day 33
| the end of microsoft 5: the three shouts |
 Designed in the 1600s but worn as late as the 1800s. Making a Samurai fashion statement was half the battle.
"during," and "after." Before the battle, we shout as loudly as possible. During the fight, our voice is low-pitched. After the battle, we crow! Right now, Netscape, Sun's JavaSoft, and their train of groupies are shouting before the battle. They have drawn their swords and are about to enter the fight. Using Microsoft's Intranet weakness, the Netscape PR machine is advancing up the Microsoft Hill as if it were a rest stop on the autobahn. Will this strategy succeed? Initially, Microsoft will counter with a simple, direct reply. First, MS will give away their browsers and servers. When MS announced it would bundle the Internet Server with NT, they forced Netscape to knock $1,000 off its server price. Later, Netscape advanced ahead by signing on Apple Computer to get Quicktime, and IBM to get an equalizer. Next, Microsoft will counter with a more focused reply. MS will enhance Office to make Internet links look like disk drive addresses. That is, MS Office will treat the Internet as a huge disk drive. This will re-position MS Office as software for both authoring and browsing the Internet. More importantly, the new Office will become the preferred Intranet platform. At least, this is the strategy. But Netscape and JavaSoft are not going to fade away. Sun will license Java for every operating system in the galaxy, and will continue to push Java into client/server products. JDBC is the first of a whole batch of ActiveX killers that are being unleashed by Java programmers. Netscape will continue to license its browsers to online systems' companies, and then will advance on the Intranet front through its CollabraShare products, Lotus Notes replacement products, and deals with the anti-Microsoft segment of the industry. Is Microsoft doomed? Probably not; but if it does not play hardball, its market share will start to slip and it will eventually see a decline in revenue. Still, I think your stock market investments are secure for at least another year. |
the end of microsoft:
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 Daily Dose Index |