Microsoft hopes new photo tool will boost WindowsMicrosoft likes digital photography enthusiasts as customers, and it plans to release a free new utility designed to keep them wedded to Windows.
) Microsoft's Pro Photo Tools lets photographers geotag their photos and show where they are on a map. (click for larger image) (Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks) "People are doing a lot more geotagging, but it's still somewhat cumbersome," said Josh Weisberg, Microsoft's director of Digital Imaging Evangelism. "We want to make it mainstream." Geotagging is just the opening salvo, though. Pro Photo Tools can be extended with new features; Microsoft is working on some and considering whether to allow other companies to join in, Weisberg said. "We've talked about making it extensible to third parties, but...It's a big question. I haven't decided yet whether we're going to do it," Weisberg said. Looking at the digital photography software market, it's easy to imagine Adobe Systems as a competitor. But it looks to us like this is actually positioned more against Apple whose computers are popular among "creative professionals" and come with iPhoto editing software. Weisberg shied away from competitive analysis, but agreed that Pro Photo Tools is designed to help make Windows more compelling. "It's focused on making the platform better for photographers," Weisberg said. He also views Pro Photo Tools as a strong statement about what Microsoft can accomplish by building off its existing Windows infrastructure. "One hundred days ago, I wrote a memo," launching the project. "One hundred days later, we have a product. That's not typical Microsoft." |
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