It takes a lot to dismantle an Empire

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Microsoft has $23Bn of cash (or equivalents) on hand

In 2008, Microsoft earned $60Bn and it cost $38Bn to operate the company, leaving $17.6Bn (after taxes etc) earned for the year.

Even if the company was to take a heck of a financial hit for the next several years, with the $23Bn in the bank and a strong continued profit, they could last for a great deal longer than a year should they need to.

This is why people buy software from strong established companies - if they're sensible, those companies save for a rainy-day and can weather out dramatic financial down-turns. Customers of those companies therefore know that they'll still be able to rely on their providors for continued service and support ... and that new product will be there as and when the economy recovers.

Whilst, of course, OSS will also still be there, the impact of the economy and the drastically reduced availability of developers able and willing to donate their time for no financial reward, whilst trying to pay their bills and feed their families, will, most likely, be dramatically impacted.

Posted by: de-void   Posted on: 01/20/09 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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