Microsoft officially gives up on mobile in latest SEC filing

We posted earlier today that Microsoft had fully capitulated in their attempts to penetrate the mobile world, first with phones and now with tablets,  and now in their latest SEC filing the company has confirmed that mobile is no longer part of Microsoft’s strategic vision.

Specifically in the  corporate vision statement section of the document Microsoft writes:

“Our strategic vision is to compete and grow by building best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with AI.”

Previously this stated:

“Our strategic vision is to compete and grow as a productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world.”

Microsoft is clearly in love with AI, with six references to AI, up from zero in the previous annual report, and AI specifically replacing mobile in the statement. Microsoft has also established a formal AI and Research group which “focuses on our AI development and other forward-looking research and development efforts spanning infrastructure, services, applications and search,” the annual report says and has been infusing AI systems into many of their software offerings.

Microsoft however already faces fierce competition from the likes of Google and Facebook in this arena, and it remains to be seen whether Microsoft will be more successful with bots than phones.