Comments on: Microsoft’s Corporate Development Strategy Changing Daily

By: NI-Limits Blog » Blog Archive » Rise of Microsoft

NI-Limits Blog » Blog Archive » Rise of Microsoft — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:35:24 +0000

[...] MICROSOFT’S DAILY-CHANGING CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Either it is part of the corporate strategy to constantly change its strategies or momentary business partnerships, or Bill Gates is simply trying to gain further attention from those such as TechCrunch: [...]

By: GL Hoffman

GL Hoffman — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:07:41 +0000

My five suggestions for Alex Bogusky, the new ad guru Microsoft hired to re do their advertising: http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds

By: studimaus

studimaus — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:50:37 +0000

michael, you really think microsoft would do anything postive with yahoo!? they would be too busy restructruring yahoo!, porting services to microsoft products and when they are done, nothing will really work.

the deal would not do any good for microsoft, and not for yahoo! either.

By: A Microsoft szemett vetett a Facebook-ra « pixelRainbow

A Microsoft szemett vetett a Facebook-ra « pixelRainbow — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:41:56 +0000

[...] Microsoft szemett vetett a Facebook-ra A mai nap arról kezdtek több helyről szállingózni a pletykák, hogy a Microsoft (MS) képviselője megkereste Mark Zuckerberget, mennyire hajlanának [...]

By: Pandrogas

Pandrogas — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:12:15 +0000

If Microsoft wants to fix their internet strategy, maybe, just maybe, they could stop being such a cluster**** operation and at the very least maintain more of their existing live.com offerings. To mention that Live.com still looks fractured (though not as fractured as Yahoo’s stuff, but that’s mostly style) should be another indicator.

Buy other companies for the tech, but MS still needs to get their **** together at home.

By: Danny

Danny — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:32:06 +0000

meh. A few weeks ago Bill made an offhand comment about windows and suddenly all the folks who read too much into his nattering, like yourself, were convinced he was hinting at an early release for windows 7. MS had to clarify his statements (like the often do). The idea these comments have any to do with their overall strategy is silly. Who considers Gates “media trained”? He’s not and never has been the guy that drops hints. Reading these statements as some massive 180 difference is melodramatic.

By: Michael Arrington

Michael Arrington — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:11:56 +0000

studimaus - getting lots of comments like yours. I’ve said this before but not recently - the reason why I want this deal to happen is that both microsoft and yahoo need it to have any chance of competing with google. the health of the internet demands a balance of power, and there is no balance there now. I may write a post explaining this in more detail.

but you are 100% right that i predicted the deal would happen. I still think it will, as do the markets. more on that later.

By: studimaus

studimaus — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:00:04 +0000

michael, seems you still cannot accept that the microsoft yahoo! deal did nt happen. don’t know why you want it. and no, guess you are one of the few that still thinks it will happen. see, yahoo!’s share are higher than before the offer, microsoft’s are lower than before the offer. so who lost?

all your groundless presumptions won’t change what happened. but guess all these messages are catching a lot of readers like me. nothing more!

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:58:30 +0000

I think too much is being read into this. Often, you have to aggregate all of these specific comments to specific questions, and then form an overall picture. In this case, Gates might have been trying to convey something to a very specific question about acquisitions, while the partnering comment may have been in regard to alliances/partnerships/etc.

In any case, I think we are looking too closely for intent.

By: ValleyGuy

ValleyGuy — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:55:39 +0000

Mike,

I’m not sure if “partnerships ” translates to acquisition. You’re reading too much into it. Must be the lawyer within u

By: Wade

Wade — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:47:27 +0000

Microsoft is absolutely doing the right things and saying the right things regarding this whole YHOO deal.

I hope the shareholders kick Yang right in the Yangers.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:27:21 +0000

Hi Bill, if you are reading through, we’re taking investments in my new company. The details are on the home page of our social network http://www.sitespaces.net

By: Jim M

Jim M — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:16:45 +0000

It’s Yahoo all the way. think different.

By: Angelos

Angelos — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:14:48 +0000

While this is probably just poor word choice from Gates (does he have a speech writing team?), there is a difference between a partnership and an acquisition. With a partnership, Microsoft can avoid some of the bureaucracy involved with forming consensus in a room full of powerful egos.

Coupled with the presidential election, Microhoo is producing a huge pile of non-news. 2008: When American’s Became Clairvoyant.

By: James V. Reagan

James V. Reagan — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:49:24 +0000

I interpreted Bill’s comments Monday as corporate speak for “no comment.”

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:42:54 +0000

But…. but… but… what about Ballmer’s grand 5 year plan?

http://blog.wired.com/business.....wants.html

By: Bob Warfield

Bob Warfield — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:28:01 +0000

This is much worse for Yahoo than Microsoft playing possum to get them at a better price. Think about Microsoft’s culture and the personalities of their leaders. They’re done with Yahoo. Yahoo fought too hard instead of welcoming the embrace.

Microsoft’s next logical move is to totally attack Yahoo to take the market share. It’s the old Alexander the Great tactic. Circle the city, give them 24 hours to surrender, or tell them their city will be sacked. Yahoo choose the latter option.

Microsoft’s culture is ideally tuned to lay waste to a weaker foe. They’d much rather focus that energy and attack on Yahoo than Google because Google is not winnable, at least not right now.

Even worse for Yahoo is that Google may see that coming and decide they need to attack as well, lest Microsoft get all the share.

Business is war, and Microsoft has the warlords.

By: Anon56

Anon56 — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:24:38 +0000

ignore my prev comment…looks like he was refering to the same thing both days. That’s weird. I guess the second one was to drive the stock price up in the short term

By: techcrunchreader

techcrunchreader — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:23:03 +0000

Yahoo’s top shareholders:
Filo 5.8%
Yang 3.9%
Top institutionals: more than 30%
Capital Research: was 11%…now at 16%

Gordon Crawford (Capital Research) is pissed at Yahoo, like I said in an earlier comment. He will oust Yang within a year. Remember what happened to Steve Case from AOL?

So now, the MSFT strategy is the same:
1-Let the stock tank,
2-Let institutions be angry (replace?) at Yang & friends,
3-Go hostile. (Shareholders will welcome MSFT with open arms)

Of course Bill and Steven won’t say that to the media.

But Gates’s speech was coherent with the strategy.

By: Anon56

Anon56 — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:22:48 +0000

The first comment refers to partnerships and acquisitions in general(like the one with Hyundai) while the latest one talks about the online space…

Taken out of context they seem to contradict each other.

By: jc

jc — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:17:43 +0000

I think MS still wants yahoo and is just waiting for the stock to bottom out before putting in another bid. I don’t think Ballmer will give up this easily and will get yahoo at 33 one way or another.

By: Tower of Hanoi

Tower of Hanoi — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:10:31 +0000

I think strategies evolve.. it doesn’t change rapidly in a day or two..

By: Sramana Mitra

Sramana Mitra — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:56:49 +0000

Here’s my take on Microsoft’s Shopping list:
http://sramanamitra.com/2008/0.....ping-list/

By: Ed L

Ed L — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:55:57 +0000

I think that despite paying for surveys to state the contrary ( http://idisposable.net/2008/05.....ine-print/ ) , Microsoft has a crisis on their hands in terms of cloud computing and the shift of applications to services.

At what point will the elephant in the room start knocking about? When people are buying Linux based PC’s to bridge the gap between cell phone and notebook, and Apple is taking more market share every quarter, of course Microsoft won’t sit idly by.

However, I am not sure they can “buy” their way out of this. For every MSN Live, there are Facebooks and Myspace. For every ad play they make, Google makes their ad supercomputer better. I think Bill G has to pull a rabbit out of the hat here, and quick.

By: Luther

Luther — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:48:31 +0000

Seems like a neurotic need to always resent what other people have. What’s wrong with an operating system near monopoly?

With all their moolah, you’d think M$ could perfect Live Search and compete with Google. Does Google have a patent position that prevents this? I don’t know.