Introducing the Microsoft Store US
We previously launched Microso
ft Store internationally in the UK, Germany and Korea. I’m now happy to announce that we have officially launched Microsoft Store for the U.S!
With this launch, our customers in the U.S. are able to buy first-party software and hardware directly from Microsoft offered in a comprehensive online catalog. On our store, you’ll find products from many categories, ranging from Office 2007 Home and Student and Zoo Tycoon 2 to Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers and the new Zune with that cool Buy from FM feature.
Buy and ship … or buy and download!
In addition to shipping fully packaged products to your doorstep, we offer the additional advantage by making available many Microsoft products to buy and download. This is also commonly referred to as Electronic Software Distribution (ESD).
You pay for an ESD product just like you would for one that would be physically shipped to you. The big difference is that after your payment is confirmed, you can immediately download the product to your computer and install it right away. There is no longer any need to pay for shipping costs and waiting for the big brown truck to drive across the country. You’ll be able to enjoy your software almost immediately – all it takes is the download time of the product, which will vary depending on the size of the digital download.
The obvious fear for most users buying ESD products is not having the software on physical media to re-install the product at a later time. Microsoft Store solves this by letting you re-download the product until mainstream support for the product ends. Typically this is 5 years after the product is released. You always have the option of copying the downloaded products to physical media if you want to have it available longer than the mainstream support lifetime. (You can look up the mainstream support lifecycles for all Microsoft products on the main Microsoft Help and Support site.)
Advantages of buying ESD
First, buying ESD gives you the advantage of perpetual storage of your product keys. For all ESD purchases on Microsoft Store, there is no longer any need to keep a software box, CD jewel case or obscure email around for future reference. Your product key is stored in your Microsoft Store Account alongside your purchase history so you can use it to re-install your software at any time. Convenience anyone?
Second, buying ESD is also better for the environment. I’m not going to get all granola on you and try to quote you an exact environmental impact, but think of the savings of gasoline in shipping products, driving back and forth in your car to a retail store, or even the plastic manufactured and used for the CD jewel cases. With everyone getting worried about their “carbon footprint”, every little bit counts, so why not buy ESD if you can?
Lastly, in a world where lighter weight laptops, such as netbooks, are becoming more common, ESD makes things easier when an optical drive isn’t easily accessible. The first thing I do when I setup a new machine at home, is to run Windows update, and download all the freeware I use such as 7-zip. By extending ESD to Microsoft software, we’re able to increase convenience across the board for a variety of customers, regardless of whether they are using a speedy desktop gaming PC, or the latest netbook.
The Excitement!
Building and launching Microsoft Store for the company is one of the biggest highlights of my career at Microsoft. It has given me tremendous insight, and respect for the complexities of being a retailer, doing business online, and in particular, venturing into the sale and shipment of physical goods.
Looking back at time on the Windows Live ID team, this release was actually relatively short. After 5 years driving one of the world’s largest web services, it was refreshing to deal with a completely different set of challenges, such as supply chain, payment processing, taxes and even how to optimize bit delivery for ESD downloads. It truly has been a humbling learning experience.
Thankfully I work with an incredible team, who not only are as enthusiastic as I am about the product and our customers, but also have the commitment to buckle down and do whatever necessary to ship our product on time.
Tell us what you think!
We’ve spent a tremendous amount of time designing the site to be both “pretty” and functional (my designers are going to kill me for using the word “pretty”). We’ve really taken it to heart to make it easy for customers to find products, buy those products and also make the ESD experience as user friendly as possible.
However, as with any product, there are always improvements that can be made. Take some time to check out the Microsoft Store and let me know what you think.
Additionally, if you want to follow what’s going on with Microsoft Store or other stuff on my mind, follow me on Twitter.
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Congrats Trevin!!
Bryan Starbuck
14 Nov 08 at 7:15 am
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14 Nov 08 at 9:03 am
Trevin: Any support for a merchant account like Amazon Associates where sites can get a commission for links sent your way? How about an Associates store like this one – http://www.gottabemobile.com/gbm-amazon-store ?
Rob Bushway
14 Nov 08 at 9:29 am
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14 Nov 08 at 9:58 am
What about Windows Marketplace and Digital Locker? Will the purchases I’ve made there be transferred or can they be? Now I have to worry about managing two different things? Is MS going to discontinue Windows Marketplace? Will I lose my purchase history with them?
GR.
Steve
14 Nov 08 at 12:14 pm
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Steve:
With the launch of Microsoft Store, Windows Marketplace we will be shut down as an e-commerce site. The “Digital Locker” service will remain operational through the first half of 2009, and we’ll be sending out emails and web communications to help customers with any transition away from Digital Locker.
Trevin
14 Nov 08 at 7:21 pm
Well cool. I don’t mind “transitioning.” I’ve already checked out the new site, and I like it a lot. But I just am still wondering, will I or can be able to transfer my histroy with Windows Marketplace over, so that my Software, Product keys will be available with the new site?
Maybe I should just wait until further action takes it’s course, but still these are things others will query I’m sure. Perhaps on the front page of the new Microsoft Store site, there should be a link titled something to the effect of “Regarding Windows Market Place Purchases and History for established users…” that others can click and read an informational about what will and is going to happen.
Thank you for even replying. That was amazing.
Steve
14 Nov 08 at 7:44 pm
Steve: I’m glad I could help provide some information for you. When we have more info and specifics around the decommissioning of Windows Marketplace, we’ll be sure to share it very broadly.
Trevin
14 Nov 08 at 7:46 pm
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16 Nov 08 at 1:49 am
Two relevant questions, here…will MS’s applications actually WORK AS EXPECTED, and will the words “ON SALE” EVER appear in this new “store?” I doubt it, on both issues. Yawn! Nothing’s changed, really, except now MS has added a new trumpet to it’s brass section!
Dean
16 Nov 08 at 8:01 am
What’s THAT supposed to mean? Of course the software works as expected. Software isn’t programed to operate and function on it’s own once it’s installed is it? Because if it is, then we can take away the blame on the actual USERS instead and rightfully blame the software for not “working as expected.” Eh? Otherwise, issues like that lye solely in the user configurations. If a person knows what they are doing, has their system set up correctly and everything works fine, installing any new software should present no troubles. So, in conclusion, I would have to say will the Users use the software as expected? Or will they try some out of line configuration or set up that will cause it to not work correctly?
In hopes that most people are normal and don’t go outside of that realm, MS develops and markets it’s software for those kinds of people, I would think. So in which case, it has always worked without any troubles for me.
As for as “On sale.” Everyone’s lookin’ to save a buck or not spend a little more aren’t they? This country is so cheap anymore I swear. But let’s stay focused. We’re talking about “software.” Software just doesn’t go “On Sale” until something better comes out to replace it. So, if it is on sale, it’s probably ‘out dated.’
Steve
16 Nov 08 at 10:51 am
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Two important issues for me:
1) On the experience: Microsoft Store looks nice, but on trial it seems to be missing an important bit of information that I tend to want to know prior to buying via download. It wasn’t obvious how BIG the download was going to be and thus I (and I assume many others) would bail out of this experience part way through it.
2) On biz model/channel conflict: First thing I did was check Amazon. Office Home and Student 2007 was $85 versus $150 on store.microsoft.com. I realize you have a channel conflict issue here and you can’t afford to piss off the biggest online retailer, so the question is left in my mind, who would buy MSFT products this way? And thus, why does MSFT need this direct online channel at all? Why not enable Amazon, etc. to sell via download as well?
Cheers,
Ralph
RalphF
17 Nov 08 at 1:54 pm
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18 Nov 08 at 3:21 am
RalphF: Thanks for the feedback.
On the issue of telling you the download size prior to purchase, we are definitely working on that and will be adding that in a future release.
As for the issue on the apparent high prices on Microsoft Store, check out my more recent blog post titled Why are products more expensive on Microsoft Store, which should help provide insight into our pricing.
Trevin
24 Nov 08 at 2:13 am
[...] downloads of its software, and offer remote access to product keys. According to Microsoft’s Trevin Chow; “There is no longer any need to pay for shipping costs and waiting for the big brown truck [...]
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13 Dec 08 at 3:31 pm
The obvious question for a non-French/German/UK Europeean is when do you launch more widely ? In my case Norway ! Atleast for ESD (I can buy ESD software free of Norwegian salestax from overseas).
Dag Jacobsen
19 Jan 09 at 11:23 pm
there are more good information!
modular homes
1 Jul 10 at 9:20 am
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