Can Microsoft get “it” back?

jm_small_55.jpg(a comment left in response to
http://frankschilling.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/10/domain-tidbits-.html#comments )

Ballmer added that Microsoft’s “software model is under attack…We need to take control back.”

I hope he did not realize that just this morning…
Microsoft has been under attack since 1984 or earlier by Apple and others, and under invasion by the Google “barbarians” for almost a decade now.

No matter how much money they pour into it, Microsoft’s business strategy has been off the mark for years now, and will be almost impossible to regain any kind of leadership unless there is a massive -and I mean massive- re-structuring campagin encompassing all areas of the company, including: marketing (particularly new products+distribution), PR (brand perception by the public), recruitment strategies and general corporate identity. How can you do that in real time competing with Google, Yahoo, Apple in different sectors and staying focused at the same time in core values that Microsoft seems to have lost a long time ago?

Losing battle. There are too many obstacles to overcome. Microsoft does not only have a leadership problem, but also a very serious public image problem (think about this company and things like monopolistic, old fashioned, rip off come to mind) and an even more serious identity problem. (who are we? what’s our core strenght?)

And the biggest problem of all is that Microsoft doesn’t seem to realize all this yet. There you have the perfect example of a company in total denial of reality…they don’t even realize anymore what the market is telling them (or maybe they never had to listen to it anyway before for things to keep on rolling. But those times are gone forever)

The best thing that could happen to Microsoft right now would be to be split into different different sub-companies with their own identity -seriously, not as it has been attempted so far- and get back to basics building upon the skills of the few dynamic and forward looking individuals that have not yet deserted to Google, Facebook and the like.

Only then Microsoft would have an opportunity. Will they take it? I doubt it.
They may rather prefer to die slowly and painfuly, watching from the side of the road as the real companies of today do what they should have done a long time ago…

What a shame!

October 14, 2007 · Filed Under Analysis, Business, Marketing

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