Is Microsoft the next GM?

[Steve R.]

In reading about Microsoft discontinuing Office 2000, I also ran across this InfoWorld article: "Is Microsoft the next GM?" This is really an insightful question, because few people really ask this question when a company is at its perceived peak. To butcher Hegel, few people realize that success leads to failure.

Here is what I left as a comment at InfoWorld:

"Microsoft is following the "traditional" growing curve of a company going from an aggressive innovative start-up that challenges the "old" regime to now becoming the "old" regime that crushes start-ups and squelches progress to protect the "revenue stream". Like General Motors' decline, the process of decline for Microsoft will be slow and insidious. What will be also interesting with this coming debacle is that, like GM, Microsoft management will pay themselves excessively, will receive many awards for excellent management, and will issue many press releases highlighting Microsoft's "progress" right up to the point that the company files for bankruptcy. When the postmortem comes, the news will finally wake-up and ask the question: What happened? You read it here first!"

 

[SOS]

Perhaps, but with the current reliance of people on their software, it isn't likely to happen soon. If enough "alternative" solutions appear then it could cause problems. But I don't see how they could fail in the current environment.

 

[TopherSD]

Acer recently annouced that they will offer Google's Android operating system in their netbooks. More players are joining the field. Microsoft needs to wake up and realize that they won't be able to corner the market much longer.