begin oe_protect.scr
Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
Would Microsoft make a good private equity play?
,----[ Quote ]
| Consider, the FT says:
|
| <snip quotes/>
|
| In other words, gut the company, take the money and run.
|
| [...]
|
| Gradual change is already well underway. The end is nigh for Microsoft's
| total domination of the IT industry. That was confirmed by Bill Gates'
| pre-announced departure from day-to-day involvement in the company
| earlier this summer.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?p=170
A fascinating slamming of both Microsoft and the City. The City (or
Wall Street in the US) are only interested in quick cash to line their
pockets. Every five years or so there's a new generation of
30-something stockbrokers who want a mega-deal so that they can trouser
as much cash as possible and retire to a yacht, or something. Most of
them are inveterate gamblers, and generally lose it all again, but some
of them do manage to hang on to it.
Microsoft are absolutely a clear target, as they have so much /cash/ in
the bank. The purpose of a buy-out will be to strip the company and to
trouser the cash, but hopefully keep selling office and windows licences
whilst the public is daft enough to keep buying them.
The software maintenance would be outsourced to an inexpensive country,
the 60,000 MS employees would be looking for a new job, and the MS
board would retire happily with untold riches under their mattresses.
From the point of view of the city stockbroker, everyone who /matters/
will be happy.
