Take the information with you, right off the desktop, any desktop

As it is proving so often to be the case, acting as a facilitator, Microsoft Tag brings nothing but greater utility to mobile devices. In the instant case, joining up with IE8 Accelerators, allows anyone with the Microsoft Tag reader to capture information right off any computer screen and take it with them.

Not only can all your Windows stuff go with you but now using an IE8 Accelerator you can create a Microsoft Tag for any selected text or hyperlink.  There are limits to how much text but for all practical purposes when you just want to grab some some information to go, it is simple, quick and works with any mobile device that can use the Microsoft Tag reader.

Adding the LunaTagLink or LunaTagText accelerators to Internet Explorer 8, gives you the ability to select a hyperlink or text on your desktop and transfer it to a mobile device. Simply select what you want on your screen, right-click to open the context menu and then choose your accelerator to capture a link or text. The resulting Tag appears almost instantly.

That really doesn’t sound like such a big deal and if you are at your own desk, you might already have your mobile device cradled or you could be connected by Wi-Fi. In those cases, it might be easier to just drag and drop.

In other situations, an accelerator might be the way to go; for example, if you were on your way to a meeting and you saw something pertinent on someone else’s screen. They could email you, or you could reconnect or you could simply ask them to “Tag it” for you and one snap later you have what you want.

Right now Microsoft Tag only provides for mobile phone-centric data types, such as text, phone number, SMS and contacts. However, once it becomes clear that Tag has life beyond mobile, we expect that many additional types will be added to Tag’s repertoire; perhaps a picture or maybe an Excel Spreadsheet.

Again, there are other ways to transfer data but on the spur of the moment, Microsoft Tag is a compelling option. If nothing else, it is another tool, another piece of utility for mobile and when you think it through another step toward freeing yourself from the desktop. It also provide a glimpse into an even greater potential for all mobile devices to interact with the web, since other browsers have extensibility similar to accelerators, with which to generate Tags.

Once again the underlying theme to this site is about vast opportunities for Tag. While, these accelerators are just another piece of utility, they also demonstrate the point that Microsoft Tag can bridge the gap between different technologies. Whether you have a mobile phone or a new iPad or the perfect device that lies somewhere in between, the real world is one of mobility and one where Tag technologies are key.

The pace of change is accelerating. While others ponder Web 2.0, Microsoft Tag is going to drive 3.0 and beyond. When you come right down to it, Microsoft Tag and Windows Azure can usher in a whole new business model. One based on opt-in advertising and microsites, that present a new opportunity to have a global presence without the hassle of a website.

While it may not be the case for larger corporations, many smaller companies do not want or cannot afford the cost of creating and administering a full blown web site. Often, we hear, “I just want a presence” or “I only want to post a few flyers”. Even more often, people just do not want the headaches of having to deal with the technology and/or it’s so called experts. In these cases, a few pages in a shared, hosted environment like Azure, is all they need. Encapsulate all the connectivity into a few Tags and the needs of thousands of small businesses are met.

For Microsoft, this is yet another example of how to monetize the technology. For many businesses, a couple of Tags and some html or xml stored out in the cloud is all that is required. A nice simple fee based service with almost no overhead and minimal cost.