Next Windows, Office Named XP

Improved user experience is the main motif of Microsoft’s marketing efforts for the next versions of its desktop operating systems and business application suite. The new branding designation “XP” (the company’s way of abbreviating “experience”) for the next versions of Office and Windows signals Microsoft’s interest in appealing to the consumer market as it reintegrates its consumer and professional operating system (OS) code bases into a single code base.

That integration may be imperfect, however, given that server versions of the OS (code-named Whistler) are on a different development schedule than desktop clients, and may be given a name other than XP. With the possibility of yet more brands on the way, Microsoft’s branding strategy for its OS lacks clarity.

The Microsoft Experience

Superficially, Windows XP simply blends the stability and security of Windows 2000 with the consumer-oriented features of its Windows 9x line, such as support for the latest version of the DirectX API (used primarily for games); the video editing software that shipped with Windows ME; and broad support for music players and digital cameras.