Saving Microsoft: Zune Music

Firstly, it's important to say that none of these things will work purely on their own. Microsoft needs to bring all these services under the Zune banner as quickly as possible. The service itself will not be a unique idea or selling point, but the delivery and availability maybe!

The first step is creating the 'Zune Store'. Like iTunes it should sell Music, Movies and Games and the music streaming service should be integrated here also. Music bought should be DRM free MP3s and available to the entire Zune Family (and other MP3 compatible devices), by that i mean the music should download to the Zune store on your PC which can then be loaded onto your 'Zune OS' (more on that later) device and also pushed out to a Zune Entertainment Device such as the XBOX. Conversely, music bought on the XBOX or Zune OS device from the service should then be pushed down to an iTunes style 'Authorised PC'.

This is what Apple have done with iTunes and the iPod, they've made a service that is closely integrated and works. Microsoft would have the upper hand by saying that my Zune isn't the only place i want to view my content lets make it easy to get it elsewhere and make an integrated service that not only includes a Zune or Zune OS phone but links with the box under many people TVs - the XBOX. This is a fairly obvious way of getting people to use the Zune service rather than iTunes because it makes your content more widely available and on that note Microsoft could go one step further still.

DLNA is a set of standards which mean media devices are able to talk to each other. The Zune store should be fully DLNA compatible. This has two effects, the first is that it can push the Zune brand by proxy by signing distribution deals with 'Media Streamng' devices such as Philips Streamium range i.e. When you buy a Streamium it comes with the Zune Store software, the user installs it and the Zune Store software acts like a media server pushing out Music, Films and Pictures to DLNA compatible receivers. The second effect is one for the Microsoft brand image. By adopting an open stance and saying anyone who wants to can connect to our software (for free) can do so, you are endearing the consumer to you, why? Well it provides the consumer with more choice and more importantly they don't feel like they are being locked into a particular brand or technology road map, ironically this makes them more loyal and more likely to stick to one road map!

At the moment there is no 'Media Server' leading the market out right. Combine all the factors above and the Micrsoft Zune Store / Media Server software could become the defacto choice. If you can make the Zune software useful for more than loading an MP3 player with content then people may start to look at the Zune Media player because it has similar features to the iPod but fits more easily into the consumers media consumption.