly stream and watch movies and TV shows, they can browse the internet and watch videos on YouTube, as long as they are connected to the internet. Although both gaming systems were made to primarily play video games both are able to transform into DVD and CD players. Like most media devices today, both the XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3 play movies and games in High Definition as long there is an HDMI cable available and a High Definition TV. High Definition is what makes the games and movies seem real and so appealing to people other than gamers. Sony and Microsoft have a loyal, hardcore fan base and both companies are always trying to please their fans and come up with the next best thing. After the Nintendo’s Wii came out, Microsoft and Sony pulled out the big guns to compete and make their product better than the Wii. Microsoft came out with the Kinect which allows the player to use their body as the controller and also use their voice on the XBOX 360. Sony came out with the PlayStation Move which in a nutshell is no different than the Wii. The point is even though both companies tried to come out with next best thing to please their fan base, Microsoft was...

Words: 1359 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Final Assignment of Health Care Syllabuss

...|[pic] |Syllabus | | |College of Humanities | | |US/101 Version 7 | | |Introduction to University Studies | Copyright © 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description The essential information, skills, tools, and techniques necessary for academic success and personal effectiveness at University of Phoenix are introduced in this course. The course develops and applies practical knowledge and skills immediately relevant to first-year university students. Course topics include goal setting and working with personal motivation, understanding and using university resources, developing efficient study habits, making the most of personal learning styles, and how best to manage time and reduce personal stress levels. Policies Faculty and students will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view...

Words: 2899 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Strategic Management

...Strategic Management Strategic Human Resources Management June 18, 2013 Introduction What is strategic management and why is it critical to the success of an organization in meeting its goals and mission? Strategic Management is essential for the success of any business. It is critical for any organization to properly plan and implement that plan that will align the organization’s strategy to key objectives. In a nutshell, strategic management can be defined as the process where an organization performs an analysis on what needs to happen in order to achieve and meet the objectives of the organization (Mello, 2011). In other words, it is the process utilized by top management in order to align the organization to the environment. The process of strategic management includes the organization’s mission statement, an analysis of the environment, the organization’s self-assessment, setting goals and objectives, and setting a strategy (Mello, 2012). Apple Inc. is a great example as to why strategic planning is critical for the success of any organization. Background What started at a family garage by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, is now a multibillion-dollar corporation. Back in the late 70s, Jobs and Wozniak built the very first Apple, a computer circuit board named Apple I. After several months, they sold 200 of them. Shortly after that, Jobs and Wozniak partnered with Mike Markkula, a 33 year old retired millionaire. Together with Markkula as the businessman and Wozniak...

Words: 1197 - Pages: 5