Tuesday, September 27, 2005

The Battle Royale I've been digesting all the various posts on Microsoft's moves to counter the emerging GoogleSphere and I have to say, Microsoft faces an incredible challenge, but then so does Google. Because Google is so fun to talk about, everyone has filled in and connected all the dots on their strategic plan so that there is nothing that could go wrong. I wonder if they really intend to build their own internet, broadband phone company, news media, and entertainment center complete with virtual Barkolounger -- all with dark fiber. Not many have even mentioned the emerging YahooShpere. Is that because they've just been around longer...? Either way, no matter whose "sphere" you choose, its not going to get corporate IT to completely change their embedded behaviors in the next 12-18 months (near term) and that might be where the real money is long term. When I think about the MS Office / Windows franchise - I don't see it changing quickly, but I do see it changing completely over time. I have MS Office somewhere on this machine, but I don't remember where, because I don't use it (except to view documents that other people send me) - I send messages using email, voice is on Skype (IM) and Vonage, and everything else is posted to one site or another, some private, some public. I spend most all of my time in front of the browser (often wishing they worked better). Keep in mind that this is not the case in the corporate IT world at present, but its heading there. Just look at how Manila is being used in schools... The result is that I don't care about the file/application paradigm because I'm not creating files any more. I care about search, post, link, and subscribe. That's where I spend my time and I have the feeling that Microsoft is beginning to truly understand this reality. 4:30:17 PM

© Copyright 2005 Scott Young.