It's the
incontrovertible
rule
of RCPU: No matter what happens, Microsoft makes more...Wait, what's
this? Microsoft
didn't
make more money
in its most recent fiscal quarter? Well, not compared to
the year-ago quarter, it didn't -- but you know that by now.
Yes, by now, you've seen the results of Microsoft's third fiscal quarter of
2008 (but here
they are again, in case you haven't). And, by now, you've read
the news
stories, the blogs
and the commentaries
about how the software industry's money machine, which had been racking up massive
quarters as far back as we can remember -- or at least for the last couple of
years or so -- finally hit a wall.
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 04/29/20081 comments
Today just seems like the kind of day made for reader feedback in RCPU, so
here goes.
Our e-mail of the week comes from Jim, a previous contributor whose area code
correlates to good ol' Fort Worth, Texas, home of your editor's alma mater.
Jim weighs in -- thoughtfully, we find -- on the Google-Salesforce.com
hookup and the impact it might have on Microsoft:
"About your article, 'Microsoft
and Google: Another Patriots' Day?', and online applications, my thought
on it has always been that Microsoft has a non-breakable advantage because
of the macros (VBA) in Office. Businesses of all sizes around the world have
proprietary Office-based applications they either developed themselves or
had developed, giving them an edge on competition that they do not wish to
give up or redevelop. My evaluations after using OpenOffice and Google Apps
is that I find them lacking since they cannot make use of existing Office
macros (OpenOffice can work with very simple macros). When you include regular
add-ins like XLAs and DOTs, plus COM add-ins and managed code add-ins, Google
apps, OpenOffice and others just can't compete in the business world with
Office.
"Also to be considered in the online application war is what effect
application virtualization will have. I have been investigating a number of
those and am impressed. With VMware
buying Thinstall, Microsoft purchasing SoftGrid and Calista,
Citirx XenApp, Endeavor's JukeBox and various others, plus continued increases
in bandwidth, application virtualization will be major technology. One can
have rich applications acquired via the Web -- which run just as well as if
installed -- cached for offline use and potentially brought up as one needs
them or for a longer period. These just may make Google Apps and others moot."
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Posted by Lee Pender on 04/24/20080 comments
Partners worried about competing with Microsoft in the SaaS space have a little
less to worry about this week. The story's still a little light on details,
but Microsoft is
saying
now
that it'll host third-party (read: partner) apps along with Exchange
and SharePoint.
Posted by Lee Pender on 04/24/20080 comments
While we're on the topic of SMBs, as we are today, now seems like a good time
to refresh your memory of an article that ran in the March issue of
RCP
.
It was on a Microsoft program that allows customers to essentially rent Microsoft
applications. Curious? Nostalgic? Click
here
.
Posted by Lee Pender on 04/23/20080 comments
In the second half of this year -- which is, after all, rapidly approaching
-- Microsoft will roll out a couple of major products for partners in the SMB
space. Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Sever
2008 are the cornerstones of Redmond's
revamped
server strategy
for SMBs. SBS 2008 is for the really little guys; EBS is
for midsize companies. Simple enough, really.
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 04/23/20080 comments
Microsoft's not un-hyped hybrid customer relationship management offering is
generally
available...right now
. Dynamics CRM Online -- which offers customers an
on-premises deployment, a Microsoft-hosted option or both -- hits the streets
with a cheaper price tag and considerably more storage capability than those
of its biggest rival, Salesforce.com.
Brad Wilson, general manager of Microsoft Dynamics CRM at Microsoft, points
out that even though Microsoft is hosting the SaaS (or, in Redmond parlance,
Software+Services) version of the software, there are still plenty of opportunities
to jump in and customize Dynamics CRM online for customers.
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Posted by Lee Pender on 04/23/20080 comments
Yesterday was
Patriots'
Day
, a uniquely Boston holiday that's meant to honor the first battle of
the American Revolution but mainly serves as a mini-spring break and as the
weekend of the Boston Marathon. (No, it has nothing to do with Tom Brady.) Oh,
and there's an 11 a.m. Sox game every Patriots' Day, too -- yesterday, they
completed a sweep of the Texas Rangers.
Not that your editor was watching that game while "working from home,"
of course...ahem. Oh, and he didn't take a couple of hours to watch his friends
run in the marathon, either -- as far as you and his boss know. What he did
do, though, was drag his wife out of bed at 5 a.m. and head to the next town
over, Lexington, for the reenactment
of the first battle of the American Revolution. (There's that "true meaning"
of Patriots' Day again -- and, yes, your editor took the linked photo. Hey,
it was dark...and early.)
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 04/22/20080 comments
Everybody's favorite partnership (open source folks, we see the steam coming
out of your ears) is hitting the road in a much more serious way -- specifically,
the road to China. (Yes, we know it's across the Pacific and there's no "road"
that goes there, but we've got a theme going here).
Novell and Microsoft are
ramping
up SuSE Linux sales
in the Middle Kingdom. By the way, saying "Middle
Kingdom" when referring to China sounds really brainy. Try it at your next
cocktail party.
Posted by Lee Pender on 04/22/20080 comments
Another brand survey? Yes -- but this one we've seen before. For the second
year (not the third, as the linked article suggests) in a row, Google has
topped
the list
of the world's biggest brand according to Millward Brown Optimor.
Back in the summer of 2006,
RCP
the magazine brought you a
feature
on Microsoft
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 04/22/20080 comments