Over on Rough Type, Nick suggests a possible major announcement out of Redmond in the next little while. Nick saya that he’s heard;

that Microsoft has begun briefing its large enterprise clients on an expansive and detailed strategy for moving its software business into the cloud. If the report proves correct – and I make no guarantees – the company will unveil the strategy to the public either next week or the week after.

Just the other day I wrote a post about moving enterprise to SaaS solutions, my two major bugbears were corporate IT’s security concerns and worries about loss of control. I contended that neither of these issues were as critical as some would make out, others disagreed with my perspective.

It has been suggested that Google Site and Apps Team Edition are attempts to subvert corporate IT by the backdoor. If Nick’s prophesies are proved correct, they will most  likely take a very front and centre approach, convincing CIOs head on that a move to the clouds is the best solution.

I wonder then what all the naysayers who have been discounting SaaS, and a move to the clouds in general, will have to say once it’s a Redmond sanctioned (and pushed) strategy. The big question is how will MS soothe CIOs fears of loss of control of their self created empires? What will they do to convince them that SaaS is both the best practice solution, while at the same not threatening their own position – what solutions will they come up with to create certainty over security and control?

Watch this space!