Clarification of Googles intentions on Postini deal

So Mitchell and the Hoff-meister both disagree with me on Googles intentions with the Postini deal.  They say no doubt about it, this is clearly a shot at Microsoft.  Well anytime Mitchell and Chris get together in an axis of evil without me, you have to ask why.  I did and actually commented on Christofer's article about it.  So let me take a quick moment and clarify what I said, so even Mitchell and Chris understand.

I am not saying that this is not going to put Google in competition with Microsoft or that this does not give Google a "foot-in-the-door".  I am also not saying that email is not a killer app (Mitchell, email a killer app?  That is so 1998).  What I am saying is that this is not as much about Google versus Microsoft, as it is software as a service versus traditional software.  This is equally a shot against any software vendor who delivers software the traditional way.  It just so happens that Microsoft is the dominant player in the traditional software world.

The fact is though that Microsoft itself is also moving into the SaaS world with their Windows Live line of SaaS. Microsoft agrees with Google that SaaS seems to be rising tide.  That is where the real Google vs. Microsoft battle will take place.