Why it's hard for Microsoft to catch the next wave
,----[ Quote ]
| I call it the "tyranny of the installed base." I saw plenty of it when I
| worked at minicomputer Data General in the 1990s. Customers want bug fixes
| and enhancements to their existing products--even if it's some legacy
| database that fewer and fewer people used with each passing year. The result
| is that lots of resources get sucked into supporting the "old stuff," leaving
| that much less energy, money, etc. for the "new stuff."
|
| But the real issue here is more insidious. A company, especially a public
| company, can't really "Just Say No" to that installed base and tell them to
| take their business elsewhere. Imagine if you would this scenario: Ballmer
| wakes up next Monday morning after having an epiphany over the weekend. He
| walks into Redmond, tosses a few chairs for emphasis, and announces that
| Microsoft is going to immediately discontinue selling and developing its
| Windows operating system and Office products because they're mired in the
| past and have become too much a distraction from what's really important--its
| online services business.
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http://www.cnet.com/8301-13556_1-9947160-61.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
The next worrisome one might be Google, not Microsoft which is dwindling anyway
(see links below). Google wants data.
Google Health beta test begins
,----[ Quote ]
| Google on Monday launched a beta test of its Google Health service to archive
| medical records and find medical services.
`----
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9947389-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Recent:
Microsoft sees slide in profits
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7366106.stm
Is Microsoft Aura Fading?
,----[ Quote ]
| Yesterday's early relief rally reversed, and Microsoft's value has now fallen
| by more than $30 billion since it unveiled its bid for Yahoo on February 1.
`---- ^^^^^^^^^^^
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121004447596669953.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Microsoft stock drops amid slumping sales
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corp., whose Windows software dominates the personal-computer
| market, fell 6.2 percent Fridayin Nasdaq trading after sales slumped, casting
| doubt on whether PC demand can hold up in a slowing economy. The software
| maker reported a 24 percent drop in sales of Windows last quarter and
| forecast earnings that may miss analysts' estimates.
|
| [...]
|
| "The risk is that Linux gets a foothold and then affects their long-term
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| revenue significantly."
`----
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_9061263
Vista Blues Weakens Microsoft's Influence On Software Market
,----[ Quote ]
| That was evident in how Microsoft's client division third-quarter sales,
| which includes the XP and Vista operating system, fell 24% compared with the
| year earlier period. Although the decline was expected because of a one-off
| revenue gain of around $1.6 billion in the year-earlier quarter, client
| revenues were lower than analysts expected.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200805071423DOWJONESDJONLINE000951_FORTUNE5.htm
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