3 ms·

Microsoft is no longer a growth company Ah, but it could be. There are plenty of other markets left to dominate under Microsoft's general heading of "we make s

by hugh3 15y ago

Microsoft is no longer a growth company Ah, but it could be. There are plenty of other markets left to dominate under Microsoft's general heading of "we make software for stuff", especially if they don't mind making hardware too (see Zune, Xbox). If they're worried about the tablet market, why not create their own tablet? Why did they make one attempt at the iPod market and then give up? Why aren't they pushing their Windows Mobile harder? Why aren't they doing more to go toe-to-toe with Apple? They have fifty billion dollars in cash, why not do something with it?

stcredzero 15y ago
There are plenty of other markets left to dominate under Microsoft's general heading of "we make software for stuff", especially if they don't mind making hardware too. There are tons of connectivity issues they can solve, or help solve through 3rd parties. This is also what Near Field comms are about.
lukeschlather 15y ago
Microsoft does a good job of making an easy to manage server/desktop ecosystem for any sized business (assuming they have at least some IT.) They do it better than anyone. Trying to break into other markets is if anything a mark that the management doesn't recognize their core competencies and is trying to overreach. What they should be working on is next generation CRM tools, directly competing with Oracle, IBM, and the businesses that rely on their overpriced stacks.
Duff 15y ago
We could have had the same discussion about IBM in 1986. Think about it. Microsoft is handcuffed by their success, because anything that threatens the holy trinity of OEM Windows Licensing, Office and corporate EAs is not going to be successful. The impact to short-term bottom line is too much... Look at 1986 IBM again as the example. Do you want to be the 1986 IBM salesmen who sells some PC-based application system for $500k to a bank... a bank who may replace the IBM PCs with Compaqs in 1988? Or do you want to be the guy who sells a $10M mainframe/software package with multi-year service agreements?
- hugh3 15y ago
  Your point about IBM confuses me. Are you saying that Microsoft is going to be like IBM (a slow decline for another decades, followed by a huge boom ten years later)? Or that Microsoft should follow IBM's example by giving up on the consumer market? There's many ways to make a buck -- Apple has chosen one, IBM another, and neither is obviously better than the other.

by hugh3 15y ago

stcredzero 15y ago

There are plenty of other markets left to dominate under Microsoft's general heading of "we make software for stuff", especially if they don't mind making hardware too. There are tons of connectivity issues they can solve, or help solve through 3rd parties. This is also what Near Field comms are about.

lukeschlather 15y ago

Microsoft does a good job of making an easy to manage server/desktop ecosystem for any sized business (assuming they have at least some IT.) They do it better than anyone. Trying to break into other markets is if anything a mark that the management doesn't recognize their core competencies and is trying to overreach. What they should be working on is next generation CRM tools, directly competing with Oracle, IBM, and the businesses that rely on their overpriced stacks.

Duff 15y ago

We could have had the same discussion about IBM in 1986. Think about it. Microsoft is handcuffed by their success, because anything that threatens the holy trinity of OEM Windows Licensing, Office and corporate EAs is not going to be successful. The impact to short-term bottom line is too much... Look at 1986 IBM again as the example. Do you want to be the 1986 IBM salesmen who sells some PC-based application system for $500k to a bank... a bank who may replace the IBM PCs with Compaqs in 1988? Or do you want to be the guy who sells a $10M mainframe/software package with multi-year service agreements?

hugh3 15y ago
Your point about IBM confuses me. Are you saying that Microsoft is going to be like IBM (a slow decline for another decades, followed by a huge boom ten years later)? Or that Microsoft should follow IBM's example by giving up on the consumer market? There's many ways to make a buck -- Apple has chosen one, IBM another, and neither is obviously better than the other.