On this point of what's happening in Microsoft's market, I think it's
a strong leading indicator that Bill Gates stepped out.
Cheers -- Martha Adams
"Mark Kent" <mark.kent@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gn18p3-rjf.ln1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> begin oe_protect.scr
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>> Microsoft: Lost In Transition
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>| Microsoft reported fourth-quarter sales above Wall Street's
>>estimates
>>| and announced a $20 billion stock buyback, but with its business
>>still
>>| in transition, margin improvement is unlikely in the near-future,
>>| according to a Friday report by Credit Suisse.
>>|
>>| [...]
>>|
>>| "[Yet] Microsoft is in the midst of a difficult transformation away
>>from
>>| its mature PC-centric model to software as a service based
>>offerings.
>>| With the company's business model in transition, we expect little
>>| improvement in margins in coming years."
>>|
>>| [...]
>>|
>>| "Taking a step back and looking at the broader landscape, we still
>>| think there are better growth opportunities in pure-play competitors
>>| like Red Hat , salesforce.com, and the leading Internet names like
>>| Google and Yahoo!," the analyst said.
>> `----
>>
>> http://www.forbes.com/2006/07/21/microsoft-0721markets03.html?partner=yahootix
>
> I'm not sure that Microsoft will be able to return to the kind of
> margins they've been used to, as I do not believe that the world will
> fall for the "total lock-in" approach again. I can still hear the
> wavery voice crying "but it won't be compatible" and wondering to
> myself why nobody was asking "compatible with what?"
>
> It seems they've asked the question, and found some new and better
> answers to it. I think the final shake-down will come from ODF; the
> concept of ODF is a simplified version of the GPL/FSF philosophy, and
> simple enough for most people to grasp, I think.
>
> Now - where will Linux be in 10 years time? Indeed, where will cola
> be in 10 years time? Will Apple manage to survive with their vendor
> lock-in model? Will Microsoft have exited the PC business altogether?
> This might seem an unlikely question, but consider that the /inventor/
> of the PC, IBM, sold their PC division last year...
>
> Really must start that blog!
>
> --
> | Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
> UNIX was not designed to stop you from doing stupid things, because
> that
> would also stop you from doing clever things.
> -- Doug Gwyn
|
|
