Why Microsoft is hard to beat…

Disclaimer: I am not an expert, and the views expressed here are completely my own, that is of someone who is more than an ordinary layman, yet is far short of an expert.

MICROSOFT. Yes the same company a bunch of long-haired nerds started way back in the 1970s, which has become so ubiquitous today that there are few amongst us whose lives have been untouched by this same company. The company had very humble beginnings, but through a mixture of innovation, acquisitions and shrewd business sense, Bill Gates and Co. have really catapulted Microsoft into the hallowed league. However on its way to the top, it made its own share of foes, primarily due to its emphasis on proprieties and copyrights. Microsoft enjoyed a certain amount of monopoly in the home user’s market. Competitors came and vanished, but Microsoft went on and on…

So all of a sudden, why do we keep reading articles and reports on who is going to topple Microsoft? In fact, toppling is an euphemism, decreasing the market share of MS (Microsoft) by 1 or 2 percentage points can be considered a victory for the competition!! MS had competitors before and it has them now, but its competitors today are much better placed to create a visible dent in its armour, due to a variety of reasons. Lets see who the contenders are.

In Operating Systems, Linux in the form of RedHat and Novell. MS has inked a deal with Novell, so RedHat is the primary competitor, and in servers and business desktops, RedHat is the ruler. Linux offers much more security, stability, and customizing capability than Windows could ever provide. These are features essential in a business environment, so its no surprise that many corporations have migrated to Linux in a big big way. Linux is open source software, so if one can get hold of people with the required expertise, Linux can be endlessly customized. And its more cost-effective, makes sense especially for small and medium sized businesses. The problem is that we have all grown up on Windows, and are used to its user-friendliness. So it feels awkward doing things in Linux. And since Linux is harder for hackers to hack, its also difficult for users to use!!! Its perfect for a business environment, but Linux has not been successful in the home user’s market, because it’s primarily a programmer’s and developer’s OS. Ubuntu is now trying to tap the desktop market, but one has to wait and watch how far they succeed.

In software development, SUN Microsystems has been a constant competitor. Java, a programming language competes head-on with Microsoft’s .NET platform, comprising of ASP.NET, VB.NET, C# and VC++.NET . For business software as well as desktop software development, both compete favourably with each other, with Java edging out .NET in certain cases . Both are similar, yet they have their own advantages. The .NET platform is great if software is being developed only for the Windows platform, but Java offers the added advantage of being portable, a virtue MS consciously avoids, in its battle against Linux. Major software development companies have teams working on both platforms.

In desktop computers, and now music players, MS is trying to battle Apple, a company whose history is intertwined with Microsoft since both started at the same time. They have chartered independent paths to grow, yet their paths have crossed many times in the past, and will do so many times in the future. When Apple became a household name with the overwhelming success of the iPod, MS brought out its own music player- Zune, though it hasnt yet set the sales charts on fire. Apple has its own hardware and software specifications for its desktop and notebook machines- the Mac and iBook, but Microsoft has a lesser known software division that developes software exclusively for the Mac platform. And Microsoft is also a minority shareholder in Apple Inc. Microsoft brought out its gaming console XBox 360, to battle Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo Wii. It has met with a reasonable amount of success.

Finally in the Web and Internet arena, Microsoft has received some of its stiffest competition till date, namely from Google and Yahoo. Now Google became famous with its search engine, but is now thoroughly diversifying itself, even though advertisements still account for 90%+ of its revenues. All eyes are on Google these days, since it is the latest and most active entrant on the scene, and some of its products are now directly competing with MS. MS was slightly late on the Internet scene, though it has grown through acquisitions like Hotmail. Google is an active proponent of the Open Source Software Movement that is sweeping the globe, and is already getting into legal battles with MS. Google rules the Internet, but is now trying to enter Microsoft’s home territory, namely the desktop market, with its Windows and Vista operating systems, and Office software, which are its major cash cows.

One thing that is very apparent here is that MS has different competitors in different arenas, and it has diversified itself so successfully that defeat in one battle doesn’t mean it loses the war. It has entrenched and rooted itself deeply in almost every business it has a presence in, and its deep deep pockets imply bad news for competition. Even though its competitors are very large corporations, yet they are merely nibbling away at its market share, very few have actually taken a bite. But as i said, the Open Source Software Movement is sweeping the globe, and it remains to be seen how long it can weather this storm and keep the flag of proprietary software flying high.

Explore posts in the same categories: Technology

Tags: .NET, Apple, Google, iPod, Java, Linux, Microsoft, Microsoft competition, Microsoft monopoly, Microsoft Office, Open Source software, Playstation, Proprietary software, RedHat, Sony, SUN Microsystems, XBox, Yahoo, Zune

You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.