3 ms·

I'm puzzled why Microsoft is not on the list

jasonv 6y ago
Per the post, the investigation is about "the dominance of a small number of digital platforms". Which digital platform is Microsoft dominant in? I don't see an answer that's on the level of the ways the other 4 are dominant these days (AWS, social, appstore/search/Youtube, app store). My suspicion -- offered without supporting evidence -- is Microsoft had their say, and has had no small role in supporting this investigation.
- TrueDuality 6y ago
  I suspect Amazon is not in hot water for AWS, there are major competing platforms and AFAIK no sketchy anti-competitive behaviour there. I'd have to guess its for their "market" business. They've been using pricing data from third parties and their own in house brands to take business from those third parties. There is also rampant illegitimate reprinting of independent book publishers.
  - jasonv 6y ago
    Yes, good point. That makes sense. EDIT: I thought it, but I think AWS might at least get mentioned. To your point, I also spent some time writing external pricing engines for an e-commerce channel push up to some of the marketplaces. We optimized pricing for buy box participation, but it'd be easy to write the whole thing off as unbalanced by disparate forces, Amazon itself being the most obvious. We re-priced based on the data we extracted from Amazon.
  - screye 6y ago
    AWS is in constant competition with Azure and to a lesser degree GCP clawing it's way back. The competitors have both the resources and the aggressive commitment. AWS may be the leader, but it not a position that is easily maintained.
  - creato 6y ago
    > There is also rampant illegitimate reprinting of independent book publishers. And rampant fraud enabled by "comingling" in the rest of their market.
- amanaplanacanal 6y ago
  I’m not sure what platform Apple is dominant in either. I’m currently an iPhone user, but have used android in the past and switching back wouldn’t be burdensome. Yes they have their App Store, but iOS is a minor platform.
claudiulodro 6y ago
Just for discussion, do you think Microsoft's dominance has increased or decreased since they last had antitrust action against them in the 90s?
- chrisco255 6y ago
  Yeah, Microsoft has become huge, but if you want to avoid MS products or services, it's very practical to do so these days. That wasn't the case in late 90s/early 2000s.
  - loudmax 6y ago
    Unless you happen to need to exchange Office type documents with other entities. In that case you'll need the MS Office suite for compatibility. Or your business needs niche software that only happens to exist for Windows. Or if your business's core competency isn't technology related and you don't want to pay a premium for Apple products or hire a top tier IT staff to manage open source infrastructure. Get out of the tech industry and see what most enterprise IT infrastructure looks like. It does not look like a healthy competitive market.
    - mercer 6y ago
      I'm inclined to believe Microsoft still doesn't quite has the (understandably challenged) dominance it once had, but your comment gives me pause. Perhaps its stranglehold is still worth challenging? EDIT: Playing fast and loose, my characterization of the current climate is that the monopoly is more diffuse, shared with Google and Apple and Facebook, but the end result is that we've ended up with a 'triopoly' that is just as dangerous as Microsoft's monopoly was at one point in time. We're not that much better off, and the arsenal of countermeasures is much weaker in dealing with these new monopolies.
- wolco 6y ago
  I would say increased but at a lower rate than apple or google.

Per the post, the investigation is about "the dominance of a small number of digital platforms". Which digital platform is Microsoft dominant in? I don't see an answer that's on the level of the ways the other 4 are dominant these days (AWS, social, appstore/search/Youtube, app store). My suspicion -- offered without supporting evidence -- is Microsoft had their say, and has had no small role in supporting this investigation.

TrueDuality 6y ago
I suspect Amazon is not in hot water for AWS, there are major competing platforms and AFAIK no sketchy anti-competitive behaviour there. I'd have to guess its for their "market" business. They've been using pricing data from third parties and their own in house brands to take business from those third parties. There is also rampant illegitimate reprinting of independent book publishers.
- jasonv 6y ago
  Yes, good point. That makes sense. EDIT: I thought it, but I think AWS might at least get mentioned. To your point, I also spent some time writing external pricing engines for an e-commerce channel push up to some of the marketplaces. We optimized pricing for buy box participation, but it'd be easy to write the whole thing off as unbalanced by disparate forces, Amazon itself being the most obvious. We re-priced based on the data we extracted from Amazon.
- screye 6y ago
  AWS is in constant competition with Azure and to a lesser degree GCP clawing it's way back. The competitors have both the resources and the aggressive commitment. AWS may be the leader, but it not a position that is easily maintained.
- creato 6y ago
  > There is also rampant illegitimate reprinting of independent book publishers. And rampant fraud enabled by "comingling" in the rest of their market.
amanaplanacanal 6y ago
I’m not sure what platform Apple is dominant in either. I’m currently an iPhone user, but have used android in the past and switching back wouldn’t be burdensome. Yes they have their App Store, but iOS is a minor platform.

claudiulodro 6y ago

Just for discussion, do you think Microsoft's dominance has increased or decreased since they last had antitrust action against them in the 90s?

chrisco255 6y ago
Yeah, Microsoft has become huge, but if you want to avoid MS products or services, it's very practical to do so these days. That wasn't the case in late 90s/early 2000s.
- loudmax 6y ago
  Unless you happen to need to exchange Office type documents with other entities. In that case you'll need the MS Office suite for compatibility. Or your business needs niche software that only happens to exist for Windows. Or if your business's core competency isn't technology related and you don't want to pay a premium for Apple products or hire a top tier IT staff to manage open source infrastructure. Get out of the tech industry and see what most enterprise IT infrastructure looks like. It does not look like a healthy competitive market.
  - mercer 6y ago
    I'm inclined to believe Microsoft still doesn't quite has the (understandably challenged) dominance it once had, but your comment gives me pause. Perhaps its stranglehold is still worth challenging? EDIT: Playing fast and loose, my characterization of the current climate is that the monopoly is more diffuse, shared with Google and Apple and Facebook, but the end result is that we've ended up with a 'triopoly' that is just as dangerous as Microsoft's monopoly was at one point in time. We're not that much better off, and the arsenal of countermeasures is much weaker in dealing with these new monopolies.
wolco 6y ago
I would say increased but at a lower rate than apple or google.