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Office 365 provider Microsoft’s (News - Alert) CEO Steve Ballmer was quoted as saying at a conference on Monday, “This is the most epic year in Microsoft history.” Considering how the company has been prolifically turning out new products and improved services and has even declared war against Apple (News - Alert), perhaps this will be the most significant year for Microsoft since the company was under the rule of Bill Gates.

The way the company’s Office 365 has been received could serve as an analogy over how Microsoft has been viewed by modern consumers. Microsoft’s Office suites are business classics however, sometimes companies prefer services from competitors such as Google (News - Alert), signifying a shift towards a consumer preference for cloud solutions. Yet, Office 365 is touted as being an extremely popular e-mail service for Asia’s SMB’s and has been steadily picked up other clients.

Although the debut of Live@edu met similar setbacks, as seen in European universities, Los Angeles community colleges began adopting Live’s services, indicating that there is a place for Microsoft’s solutions in U.S. markets too. Now with Microsoft’s Office 365 Open, the company has demonstrated its ability to meet the market’s demand for hosted clouds.

Microsoft has also surprised many by unveiling its very own version of a social network, So.cl which they have been developing as a rival to Google + and Facebook (News - Alert). And continuing with their sincerity as a rival brand, it announced an acquisition of Yammer, a respectable business social networking venue.

Social networks, phones and tablets are not the types of services that many would associate with Microsoft just yet, and virtually every effort the company has made in expanding their brand has been met with criticism. But just as Office 365 and Live@edu indicate, there is a place for Microsoft’s services in the evolving market. 

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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