微软多年来都做不好消费端的软件和服务。收购TikTok，微软图什么？
By Tom Warren
At first glance, a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok seems a little unusual. Microsoft has spent years walking back consumer plays like the Groove Music service, the Kinect Xbox accessory, its Microsoft Band fitness device, Windows Phone, and more recently the Mixer streaming service. Microsoft has been favoring its enterprise software and services, and even Cortana has transitioned to be productivity-focused. How does a service that caters to dancing teenagers fit with Microsoft’s buttoned-up business demographic?
乍看之下，微软对于TikTok的收购案有一些不同寻常。微软已经花费了数年的时间从自身的消费端业务中撤退，比如Groove音乐服务，Kinect Xbox的体感外设周边，Microsoft Band健身设备，Windows手机，还有最近的Mixer流游戏直播平台。同时期内，微软更加专注于自己的企业端软件和服务，甚至于连Cortana（微软小娜，微软第一款个人智能助理）也把重心放在了办公功能上。
Tiktok这样一个以跳舞青年为服务对象的app如何能和微软近年来所服务的沉稳庄重的商业人士融合在一起呢？
If you dig a little deeper into Microsoft’s future ambitions, though, a move to acquire TikTok’s operations in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand could benefit many of Microsoft’s existing businesses while also setting the company up as a real competitor to YouTube and Facebook.
但是，如果你对微软未来的野心挖掘得更深入一点，就能发现，收购TikTok的美国，加拿大，澳大利亚和新西兰业务能够为微软现有的业务带来诸多利益，并且能帮助它成为YouTube和Facebook的真正对手。
DATA, DATA, AND MORE DATA
数据，数据，还是数据
The key part of any TikTok deal will be the data and users Microsoft gains access to. This is the driving force behind concerns from the Trump administration over TikTok’s potential ties to the Chinese government and how that data might be misused. Microsoft acknowledges the data’s importance in its blog post confirming acquisition talks, noting that “Microsoft would ensure that all private data of TikTok’s American users is transferred to and remains in the United States.”
关于TikTok的交易，其最关键的部分就是它的数据，以及微软能够通过它所触及的用户群体。这也是特朗普政府担心TikTok与中国政府的关系和它的数据可能会被滥用的原因。微软在自己发布的确认收购事宜的博客中，承认了数据的重要性，并且强调“微软会确保所有TikTok美国用户的私人数据都会转移至并且储存在美国。”
This data could be used by Microsoft in a variety of ways. The software giant has long used Xbox Live to fuel parts of Microsoft Research for future software and hardware projects, and the usage data helps game developers and Microsoft better understand how people use their Xbox. Understanding how people interacted with and used the Kinect accessory for the Xbox ultimately helped Microsoft develop and improve HoloLens, too.
微软有多种运用这些数据的方式。这家软件业界的巨人从很早之前开始就把Xbox Live的数据用于未来的软件和硬件项目的研发，这些数据的使用可以帮助游戏开发者和微软更好地了解人们如何使用Xbox。对Xbox 的外部体感设备Kinect的用户使用习惯的了解，最终帮助微软研发并改进了HoloLens（一种微软研发的混合现实头戴式显示器）。
TikTok could help correct a Microsoft blindspot and even influence how other software and services are developed inside the company. Microsoft has all the data it needs on business usage of software, but it hasn’t been successful with pure consumer services in recent years, which has left the company with a gap of insight into consumer behaviors.
TikTok可以帮助微软补足自身的盲点，甚至还可以影响公司内部其他软件与服务的开发过程。微软有它所需要的所有商业软件的使用数据，但它在近年来，微软在纯消费者端的服务却并不成功，这也使得这家公司在消费者行为的认知方面有了短板。
That’s particularly relevant when you consider that a large number of young Americans are growing up in an environment dominated by Android, iOS, and Chromebooks in classrooms. With Gmail also dominating consumer email usage and document sharing through Google Docs, it’s possible to grow up in the US without needing any Microsoft software or services. Microsoft missed the mobile revolution and has been playing catch-up ever since, but it doesn’t want to miss an entire generation of future workers.
现在的情况尤为特殊：大量的美国年轻人们都是在被安卓, iOS和Chromebooks所主导的教室里成长起来的，那么收购TikTok对于微软来说就更关乎切身利益了。Gmail主宰了美国的消费者电邮市场，在文件分享领域占主导地位的也是来自谷歌的Google Docs，因此如今美国的新一代很有可能不需要依赖任何来自微软的软件和服务就能顺利成长。微软遗失了移动端革命的机会，在此之后就一直都扮演着追赶的角色，但它不想错失一整个代际的未来社会的顶梁柱们。
TikTok gives Microsoft a direct line to millions of youngsters using the app to watch videos and even those who use it to create content. Microsoft has tried desperately to adapt its Windows operating system to be more consumer-friendly with video creation apps, but TikTok offers an easy way for millions to create videos from their phones instead.
TikTok给微软一个直接抵达数百万使用此款app的青年人的 途径，甚至还能触及那些使用这款app来创作内容的年轻人们。微软曾经疯狂地想要将自家的Windows操作系统改造得更适合视频创作app的使用，但TikTok现在就给数百万人提供了一条使用自己的手机来创作内容的便利途径。
Microsoft could take advantage of that direct access to TikTok users with ads for Surface, Xbox, and other products, or even as another base for its game-streaming ambitions. Google is planning to leverage YouTube to integrate its Stadia streaming service, and TikTok would give Microsoft a response with xCloud game streaming. Microsoft had been planning to use Mixer for Xbox game streaming, but the service never gained enough traction, and the company was forced to strike a deal with Facebook for xCloud integration instead. It’s not hard to imagine watching a Call of Duty video on TikTok and then being able to click and instantly play the game as it streams to your phone via Microsoft’s xCloud service.
微软可以运用收购TikTok所得的用户的优势来为Surface, Xbox和其他产品打广告，或者把它当作支撑其游戏流媒体野心的另一个根据地。谷歌正在计划升级YouTube以包含它的Stadia串流游戏，而TikTok可以帮助微软借由xCloud云游戏予以还击。微软一直以来都计划为Xbox的流游戏使用自家的互动流媒体直播平台Mixer，但是这项服务却从来没有获得足够的用户数，微软也因此而不得不与Facebook为了xCloud的完整性而进行合作。而现在，微软已经可以设想让用户在TikTok上观看使命召唤的视频，然后点击视频并将游戏通过微软的xCloud服务流导入手机，从而立即在手机上开始游戏。
Microsoft also has broad ambitions for artificial intelligence that go beyond just the workplace. While its initial foray into AI-powered chatbots for consumers didn’t go to plan, Microsoft does need a consumer testing ground for its AI work that goes beyond Office. TikTok already utilizes AI for facial recognition with the app’s popular filters and in the recommendation engine that drives the For You feed. TikTok’s AI feed dictates exactly what you see in the app, and the algorithm improves the more people use TikTok.
微软在人工智能领域同样有着超越办公场景的野心。微软最初的一款为消费者设计的AI聊天 机械人 项目发展并没有达到预期，它的AI 工作的确需要一个超越办公场景的，消费端的试验场地。TikTok已经在自身流行的滤镜内和专属推送的推荐引擎中使用了人脸识别的AI技术。TikTok的AI推送掌控着你在app内看到的一切，而它背后的算法又促使更多的人来使用TikTok。
TikTok has also been venturing into augmented reality, with both filters and ads that utilize AR. Microsoft’s AR ambitions have been largely limited to its HoloLens hardware, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and some experiments on mobile with Minecraft. TikTok would be another gateway into the mobile world of AR for Microsoft.
TikTok同时在增强现实领域进行了冒险，它的滤镜和广告都使用了AR（增强现实技术）。微软的AR雄心却被禁锢在了HoloLens这一硬件设备、Windows Mixed Reality耳机和其他一些在手机端的《我的世界》的实验之上。TikTok会成为微软进入AR的移动端世界的另一个入口。
A COMPLICATED ACQUISITION
复杂的收购
Microsoft doesn’t offer any clues as to how its acquisition could directly affect TikTok features, apart from noting it “would build on the experience TikTok users currently love.” Exactly how Microsoft could operate TikTok in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand is unclear. This leaves large swathes of the world, particularly across Asia and Europe, with a version of TikTok that will potentially have different features to Microsoft’s version.
除了提到“将会在TikTok用户们现在热爱的使用体验上进行改进“以外 ，微软并没有就此次收购会给TikTok的功能带来哪些直接性的影响给出线索。微软具体将在美国，加拿大，澳大利亚和新西兰如何运作TikTok仍是未知数。这就带来了一种猜测，即全球，尤其是亚洲与欧洲地区的人们使用的TikTok的版本的功能，将有别于微软版本的TikTok的功能。
How Microsoft operates TikTok in the US and beyond will be key to its future success if the company is able to acquire operational control. One of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s first big acquisitions was Minecraft maker Mojang. It has been a huge success, particularly as Minecraft has continued to grow and Microsoft has largely left the Mojang studio to continue to develop the game independently.
如果能掌握运营控制权，微软如何在美国和以外的地区运营将是其能否成功的关键。微软CEO萨蒂亚·纳德拉的第一次大型并购就是收购《我的世界》的开发商Mojang。微软在《我的世界》之后的成长过程中保留了Mojang工作室自主开发的权利，使他们能继续独立设计这款游戏，这也是这次收购取得巨大成功的主要原因。
Equally, Nadella’s acquisition of LinkedIn for $26.2 billion has also been a success story for Microsoft. The company has been operating LinkedIn separately, with some clever integration points with Office where it makes sense. Microsoft has access to a giant enterprise social network to fend off competition from Google and Facebook in the workplace, and the company continues to dominate with Office as a result.
纳德拉对于LinkedIn的262亿美元的收购案也同样是一次微软商业史上成功的收购案例。这家公司一直独立运营着LinkedIn，而在一些有意义的地方又聪明地与Office产生了联动。微软借此与一家社交网络巨头有了连接，因此可以在工作场景中抵御来自谷歌和Facebook的竞争，结果就是这家公司一直得以继续用Office主导整个办公市场。
Even GitHub appears to be a successful acquisition for Microsoft. The software maker has also been operating this business separately, but again, it’s a key point of data for Microsoft to understand how developers are responding to the world’s app needs.
甚至GitHub对于微软来说，也算得上是一次成功的收购案例。这家软件制造商也一直独立于微软之外运营，但是同样的，微软得到了关键的数据，了解到了软件开发人员如何回应app世界的需求。
If Microsoft’s TikTok deal is successful, then it’s likely the company will also be run separately. Microsoft’s messy acquisitions of Skype and Nokia’s phone business have been lessons in how not to aggressively integrate businesses. Microsoft is also new to the world of content moderation and the associated headaches that brings, so it’s unlikely Microsoft will attempt to deeply integrate TikTok or re-brand it in any way. Acquiring TikTok in English-speaking countries also helps avoid some of the moderation complexity faced by Facebook and Twitter. Oddly, Microsoft doesn’t list TikTok’s UK operation as a target for acquisition. (The UK, US, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada are also intelligence sharing partners under the Five Eyes alliance.)
如果微软成功收购TikTok，这家公司也极有可能将继续独立运作。微软对Skype和诺基亚的电话业务的失败收购案，其得到的教训都是不要激进地整合业务。对于内容审核的世界来说，微软也同样是新人，更不熟悉由此而来的许多令人头疼的问题，因此微软不太可能会深度整合TikTok或者将其以任意形式进行品牌再造。在英语国家收购TikTok同时还能帮助微软规避一些Facebook 和Twitter所面临的内容审核方面的复杂问题。奇怪的是，微软并没有将英国的TikTok列入收购清单之中。（英国，美国，新西兰，澳大利亚和加拿大都是多国监听组织“五眼联盟”的成员国）
Running TikTok separately could allow Microsoft to leverage its all-important data and integration points but also position TikTok as the YouTube and Facebook rival Microsoft has always wanted. Microsoft teamed up with News Corporation and NBC Universal back in 2006 to launch its Soapbox on MSN Video service. It failed to compete with YouTube and was shut down a few years later, leaving Microsoft to adopt YouTube as the primary way it shares its own videos.
独立运营TikTok可以使得微软有能力提升对它来说至关重要的数据实力和整合能力，同时将TikTok放置在YouTube 和Facebook的对手的位置之上，而这也是微软一直所渴求的。微软在2006年的时候与新闻集团和NBC Universal联合，在MSN 视频服务上发布了Soapbox。但是其在与YouTube的竞争过程中败下阵来，几年后就关闭了，这使得微软只有采取YouTube作为分享自家视频的首要选择。
Microsoft also experimented with its own social network, Socl, back in 2012 before shutting down the service five years later. Microsoft always understood the potential for Facebook’s growth, after initially investing $240 million in Facebook back in 2007. TikTok is rapidly turning into the next big consumer social media space, acting as a direct competitor to Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, both in terms of scale and the features involved in sharing and commenting on videos.
微软还在2012年实验了自己的社交网络平台：Socl，五年后又将其关闭。微软一直以来都知道Facebook的成长潜力，早在2007年就为Facebook投资了2.4亿美元。TikTok现在正飞速地成长成为下一个巨型社交媒体空间，并且在规模与分享，评论视频等功能方面都成为了Snapchat, Instagram和Facebook的最直接的竞争对手。
It’s difficult to say exactly how Microsoft’s potential TikTok takeover will progress. It’s an unusual deal for the company, particularly with the US government’s ongoing threats. Microsoft doesn’t typically confirm it’s in acquisition talks before deals are made, and the company’s odd blog post specifically thanks President Trump for his personal involvement. The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft’s blog post may have been prompted specifically by allies of the president pressuring the company to acknowledge the deal publicly.
很难说微软针对TikTok的收购案最终会如何进行。这对于这家公司来说，这是一次不寻常的交易，尤其是在美国政府持续的威胁之下。通常情况下微软一般不会在收购案完成之前就做出承认，而这家公司的奇特的博客发言还特别感谢了特朗普总统个人的参与。华尔街时报报道说，微软在博客上承认收购很可能是受到了来自总统一方的压力。
It’s a complex deal, and Microsoft is trapped in it. Owning the network could benefit the company, but if it happens, it would also benefit President Trump, who could claim to have unwound one of China’s stickiest footholds in the US tech ecosystem. And he wouldn’t be shy about highlighting his involvement.
这是一次极为复杂的交易，而微软已经深陷其中。拥有这家公司可以使微软受益，但如果收购完成了特朗普总统也会受益，他可以宣称自己成功地打掉了中国在美国科技生态体系内最有力的立足点之一。而他本人一定不会就自己在这桩收购案中的参与而表示出谦虚态度。
There will likely be more twists and turns in the TikTok talks in the coming weeks, but now that Microsoft has committed to finishing these discussions no later than September 15th, the clock is TikTok-ing.
TikTok的谈判在即将到来的数周内应该还会经历更多迂回曲折，但就目前而言，微软已经承诺将于9月15日之前完成这些交涉，余下的时间已经不多了。
原载：2020年8月3日 The Verge； 翻译：杨赛