Launching in Australia in early 2019, Microsoft’s is setting up a new approach to its productivity suite.

Combining strengths

Managed Desktop brings Microsoft 365 Enterprise together with premium cloud storage and device management. It’s a combination could make it a one-stop solution for many companies’ IT productivity investment.

The idea, Microsoft says, is to let customers focus on their business, while Microsoft manages the tech.

So, they’re promising to keep devices secure and up-to-date, while providing a great user experience across enterprise and analytics for managers to make the right decisions. 

Versus G Suite

While Managed Desktop is not currently being marketed as a G Suite killer, it may line up as a prime competitor.

For execs who were raised in a time when Microsoft Office was genuinely ubiquitous, Managed Desktop may be a more comfortable step forward than the jump to Google’s cloud-dependent productivity offering.

Timely, then, is Google’s launch of ‘real-time presence’ for G Suite customers. This new feature will give Drive File Stream users the info they need to avoid version conflicts for Microsoft Office files.

Basically, it’ll let you know if someone else is editing a Microsoft Office file that is stored in a shared Google Drive folder.

Is Microsoft innovating or simply responding—and will it be enough to claw back market share from the emerging productivity suites?

Copy Transmission is a Melbourne-based agency :: Better Brands. Loud & Clear.