06/18/2008, 3:30pm, EDT
Wednesday, June 18thWSJ: MS should ignore Google, fend off Apple
Microsoft should divert some of its attention away from Google and concentrate on Apple, argues the Wall Street Journal. Although Microsoft faces stiff competition from Google, particularly after the latter's deals with DoubleClick and Yahoo, Apple is said to be rapidly encroaching on territory once held sacred, such as the smartphone market. Apple has the attention of the American public whereas Microsoft does not, the Journal writes. Windows Mobile is used on a number of third-party smartphones, but these are already losing some ground to the iPhone.
The most serious threat may be in Apple's desire to thrust the iPhone into the enterprise realm, through support for features like increased security and push e-mail. While all smartphone manufacturers may be at risk, Apple is encouraging widespread native software development, which may not only attract consumer Mac sales, but also businesses looking to ensure maximum compatibility.
Microsoft is also said to have made some critical blunders, such as the Zune, which was intended to combat the iPod but has become just another competitor, in spite of massive investment and an improved second generation. For a time, the player was incompatible with its flagship Windows Vista operating system.
Filed under: iPhone, industry, enterprise, Apple
Other story tags: Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, DoubleClick
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SHHHH
Don't speak to loudly someone in Redmond might be listening!
ahh...
But you're assuming Ballmer is capable of listening and actually using what he hears to enact a business plan... and I'm afraid that may be entirely too much to expect of our dear monkey-boy ;) All kidding aside, though, it's never great when someone calls attention to anything that may threaten Microsoft's stranglehold. Of course, the more superiority-through-sheer-brute-force-slinging-around-of-capital (that's a technical term) they try and fail with, the weaker they get.
deep draft, small tiller
Whether out or narcissism, complacency, or a less-than-forward-thinking business model, MS is slow to respond changes in the industry. At best, they try to copy and monopolize their way out front. For the last two decades, this has slowly begun to fail.
When you top this combo off with a top exec. who thinks he can dictate success and it will just happen, and there's little chance of avoiding the reef that's dead ahead of M$'s current paths.
Maybe they've given up trying to over take Apple, or maybe they want to grow in a different direction so they can throw money at their continued failings in trying to compete with Apple. That's a well-used gameplan in the MS playbook. My thoughts have them working along the lines of, "Fight the battles you can/(might be able to) win.
Arbitrage of XP
...licenses by some supports the notion of a paradigm shift from Windoze to Mac ... It may already be too late for Microsoft... Credibility of Vista is notoriously debatable... The next shift may be from MacOS to Wine
Of monkeys and monkey boy
If you take an infinite number of Ballmers and give them an infinite number of business plans, do you think they could make an Apple?
Dare to hope?
Wired Magazine cover story, December 2012:
a picture of the Win-dohs logo with a crown of thorns
below, one word: Pray.