Monitoring MSFT: Office for iPad, OneDrive, Dynamics CRM Updates

Now that the Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella appointment is old news, this week we’ll return our focus at Monitoring MSFT to product news. From SkyDrive to OneDrive to Lync to Skype to Dynamics CRM, we’ve got your update right here. Plus, is there more news coming about Microsoft Office on iPad? Read on to find out.

It’s official. Microsoft has rebranded SkyDrive, its online file storage and sharing service. OneDrive is now live and includes new features such as additional storage and payment options as well as a greater focus on platform interoperability. Check out the full story here.

Lync and Skype

Microsoft reports that it on track to deliver the video chat interoperability by mid-2014 of its internally developed Lync messaging and presence service with the consumer-focused app Skype (an acquisition.) The company demonstrated interoperability between the two technologies at the Lync conference in Las Vegas this week, according to SuperSite for Windows blogger Paul Thurrott. Check out more here.

Dynamics CRM

And Dynamics CRM is getting some new updates both online and on-premise. Updates for Microsoft Dynamics Marketing and Social Listening are on the way. There’s also an update coming to the core Dynamics CRM release that will add new customer care functionality that supplements capabilities provided by Microsoft’s Parature acquisition, according to blogger Mary Jo Foley. Parature offers a unified service desk for call-center users. Read more here.

Microsoft Office on iPad

Foley and Thurrott also update us on something that’s been on the wish lists of many – Microsoft Office on iPad. Foley reports it’s alive and coming sooner than we may think. Here are the details from her, and here’s Thurrott’s take.

Another shift that may or may not affect your end customers: Microsoft has released information on pricing for Oracle software running on Windows Azure. Here’s how the pricing and licensing will work.

Tech How-to

If you are looking for some practical, hands-on material, check out the following articles we’ve collected for you this week.

Finally, blogger Thurrott leaves us with a perspective on Microsoft’s evolution as the whole industry moves to devices and services. Check it out here.