Microsoft Says Farewell to "Mobile-First" Slogan - Falls for the AI-Trend

That somewhat annoying mobile-first mantra is now gone...

Microsoft is finally publicly albeit to ditching its mobile-first strategy. Since Satya Nadella replaced Steve Ballmer, Microsoft has been endlessly promoting a mobile-first and cloud-first image, which irked many of its consumers when they saw desktop getting way more attention than mobile. Since the release of Windows 10 in July 2015, fans have criticized the company'southward lack of devotion to the mobile operating system. From delayed Insider Preview builds to lack of features, Windows 10 Mobile and devices were certainly put on the dorsum burner.

However, it wasn't until now that Microsoft officially confirmed this change in form. In its almanac report, Microsoft has shared that the visitor is now focused on artificial intelligence and has removed the usual mobile-kickoff terminology from this twelvemonth's written report. Its vision statement in the company's almanac report for 2017 fiscal year reads (emphasis is ours):

Microsoft is a technology company whose mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to reach more. Nosotros strive to create local opportunity, growth, and touch in every country effectually the earth. Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with artificial intelligence ("AI").

While the "cloud" is yet there, mobile is certainly gone from Microsoft'south ambitions. Previously, the visitor has focused on "mobile-start and cloud-outset" in both its 2015 and 2016 vision statements. The annual reports used to read (emphasis is ours):

Microsoft is a technology company whose mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for a mobile-first, deject-first world.

While it'south not likely that Microsoft will completely ditch all its mobile efforts, the recent filing confirms that it has set different priorities now, with repeated mention of AI.

AI will be pervasive beyond devices, applications, and infrastructure to drive insights and human activity on the user's behalf. Azure is as well unique in its back up for emerging applications so that Internet of Things ("IoT") devices can human action locally at the border while taking advantage of the cloud for global coordination and machine learning at scale.

Google's Sundar Pichai was probably the commencement to say that the world is shifting from mobile-first to AI-first. It is unclear if the Redmond tech giant will succeed in its efforts to now get the AI-leader, since Apple tree and Google have been at information technology for a long time with a clearer strategy and likewise take access to their growing mobile markets. Non to forget Amazon'southward Alexa, IBM'due south Watson, and Facebook's growing investments in AI inquiry.

Microsoft has been investing more than and more in AI for the last few months. The visitor established a new artificial intelligence and research unit nether Harry Shum and pulled engineers from the Cortana, Bing, robotics, and other units nether one umbrella. Microsoft also recently announced designing AI chips to power its next-gen HoloLens virtual reality device.

-Nosotros accept reached out to Microsoft for a annotate on this change in strategy; we volition update this space with the company's response.