Microsoft has been - and still is - slow to make an entry into the tablet market, and so far its plans have been less than clear.
Now, though, ZDNet has managed to get hold of a presentation giving a few more details the software-giant's strategy for fighting Apple's seemingly-unstoppable slate from encroaching on the enterprise market. It would seem that the focus is on preparing partners for a war of words against Cupertino, effectively attempting to highlight the weaknesses of the iPad in the business world.
The deck points out some of the strengths of Windows 7-based devices for businesses, including support for DRM protected documents, videoconferencing, Flash and Silverlight and a variety of input methods. It also highlights the ability to choose different hardware configurations from different vendors as well as the ability to easily integrate the slates into an existing enterprise infrastructure.
The presentation then goes on to point out how a partner might convince a business to adopt a Windows 7 tablet, depending on whether or not they are already committed to the iPad.
On paper, Windows-based slates do have a lot going for them, especially for businesses already running on a Microsoft-heavy infrastructure. However, the deck only brushes past the crucial issues of battery life and usability that swing the argument heavily in Apple's favour.
Unfortunately, there's no sign of any positive strategy here. The deck makes no mention of the anticipated tablet-optimised version of Windows 8, or of any other touch-focussed platform that the company might be working on. For the time being, it looks like Microsoft is just trying to run damage control while it works on a more suitable solution.
