Microsoft has uncharacteristically "missed an opportunity" to spin its recent decision to cancel the Windows File System (WinFS) as a positive step that will allow it to focus more effectively on the web.

A recent advisory by Gartner vice president and fellow David Mitchell Smith stated: "Microsoft missed a significant opportunity to turn this potentially negative announcement into a positive.

"It could have been chosen to show that Ray Ozzie as the new chief software architect is beginning his drive towards Windows Live by terminating projects that do not align with it.

"Despite the company's reluctance to point it out, we believe that Ray Ozzie is having an immediate positive impact by making the decision to end WinFS. He should gain respect internally and externally as a result."

According to Gartner, WinFS is a "monolithic software component that has come to an end, though the vision for integrated storage has not".

The analyst firm noted that WinFS was to have had an application programming interface as well as search capabilities, but Microsoft has had difficulty describing a compelling need for WinFS beyond the 80 per cent 'good enough' offering via simple search.

An equivalent 80 per cent 'good enough' solution is now available from desktop search solutions from Microsoft, Google, X1 and others, and is in Windows Vista beta.