Microsoft Surface Is a Revolutionary

Microsoft Surface is a revolutionary tabletop device that is based on an imaging processing system comprised of cameras that provide x-y coordinates of movement that correspond with intended navigation of applications and movement of imagery. Microsoft Surface debuted April 17, 2008 (Working, 2007) and has since been adopted by the hospitality and gaming industries including Harrah's Entertainment, International Game Technology, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. There are a set of four coordinated together as one very large Surface table at the Innoventions Dream Home in Disneyland. Sheraton Hotels has created videos accessible on the Microsoft Surface website illustrates how they are using it for automating the check-in process in addition to having it available for concierges to provide recommendations to guests in hotels as well. At a Wall Street Journal Conference an iPhone was demonstrated uploading photos via wireless link directly to the Microsoft Surface (Costa, 2007). Today the Surface is priced at $12,500 with a developer license and four developer seats for the unit selling for $15,000.

Microsoft Surface Impact on the Technology Sector

As the Surface takes an entirely new approach to combining two-dimensional analysis of workspaces to create what Microsoft is calling Direct Interaction, Multi-Touch, Multi-User and Object Recognition technologies (Clawson, 2008) as part of their platform, the implications for developers of PDAs, convergence-based telephones and touch-screen computing tablets and PCs is clear. The underlying technology of The Surface, while expensive in the form factor initially delivered by Microsoft, has significant potential in future, more miniaturized devices. There is the potential for example of creating an entirely range of PDAs that have the ability to navigate purely based on graphical imagery to the depth and intuitiveness as the Surface. Second, there is the potential of using the basics of the Surface technology to create interactive street, subway and hiking maps projected into pictures frames on onto tables and then printed out (Clawson, 2008).

Underscoring all of these uses and form factors are the richness of the basic technology that is already becoming prevalent through the many partnerships the company has created (Garcia, 2007). Initially with TMobile and also with Apple on the iPhone to allow it to sync in real-time from its camera to the Surface, Microsoft is also exploring partnerships with high-end auto manufacturers including BMW, who has created a car configurator entirely based on the Surface. There are options for configuring the entire set of features in a BMW 7 Series for example using the system.

What is the most potent catalyst however that is re-defining how the underlying technologies of the Microsoft Surface are changing convergence devices are the ability to create interactive process workflows. The initial demonstrations showed the movement of objects as if they were pieces of paper being re-ordered on a regular desk. The ability to re-order entire processes, for example the defining of a multi-city itinerary, or the development of an entirely new manufacturing center could be possible if more sophisticated software was created that could take advantage of the Surface core technologies. Process engineering would also significantly benefit as interactive flows of fluid-based assets including oil, natural gas and other process-related goods could be tracked in real-time.

Globalization and The Surface