Microsoft's Slow Slide To Web Irrelevance Continues

The only thing I disagree with in John Battelle's write-up on Microsoft's "Live Search" strategy and continued slog toward web oblivion is that "it's too early to pass 'final judgment' on the strategy." (Battelle is actually quoting Gartner's David Smith here).

I agree that the "Live" brand is confusing and that Microsoft has not clearly explained what it is trying to accomplish. What I disagree with is the implicit idea that Microsoft KNOWS what it's trying to accomplish on the web (short of somehow miraculously vanquishing Google)--and that it has any reasonable chance of achieving it.

I argued a year ago that the web war was over and Microsoft lost. This seems even clearer with every passing day. The only question in my mind is whether Microsoft can build enough of a wall around its crown jewels--Office and Windows--to survive over the long haul.

Comments

[Tom B:]

"The only question in my mind is whether Microsoft can build enough of a wall around its crown jewels--Office and Windows--to survive over the long haul."

I sure hope they can't, but for the next couple of years, they'll be printing money like the treasury, as usual.

....That they can squander on ill-conceived projects like the Zune and the XBox.

2007 Jan 30 12:56 PM

[Sr. Pessimist:]

Microsoft is starting to make me wonder. Their cash cow used to be office software, but you have OpenOffice.org and online spreadsheet things galore. Their current cash cow is a video game console system, an industry that uses things that are more and more similar to just plain desktop computers. Zune flies like the Spruce Goose. They can't pull their crap in Europe quite so easliy as they can here. People are not quick to adopt Vista, and Linux/Unix is growing on them. They seem to have no innovation, and Google can buy you just about as easily as Microsoft. From the account of a developer formerly employed there, your source code is not committed for months after you submit it to their code management system. And their online things are just a commodity, really. Maybe they're incremental improvements to things out there, if anything, but you can't clear out somebody else's market without the best thing since sliced bread, and as far as being online, Microsoft is more of a newcomer than an established industry player.

2007 Jan 31 11:07 AM

[The-Mainlander:]

Brian,

your comment about OpenOffice and google's entry into online software Software as a Service (SaaS) is bang on I agree with you... once the collectives in the Linux camp decide to back on distro of their OS and market it the same way as the Mozilla Org (Firefox) have done that will be the final marginalisation of the once great monster whoch still heavily relies on tradiotnal routes to market... think about it!

Cheers Clinton.

2007 Feb 01 05:39 AM