notes and views on crm, social media, and the human side of information technology

Re: how well…, etc.

Hugh responded in the comments, and I feel obliged to add one last note.

Quoting from the (since updated) original post:

The “Microsoft vs Open Source” question doesn’t interest me so much. The question, “What/How does Microsoft have to do/change if it wishes to survive the next thirty years” interests me greatly. And not just Microsoft, either…

I’ll pretend I have a clue and offer the following observation:

Microsoft has a diverse portfolio. Some of its units, such as XBOX, have become almost independend brands, at least in the public perception. It’s quite likely that Microsoft in 2037 will bear little resemblance to how we know it today. Will operating systems still be as relevant as they’ve been so far? Or will they be as boring as any other infrastructure? Nobody gets excited about electricity anymore…

I think any big company that gets stuck in its business model is in danger of becoming irrelevant, and Microsoft knows that, and what they really should do is to increase competition among their divisions, either by actually splitting up or pretending to do so. The co-dependency of Windows and Office brands isn’t helping either one. Whether they’re internally thinking about it or even taking some steps I do not know. What I do know, however, is that Microsoft’s chief competitor isn’t Linux or Google: it’s their own weight, maturity, complacency. It’s tough to be a monopolist.

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April 17, 2007 | Filed Under Open Source 

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