Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News

      Microsoft Courts a Catastrophe

      Written by

      eWEEK EDITORS
      Published November 11, 2002
      Share
      Facebook
      Twitter
      Linkedin

        eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

        Markets crash, animals attack and pervasive fads are suddenly out of favor. Catastrophe theorists offer controversial models that try to explain such changes; Microsoft Office may soon provide a convincing demonstration of their ideas.

        Buyers of Microsofts ubiquitous suite, already vexed by costly license terms, may decide theyve had enough after the companys Halloween surprise: the announcement that Office 11 will not run on the Windows 9x base, which supports more than half the present population of PCs.

        Corporate users of Windows 9x have many motivations for remaining with that platform. Many are using custom applications and specialized hardware—the submerged nine-tenths of the iceberg of the PC industry—that cant be moved to Windows 2000/XP without unproductive investment in changing something that works just fine. There could be no worse time to demand an operating system replacement—with attendant hardware upgrades—to support a sweeping rip-and-replace of familiar applications.

        The supposed justification of enhanced security is a self-inflicted wound; it reminds the enterprise buyer that Microsoft has been careless in the past, while current events make it clear that the company is still careless.

        But Microsoft has also announced ambitious goals to transform the next release of Office with XML-based automation. This looks like a profit center that wants to continue being a star, not a cash cow, in the parlance once made famous by Boston Consulting Group. The IT market is driven today by rapid ROI, not by the novelties that technologists can newly enable.

        From one side of its mouth, Microsoft promotes the programmable Web; from the other side, it asserts that desktop applications must take on a richer role. The former argument sells more powerful server-side products; the latter meets the needs of PC builders to help keep upgrade cycles down to three years, despite a clear trend toward five-year PC lifetimes.

        By showing continued contempt for customers concerns, Microsoft risks a mass defection that could slaughter its cash cow—and loosen, perhaps lose, its grip on corporate desktops.

        eWEEK EDITORS
        eWEEK EDITORS
        eWeek editors publish top thought leaders and leading experts in emerging technology across a wide variety of Enterprise B2B sectors. Our focus is providing actionable information for today’s technology decision makers.

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

        Artificial Intelligence

        9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

        Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
        AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
        Read more
        Cloud

        RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

        Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
        RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
        Read more
        Artificial Intelligence

        8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

        Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
        Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
        Read more
        Latest News

        Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

        James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
        I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
        Read more
        Video

        Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

        James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
        I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
        Read more
        Logo

        eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

        Facebook
        Linkedin
        RSS
        Twitter
        Youtube

        Advertisers

        Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

        Advertise with Us

        Menu

        • About eWeek
        • Subscribe to our Newsletter
        • Latest News

        Our Brands

        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms
        • About
        • Contact
        • Advertise
        • Sitemap
        • California – Do Not Sell My Information

        Property of TechnologyAdvice.
        © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

        Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.