Microsoft struggles in emerging markets

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Business strategy, not software.

You wrote:
Unless you are regurgitating Bill Gates comment from a long time ago that anyone would be able to support Windows. Trojans/Virus'/Worms are the results of that line of thought.

Remember the criticisms of Windows before 2000 and then XP were issued? Mainly reliability and security. Both were valid.
(As an aside, privacy issues could be more easily resolved than reliability and security.)

On reliability, the NT kernel was not in wide use, and the 95 kernel was weak. But Microsoft did produce more reliable software, and we don't hear so much about reliability anymore.

When a ZDNet reviewer commented something like, "It's okay" on Windows ability to keep working, that was a milestone. Such are the standards for Windows.

On security, we're hearing a lot now. But SP2 will be a direct response. And Microsoft will be assertively pushing barrier protections like firewalls that have a good chance of producing acceptable protection. "Acceptable" as applied to Windows.

The problem with specific criticisms of Microsoft is that a company spending $6.8 billion a year on R&D is probably going to make progress.
You may well have higher standards of reliability and security than most of the market. But Microsoft evaluates progress not on the basis of absolutes but of whether a factor influences sales.


Now, the model I was proposing was of a business equivalent to a small business in the US. The company is profitable, but has little IT experience.

A Microsoft goal is to minimize the amount of expertise necessary to use its products. Their success at meeting this requirement is the reason Windows is on 95% of desktops.
I've read statements that it was because of marketing or vicious tactics, and those count. But the main reason for their success is the lack of interest most people have in computers. They just want 'em to do what they're supposed to do with as little intervention as possible.

Microsoft can find their usual prime enterprise market in emerging profitable companies in third world countries. The secondary advantage, after ease of use, is that Windows is the world standard. A manager can realize that s/he has the world standard and can for a time manage without an IT staff.
When the company gets bigger and has more use for IT that's a different issue. But even then Microsoft can compete and computing-as-utility will be available worldwide.

So my suggestion has little to do with comparative quality of software, even TCO, and much to do with Microsoft's demonstrated ability to work with small businesses.

You want to talk IT. I want to discuss making money on software. They're not quite the same thing.

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 05/08/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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