theregoesdave

Live Mesh is the new cross-platform product from Microsoft that allows you to share you data and applications across the desktop, web and mobile platforms. We’ll brush idly by the cheap shot that it’s only available for Microsoft’s platforms and look at their goals and whether or not the underlying philosophy is sound.

Here is the Mesh value proposition in their words and evaluate them individually:

• “Unified Device Management” – enabling your devices to report into a common service, for status, for health, or to report their location.
• “Unified Data Management”- or the transparent synchronization of files, folders, documents & media, the bi-directional synchronization of arbitrary feeds, of all kinds, across your devices and the web.
• “Unified Application Management” – for centralized web-based deployment of apps across the devices you own.
• “Centralized Management” – where you could configure and personalize your devices and remote control into them from just about anywhere.

First comes “Unified Device Management.” This seems like a critical component of an Enterprise strategy, but really serves no useful purpose for the home user. I don’t need you to poll my phone to make sure it’s working properly, I’ll know well before you do. For managing installed application licenses in a large company or tracking assets fine.

Next comes “Unified Data Management.” The goal of cloud computing is to remove the need to sync files and documents across platforms and make them accessible via the web. I probably don’t want *all* of my music library on my Personal Media Device and I want to choose what that is. This seems like a play to hold onto customers that are migrating to this web thing using unnecessarily complex software.

Now we get to “Unified Application Management,” which bears some potential use. Deploying applications that can allow you to access your data from every platform is hot. A personal finance application that syncs between a web, desktop and mobile application is incredible useful. Much of this could be done via the cloud as well, but this could add a level of control over data and access. Score one for Redmond.

Lastly Mesh promises “Centralized Management” especially in terms of configuration and customization across platforms. If you’ve ever spent hours on a phone or personal media device trying to get the menus and themes set up correctly, you know how helpful this could be. As long as it’s not built on the ActiveSync Pocket PC platform, they might have a shot at making this useful. Windows Mobile users know how much of a bane syncing can be, so let’s not run before we walk. However, since Ray Ozzie is involved, I’ll give them credit for the idea and wait to see on the implementation.

Overall, this is a grandiose idea that is not likely to see any real value until there are more applications built on top of it. We’ll see how it looks once people start really getting their hands on it.

• ODROID helps Android get its game on
• Slingplayer Mobile coming to an iPhone near you
• AOL Open Mobile Platform
• Google Sync for Blackberry gets contacts
• Nokia 6260 slider with gps, camera and flash