Microsoft introduceert Dynamics CRM 2011 in Nederland in een on-premise en online versie. Het pakket is opgebouwd volgens een rolgebaseerd ontwerp. Gebruikers hebben aan de hand van hun functie bepaalde gebruikersprofielen en rechten. Voorbeelden van rollen zijn medewerker verkoop, marketing of klantenservice. Het nieuwe pakket speelt onder andere in op klanten die gebruikmaken van social media.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 werd onlangs op de Nederlandse markt geïntroduceerd. Dat gebeurde officieel in theater Het Spant! in Bussem, waar ongeveer vijfhonderd zakelijke en it-beslissers aanwezig waren. Annemarie Brandsen, product marketing manager Dynamics CRM bij Microsoft Nederland, zegt dat het nieuwe crm-pakket op drie peilers is gebouwd. ‘Ten eerste een Microsoft Outlook-omgeving die nauw geïntegreerd is met de nieuwe crm-software. Om de gebruiksvriendelijkheid van de software te verbeteren is het crm-programma volledig geïntegreerd in Outlook en werkt net zo makkelijk als e-mail. Ten tweede een intelligente omgeving, waarmee gebruikers onder andere zelf dashboards kunnen aanmaken. Ten derde is het crm-pakket geschikt voor koppelingen met andere software voor het uitwisselen van informatie. Zo werkt CRM 2011 nauw met Microsoft Sharepoint om documenten uit te wisselen met andere medewerkers.'
Grip op klanten
Een belangrijke ontwikkeling is de koppeling met sociale netwerken, aldus Brandsen. Het aantal communicatiekanalen neemt fors toe. Social media-platformen zoals Facebook, LinkedIn en Twitter spelen een belangrijke rol in de interactie tussen bedrijven en klanten. Daarom is CRM 2011 gekoppeld aan sociale netwerken om grip op klanten te houden.
Microsoft spreekt hierbij van een ‘nieuwe klant die overal is maar toch lastig is om te grijpen'. Klantloyaliteit is tegenwoordig niet langer meer vanzelfsprekend, aldus Brandsen. ‘De nieuwe klant wil zelf kunnen bepalen hoe het contact wordt gelegd met een organisatie. De klant rekent erop dat alle gegevens voortdurend up-to-date zijn en het systeem te allen tijde functioneert en bereikbaar is.'
Partners
Tijdens de introductie van de nieuwe Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 demonstreerden een aantal partners van Microsoft aanvullende software voor verticale marktsegmenten. Zo heeft Avanade een oplossing ontwikkeld voor marketingmanagement met Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Dat kan worden ingezet voor cross- en up-selling en klantensegmentatie.
Ciber liet een branche-oplossing voor verzekeringen zien, dat beschikbaar is op Microsoft CRM 2011 en geïntegreerd is met Microsoft Office en Sharepoint. CRM Resultants demonstreerde CRM2011 for Finance. Dit is een oplossing voor verzekeraars, intermediairs, vermogensbeheerders en private banken, die bestaat uit een reeks van elf geïntegreerde modules. CRM2011 for Finance biedt financiële instellingen verkoop, customer service en marketing functies, ondersteuning van diverse distributiemodellen. Het accent van de oplossing ligt op 'customer due dilligence', centraal klantbeeld en klantbedienmodel.
Steve Ballmer
Op 17 januari 2011 introduceerde Microsoft-directeur Steve Ballmer Dynamics CRM 2011. Bij die lancering werd eerst de online-versie beschikbaar gesteld.
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Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
AIIM startet Umfrage zur Auffindbarkeit/Findability
Vor wenigen Tagen hat Microsoft den Kauf des Such-Experten FAST Search & Transfer für 840 Millionen Euro abgeschlossen und zuvor auch noch ein milliardenschweres Übernahmeangebot an Yahoo! abgegeben. Auch wenn dieses kürzlich zurückgezogen wurde, die Fakten bleiben bestehen: Der Markt für Online-Suche ist aus gutem Grund interessanter denn je: Jeglicher Content ist nutzlos, wenn keiner ihn finden und darauf zugreifen kann. Aus diesem Grund führt die AIIM Market Intelligence, eine Geschäftseinheit des internationalen Anwender-Fachverbands AIIM Europe - the ECM Association, eine Marktumfrage zum Status Quo im Bereich Suchen und Finden von Informationen durch.
Friday, April 11, 2008
FT.com / In depth / Yahoo merger bid
FT.com / In depth / Yahoo merger bid
Web giants take sides in battle for Yahoo
Yahoo ratcheted up its efforts to improve its negotiating position in the face of an unsolicited takeover bid from Microsoft amid signs that it was edging towards a three-way alliance with Google and AOL - Apr 10 2008
Yahoo digs in for final battle
Yahoo has positioned itself for the endgame in its battle with Microsoft by issuing its strongest rejection to date of its rival’s $42bn takeover offer - Apr 7 2008
Yahoo seeks boost from ad sales system
New platform aims to simplify significantly the process of buying and selling adverts online and improve Yahoo’s value in the face of Microsoft’s renewed takeover efforts - Apr 7 2008
Yahoo board huddles over Microsoft bid
Directors were in discussions about Microsoft’s latest gambit in its unsolicited takeover approach, amid signs that Yahoo was preparing to dig in deeper against its suitor’s current bid - Apr 6 2008
Advertisers welcome prospect of Google rival
Google executives are quietly rehearsing their arguments against Microsoft’s approach to Yahoo in internal discussions which could indicate the search group’s lobbying strategy once a bid comes before regulators - Mar 16 2008
Web giants take sides in battle for Yahoo
Yahoo ratcheted up its efforts to improve its negotiating position in the face of an unsolicited takeover bid from Microsoft amid signs that it was edging towards a three-way alliance with Google and AOL - Apr 10 2008
Yahoo digs in for final battle
Yahoo has positioned itself for the endgame in its battle with Microsoft by issuing its strongest rejection to date of its rival’s $42bn takeover offer - Apr 7 2008
Yahoo seeks boost from ad sales system
New platform aims to simplify significantly the process of buying and selling adverts online and improve Yahoo’s value in the face of Microsoft’s renewed takeover efforts - Apr 7 2008
Yahoo board huddles over Microsoft bid
Directors were in discussions about Microsoft’s latest gambit in its unsolicited takeover approach, amid signs that Yahoo was preparing to dig in deeper against its suitor’s current bid - Apr 6 2008
Advertisers welcome prospect of Google rival
Google executives are quietly rehearsing their arguments against Microsoft’s approach to Yahoo in internal discussions which could indicate the search group’s lobbying strategy once a bid comes before regulators - Mar 16 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
FT.com / In depth - Web giants take sides in battle for Yahoo
FT.com / In depth - Web giants take sides in battle for Yahoo
Web giants take sides in battle for Yahoo
By Richard Waters and Chris Nuttall in San Francisco and Joshua Chaffin in New York
Published: April 9 2008 21:23 | Last updated: April 10 2008 05:43
Yahoo ratcheted up its efforts on Wednesday to improve its negotiating position in the face of an unsolicited takeover bid from Microsoft, amid signs that it was edging towards a three-way alliance with Google and AOL that might protect its independence or at least force Microsoft to pay more.
There were also reports that News Corp was in talks with Microsoft about joining in that company’s bid for Yahoo. The talks involve News Corp combining MySpace, its social networking service, with the Microsoft and Yahoo internet businesses, according to the reports. Both News Corp and Microsoft refused to comment.
The flurry of activity came as Yahoo and Microsoft positioned themselves for the end-game in the takeover battle, which began at the end of January. Microsoft tried to turn up the heat on Yahoo over the weekend by threatening to take its cash-and-stock offer, currently worth $42bn, directly to the embattled company’s shareholders and hinting that it might even cut the value of its offer. Yahoo countered by repeating that the offer price was too low and that while it did not rule out a deal with Microsoft at a higher price, it was pursuing alternatives.
Yahoo gave the first public sign of one possible alternative on Wednesday when it announced the test of a potential advertising alliance with Google. The two-week experiment, due to start next week, will involve Google supplying relevant adverts alongside a small sample of Yahoo search results.
The test suggested that the two sides were once again discussing an alliance that would involve Yahoo closing down its own search advertising system and outsourcing the work to Google. The idea was discussed last year and again after Microsoft made its unsolicited bid, but Google had appeared to cool on the idea amid concerns that it would be blocked by anti-trust regulators.
The idea of Yahoo abandoning its own search advertising system and adopting Google’s has long been promoted by several Wall Street analysts. They see it as a way for Yahoo to cut costs and boost revenues, with Google yielding 30 to 40 per cent more revenue per search than Yahoo.
“What they’re doing now is testing revenue assumptions about what they could expect” from a search advertising alliance, said one person who is familiar with the situation.
Microsoft was quick to raise the anti-trust flag on Wednesday. “Any definitive agreement between Yahoo and Google would consolidate over 90 per cent of the search advertising market in Google’s hands; this would make the market far less competitive,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel.
Some analysts were also sceptical that the relationship could expand beyond a trial.
“We do not think a broader or longer-term Yahoo/Google search partnership would pass regulatory muster,” said Scott Kessler, Standard & Poor’s internet services analyst, in a note. Even some people close to the situation warned that the chances were small that the advertising test would eventually lead to a full-blown partnership.
Meanwhile, talks have been continuing over a separate deal involving Yahoo and AOL, according to people familiar with the situation. Accounts differed on Wednesday over how close the two sides were to an agreement. The two have for several weeks been discussing a deal that would involve Time Warner injecting its AOL division into Yahoo in return for a stake in the company.
One person close to the situation described the talks as “fluid” and said the two sides were still some way from any deal, though another person said that considerable headway had been made and an agreement could come as early as next week.
A deal with AOL alone would not create enough value for Yahoo shareholders to justify turning down the big takeover premium offered by Microsoft, according to one Yahoo investor. It has been seen instead as part of a three-way transaction also involving Google, since outsourcing search advertising would have a far bigger and more immediate impact on Yahoo’s earnings.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Web giants take sides in battle for Yahoo
By Richard Waters and Chris Nuttall in San Francisco and Joshua Chaffin in New York
Published: April 9 2008 21:23 | Last updated: April 10 2008 05:43
Yahoo ratcheted up its efforts on Wednesday to improve its negotiating position in the face of an unsolicited takeover bid from Microsoft, amid signs that it was edging towards a three-way alliance with Google and AOL that might protect its independence or at least force Microsoft to pay more.
There were also reports that News Corp was in talks with Microsoft about joining in that company’s bid for Yahoo. The talks involve News Corp combining MySpace, its social networking service, with the Microsoft and Yahoo internet businesses, according to the reports. Both News Corp and Microsoft refused to comment.
The flurry of activity came as Yahoo and Microsoft positioned themselves for the end-game in the takeover battle, which began at the end of January. Microsoft tried to turn up the heat on Yahoo over the weekend by threatening to take its cash-and-stock offer, currently worth $42bn, directly to the embattled company’s shareholders and hinting that it might even cut the value of its offer. Yahoo countered by repeating that the offer price was too low and that while it did not rule out a deal with Microsoft at a higher price, it was pursuing alternatives.
Yahoo gave the first public sign of one possible alternative on Wednesday when it announced the test of a potential advertising alliance with Google. The two-week experiment, due to start next week, will involve Google supplying relevant adverts alongside a small sample of Yahoo search results.
The test suggested that the two sides were once again discussing an alliance that would involve Yahoo closing down its own search advertising system and outsourcing the work to Google. The idea was discussed last year and again after Microsoft made its unsolicited bid, but Google had appeared to cool on the idea amid concerns that it would be blocked by anti-trust regulators.
The idea of Yahoo abandoning its own search advertising system and adopting Google’s has long been promoted by several Wall Street analysts. They see it as a way for Yahoo to cut costs and boost revenues, with Google yielding 30 to 40 per cent more revenue per search than Yahoo.
“What they’re doing now is testing revenue assumptions about what they could expect” from a search advertising alliance, said one person who is familiar with the situation.
Microsoft was quick to raise the anti-trust flag on Wednesday. “Any definitive agreement between Yahoo and Google would consolidate over 90 per cent of the search advertising market in Google’s hands; this would make the market far less competitive,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel.
Some analysts were also sceptical that the relationship could expand beyond a trial.
“We do not think a broader or longer-term Yahoo/Google search partnership would pass regulatory muster,” said Scott Kessler, Standard & Poor’s internet services analyst, in a note. Even some people close to the situation warned that the chances were small that the advertising test would eventually lead to a full-blown partnership.
Meanwhile, talks have been continuing over a separate deal involving Yahoo and AOL, according to people familiar with the situation. Accounts differed on Wednesday over how close the two sides were to an agreement. The two have for several weeks been discussing a deal that would involve Time Warner injecting its AOL division into Yahoo in return for a stake in the company.
One person close to the situation described the talks as “fluid” and said the two sides were still some way from any deal, though another person said that considerable headway had been made and an agreement could come as early as next week.
A deal with AOL alone would not create enough value for Yahoo shareholders to justify turning down the big takeover premium offered by Microsoft, according to one Yahoo investor. It has been seen instead as part of a three-way transaction also involving Google, since outsourcing search advertising would have a far bigger and more immediate impact on Yahoo’s earnings.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
FT.com | Tech Blog | Taking aim at Microsoft’s cash cow
FT.com | Tech Blog | Taking aim at Microsoft’s cash cow
Taking aim at Microsoft’s cash cow
Google’s anti-Microsoft strategy continues to unfold. Today brings news that its online Docs applications will soon step beyond the Web and onto the desktop. (This is accomplished with the Google Gears browser plug-in, which lets you access internet applications while offline by using the hard drive as a cache - a company representative offered to “whitelist” me so I can start using it today, but the less privileged among you will have to wait until this feature becomes generally available over “the next few weeks.”)
Google likes to cloak its new product features in uplifting rhetoric: the company only looks to delight its users, it isn’t motivated by the sort of competitive strategy that other companies employ, and so on. But the evolution of Docs has always looked like a very deliberate plan hatched with its Redmond rival in mind.
Early on, CEO Eric Schmidt talked down the capabilities of Docs as a rival for Office: the main attraction was the ability to share documents, spreadsheets and other files over the Web, and anyway browser-based apps were very poor relations of their desktop cousins.
Then, nearly a year ago, the tune changed. Having rounded out Docs into an Office-like suite of apps, Google said it was adding “applications” to its corporate mission statement (alongside search and advertising.) For good measure, Schmidt said that online apps were starting to become a real alternative to desktop software since browser technology had advanced far faster than he had expected (what a surprise!)
Extending Docs offline looks like the next step. Giving users the ability to write, edit or view files while not connected to the Web (any changes are automatically synchronised with the version on Google’s servers once the machine goes online again) removes one of the main disincentives for using Docs.
Google’s leaders have at times given tell-tale hints about the real strategy here. Last year Mr Schmidt conceded that while many companies might not yet consider adopting Google’s applications, they were still likely to use the threat of switching away from Office as a way to get a better deal out of Microsoft. Thanks to the new offline capabilities, this negotitating leverage is about to get stronger.
March 31st, 2008 in Internet, Software | Permalink
Taking aim at Microsoft’s cash cow
Google’s anti-Microsoft strategy continues to unfold. Today brings news that its online Docs applications will soon step beyond the Web and onto the desktop. (This is accomplished with the Google Gears browser plug-in, which lets you access internet applications while offline by using the hard drive as a cache - a company representative offered to “whitelist” me so I can start using it today, but the less privileged among you will have to wait until this feature becomes generally available over “the next few weeks.”)
Google likes to cloak its new product features in uplifting rhetoric: the company only looks to delight its users, it isn’t motivated by the sort of competitive strategy that other companies employ, and so on. But the evolution of Docs has always looked like a very deliberate plan hatched with its Redmond rival in mind.
Early on, CEO Eric Schmidt talked down the capabilities of Docs as a rival for Office: the main attraction was the ability to share documents, spreadsheets and other files over the Web, and anyway browser-based apps were very poor relations of their desktop cousins.
Then, nearly a year ago, the tune changed. Having rounded out Docs into an Office-like suite of apps, Google said it was adding “applications” to its corporate mission statement (alongside search and advertising.) For good measure, Schmidt said that online apps were starting to become a real alternative to desktop software since browser technology had advanced far faster than he had expected (what a surprise!)
Extending Docs offline looks like the next step. Giving users the ability to write, edit or view files while not connected to the Web (any changes are automatically synchronised with the version on Google’s servers once the machine goes online again) removes one of the main disincentives for using Docs.
Google’s leaders have at times given tell-tale hints about the real strategy here. Last year Mr Schmidt conceded that while many companies might not yet consider adopting Google’s applications, they were still likely to use the threat of switching away from Office as a way to get a better deal out of Microsoft. Thanks to the new offline capabilities, this negotitating leverage is about to get stronger.
March 31st, 2008 in Internet, Software | Permalink
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Microsoft opens online services to small, medium companies - SiliconValley.com
Microsoft opens online services to small, medium companies - SiliconValley.com
Microsoft, facing a threat from Google, IBM and other rivals, is ramping up its online services, which are hosted applications that manage such things as e-mail, calendars and video conferencing.
Microsoft, facing a threat from Google, IBM and other rivals, is ramping up its online services, which are hosted applications that manage such things as e-mail, calendars and video conferencing.
Cebit Ideen von gestern - Computer - sueddeutsche.de
Cebit Ideen von gestern - Computer - sueddeutsche.de
Nach sechs Jahren kommt Microsoft-Chef Steve Ballmer wieder nach Hannover - mit Konzepten, die er schon vor sechs Jahren präsentierte. Auch der Gegner heißt immer noch Google.
Nach sechs Jahren kommt Microsoft-Chef Steve Ballmer wieder nach Hannover - mit Konzepten, die er schon vor sechs Jahren präsentierte. Auch der Gegner heißt immer noch Google.
Monday, March 03, 2008
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft line extended to small business
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft line extended to small business
Microsoft line extended to small business
By Richard Waters in San Francisco
Published: March 3 2008 05:03 | Last updated: March 3 2008 05:03
Microsoft will on Monday take the wraps off a new service designed to repel Google’s incursion into one of its core markets, selling software applications to small and medium-sized businesses.
The plan will involve delivering a service over the internet for small companies to do things such as manage corporate e-mail and let workers collaborate on documents, rather than requiring them to buy the software. Users of the new internet services will be charged a flat annual subscription fee per worker.
The move marks a response to Google’s launch a year ago of a set of online applications for business customers, for a fee of $50 a year for each worker. Google executives have suggested that even if companies don’t end up using their services, the presence of an alternative could still lead companies to negotiate lower prices from Microsoft.
Chris Capossela, head of Microsoft’s Office desktop applications and related server software businesses, dismissed the threat from this new low-priced competition. He refused to disclose what Microsoft would charge for its online services, but said: “We’re really not worried about cannibalisation.”
The new Microsoft services involve two of its main server products – the Exchange e-mail software and SharePoint, which is used to manage documents centrally and make it easier for workers to collaborate.
Internet-based versions of this software were made available to big companies last year. It will now be extended for a test period to the smaller companies that have traditionally formed the backbone of Microsoft’s business.
In spite of the experimentation with offering online versions of its server-based software, Microsoft has so far retained its traditional business model for its dominant Office suite of PC applications.
It is counting on the functionality of its software to counter Google. “Looking at their software, it’s incredibly basic,” said Mr Capossela. “It isn’t good enough for a 50-person company.”
He also said Google, which has been building a sales force to improve relations with business customers, had a long way to go before being taken seriously as a business software supplier.
“The reality is, it takes a very long time to build the credibility with [chief information officers],” he said.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Microsoft line extended to small business
By Richard Waters in San Francisco
Published: March 3 2008 05:03 | Last updated: March 3 2008 05:03
Microsoft will on Monday take the wraps off a new service designed to repel Google’s incursion into one of its core markets, selling software applications to small and medium-sized businesses.
The plan will involve delivering a service over the internet for small companies to do things such as manage corporate e-mail and let workers collaborate on documents, rather than requiring them to buy the software. Users of the new internet services will be charged a flat annual subscription fee per worker.
The move marks a response to Google’s launch a year ago of a set of online applications for business customers, for a fee of $50 a year for each worker. Google executives have suggested that even if companies don’t end up using their services, the presence of an alternative could still lead companies to negotiate lower prices from Microsoft.
Chris Capossela, head of Microsoft’s Office desktop applications and related server software businesses, dismissed the threat from this new low-priced competition. He refused to disclose what Microsoft would charge for its online services, but said: “We’re really not worried about cannibalisation.”
The new Microsoft services involve two of its main server products – the Exchange e-mail software and SharePoint, which is used to manage documents centrally and make it easier for workers to collaborate.
Internet-based versions of this software were made available to big companies last year. It will now be extended for a test period to the smaller companies that have traditionally formed the backbone of Microsoft’s business.
In spite of the experimentation with offering online versions of its server-based software, Microsoft has so far retained its traditional business model for its dominant Office suite of PC applications.
It is counting on the functionality of its software to counter Google. “Looking at their software, it’s incredibly basic,” said Mr Capossela. “It isn’t good enough for a 50-person company.”
He also said Google, which has been building a sales force to improve relations with business customers, had a long way to go before being taken seriously as a business software supplier.
“The reality is, it takes a very long time to build the credibility with [chief information officers],” he said.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Microsoft Matches Google With SaaS for E-Mail/SharePoint
Microsoft Matches Google With SaaS for E-Mail/SharePoint
Responding to the threat from Google, and sensing a significant business opportunity, Microsoft has announced substantial plans for an Exchange and SharePoint software-as-a-service model.
Responding to the threat from Google, and sensing a significant business opportunity, Microsoft has announced substantial plans for an Exchange and SharePoint software-as-a-service model.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
FT.com / In depth - Yahoo poised to reject Microsoft bid
FT.com / In depth - Yahoo poised to reject Microsoft bid
Yahoo poised to reject Microsoft bid
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: February 9 2008 20:29 | Last updated: February 9 2008 20:29
Yahoo intends to reject Microsoft’s unsolicited bid for the internet company, according to a person close to the situation.
Yahoo’s board held its first formal meeting on Friday to discuss the February 1 offer, which is currently valued at $41.5bn. It has decided the $31 a share on the table massively undervalues the company, this person said.
The Silicon Valley company is expected to send a letter to Microsoft on Monday detailing its position, including the concern that any takeover could be overturned by regulators.
It is understood Yahoo would be unlikely to give serious consideration to an offer of less than $40 a share. Shares in Yahoo closed on Friday at $29.20.
Yahoo’s rejection of the bid could set the scene for a protracted struggle for the company. Microsoft could launch a proxy contest and seek to replace Yahoo’s board at its annual meeting in June.
But Yahoo’s move could also give it time to come up with alternatives that might satisfy shareholders disappointed with its poor financial performance. It is understood to be considering handing over its search advertising to Google, a move that would generate considerable revenues and cost savings. Another option would be to sell off its holdings in China and Japan to generate a special dividend.
So far there has been no indication of any ”white knight” coming to Yahoo’s rescue, with News Corp and NBC among those ruling out a possible counter-bid.
Yahoo is being advised by Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers. Moelis & Company, a Los Angeles-based mergers and acquisitions boutique, has also joined the team.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Yahoo poised to reject Microsoft bid
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: February 9 2008 20:29 | Last updated: February 9 2008 20:29
Yahoo intends to reject Microsoft’s unsolicited bid for the internet company, according to a person close to the situation.
Yahoo’s board held its first formal meeting on Friday to discuss the February 1 offer, which is currently valued at $41.5bn. It has decided the $31 a share on the table massively undervalues the company, this person said.
The Silicon Valley company is expected to send a letter to Microsoft on Monday detailing its position, including the concern that any takeover could be overturned by regulators.
It is understood Yahoo would be unlikely to give serious consideration to an offer of less than $40 a share. Shares in Yahoo closed on Friday at $29.20.
Yahoo’s rejection of the bid could set the scene for a protracted struggle for the company. Microsoft could launch a proxy contest and seek to replace Yahoo’s board at its annual meeting in June.
But Yahoo’s move could also give it time to come up with alternatives that might satisfy shareholders disappointed with its poor financial performance. It is understood to be considering handing over its search advertising to Google, a move that would generate considerable revenues and cost savings. Another option would be to sell off its holdings in China and Japan to generate a special dividend.
So far there has been no indication of any ”white knight” coming to Yahoo’s rescue, with News Corp and NBC among those ruling out a possible counter-bid.
Yahoo is being advised by Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers. Moelis & Company, a Los Angeles-based mergers and acquisitions boutique, has also joined the team.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Microsoft v Google | When clouds collide | Economist.com
Microsoft v Google | When clouds collide | Economist.com
THE collision of two clouds is a gentle affair—except, that is, in the digital skies of the technology industry. But such a virtual collision is the best image to keep in mind when trying to understand why Microsoft, the world's largest software company, has bid a whopping $44.6 billion for Yahoo!, an ailing online giant. As computing moves online, the sources of power and money will increasingly be enormous “computing clouds”, as the cognoscenti call them, hosted on the internet. The Yahoo! deal is mainly about inflating Microsoft's cloud so that it can at last match that of its most dangerous rival, Google.
To be sure, the merger, which would be the internet industry's biggest since the ill-fated union of AOL and Time Warner in 2000, is far from a done deal. As The Economist went to press, Yahoo! had yet to reply formally to the offer, other than to say that it was considering it. Indeed, its management, which has spurned previous overtures from Microsoft, is said to have been looking into alternatives to the takeover, including selling off some units and even considering an alliance with Google. A rival bid is possible, but so far no one appears inclined to enter into a bidding war with deep-pocketed Microsoft; its offer values Yahoo! at $31 a share, a 62% premium over its closing price before Microsoft's bid was made public. And then there is the inevitable antitrust review, which promises to be lengthy, particularly in Europe.
If Microsoft does manage to swallow Yahoo!, it risks a severe bout of post-merger indigestion, as happened with AOL and Time Warner. (This week Time Warner's new boss, Jeff Bewkes, said he planned to spin off AOL's shrinking internet-access business.) Microsoft will have to combine or eliminate overlapping products and services. There will be cultural problems to overcome, too. Yahoo! is an online-media company that prides itself on its fun-loving ethos and has built its business on open-source technology, whereas Microsoft attracts hard-charging geeks and makes its money from proprietary software. So combining the two firms' technology infrastructures to make further savings will also be tricky.
Since Microsoft must know all this, the fact that it still wants to buy Yahoo! is nothing less than an admission that it needs help to catch up with Google. The latter is best known for its search engine, but it was also the first company to build a huge computing cloud—a nexus of hardware, software, data and people which provides online services. In Google's vast data centres, the computing equivalents of power stations, hundreds of thousands of machines are cleverly linked to act as one. Google collects vast amounts of data from its users and from the web. And it has hired an army of bright engineers to devise new services that make use of these resources.
Most importantly, Google has figured out a way to make money from its cloud. By giving away its services, the firm creates plenty of space for targeted advertising, mostly in the form of small text-boxes related to users' search queries. These are auctioned, and buyers pay only if users click on their advertisements. Google has thus created a virtuous cycle. As the largest search engine, Google attracts more advertisers and can serve up more relevant advertisements. This in turn attracts more users and advertisers, and so on.
In recent years Microsoft has tried to create a comparable cloud of its own. It is investing heavily in infrastructure and has built data centres around the world. It is also trying hard to catch up with Google's services, notably internet search. It recently strengthened its position in display advertising, a subset of the online-ad market that is smaller than search-based advertising, but is expected to grow quickly. In May Microsoft bought aQuantive, an online-ad agency, after Google agreed to buy DoubleClick, a leader in display.
Yet it has little to show for its efforts. In search, for instance, Microsoft's worldwide market share in December 2007 was 2.9%, according to comScore, a market-research firm, compared with 62.4% for Google (and 12.8% for Yahoo!). Microsoft's online business has yet to turn a profit. Yet what worries the firm's management most is that Google is pulling ahead in online advertising and may soon corner this crucial market, particularly once its acquisition of DoubleClick is completed. Despite fierce lobbying by Microsoft, American regulators have approved the deal, and their European counterparts are expected to follow suit soon.
Ironically, Microsoft argues that Google will benefit from the same advantage that has long made it almost impossible for any other firm to compete with its own Windows operating system, and which played an important role in successful antitrust cases against the software giant. Since so much software is written to run on Windows, it is difficult for competing operating systems to enter the market. Similarly, if too many publishers and advertisers adopt Google's online-advertising platform, rivals will not be able “to mount a credible competitive challenge”, as an internal Microsoft document puts it.
Having failed to keep DoubleClick out of Google's clutches, Microsoft now hopes that Yahoo! will keep it from being left in the dust. If it succeeds, the takeover would expand Microsoft's cloud, though not to the size of Google's. The combined firm's websites would attract over 290m unique visitors per month in America—slightly more than Google, according to Nielsen Online, another market-research firm. Yet Microsoft-Yahoo! would have a market share of only 18% in search advertising and 30% in display, according to Oppenheimer, an investment bank.
Still, the takeover would give Microsoft greater clout in other areas. One is web-based e-mail, where the merged entity would have 80% of the American market. It would be equally dominant in instant messaging. Since Yahoo! also offers many other services, such as Flickr, a photo-sharing site, Microsoft would control the world's biggest directory of registered internet users—a valuable asset as it develops new cloud-based services.
Nonetheless, the transaction could be good news for Google, at least in the short term. Google will most certainly try to lure away Yahoo!'s best staff. The integration effort will distract Microsoft's management and take time. Google has already launched a lobbying campaign to block the merger, arguing that it could undermine innovation on the internet—though neither Microsoft nor Yahoo! has done anything terribly innovative online lately. Indeed, the more Google complains about threats to innovation, instead of just getting on with doing it, the more it sounds like Microsoft used to.
THE collision of two clouds is a gentle affair—except, that is, in the digital skies of the technology industry. But such a virtual collision is the best image to keep in mind when trying to understand why Microsoft, the world's largest software company, has bid a whopping $44.6 billion for Yahoo!, an ailing online giant. As computing moves online, the sources of power and money will increasingly be enormous “computing clouds”, as the cognoscenti call them, hosted on the internet. The Yahoo! deal is mainly about inflating Microsoft's cloud so that it can at last match that of its most dangerous rival, Google.
To be sure, the merger, which would be the internet industry's biggest since the ill-fated union of AOL and Time Warner in 2000, is far from a done deal. As The Economist went to press, Yahoo! had yet to reply formally to the offer, other than to say that it was considering it. Indeed, its management, which has spurned previous overtures from Microsoft, is said to have been looking into alternatives to the takeover, including selling off some units and even considering an alliance with Google. A rival bid is possible, but so far no one appears inclined to enter into a bidding war with deep-pocketed Microsoft; its offer values Yahoo! at $31 a share, a 62% premium over its closing price before Microsoft's bid was made public. And then there is the inevitable antitrust review, which promises to be lengthy, particularly in Europe.
If Microsoft does manage to swallow Yahoo!, it risks a severe bout of post-merger indigestion, as happened with AOL and Time Warner. (This week Time Warner's new boss, Jeff Bewkes, said he planned to spin off AOL's shrinking internet-access business.) Microsoft will have to combine or eliminate overlapping products and services. There will be cultural problems to overcome, too. Yahoo! is an online-media company that prides itself on its fun-loving ethos and has built its business on open-source technology, whereas Microsoft attracts hard-charging geeks and makes its money from proprietary software. So combining the two firms' technology infrastructures to make further savings will also be tricky.
Since Microsoft must know all this, the fact that it still wants to buy Yahoo! is nothing less than an admission that it needs help to catch up with Google. The latter is best known for its search engine, but it was also the first company to build a huge computing cloud—a nexus of hardware, software, data and people which provides online services. In Google's vast data centres, the computing equivalents of power stations, hundreds of thousands of machines are cleverly linked to act as one. Google collects vast amounts of data from its users and from the web. And it has hired an army of bright engineers to devise new services that make use of these resources.
Most importantly, Google has figured out a way to make money from its cloud. By giving away its services, the firm creates plenty of space for targeted advertising, mostly in the form of small text-boxes related to users' search queries. These are auctioned, and buyers pay only if users click on their advertisements. Google has thus created a virtuous cycle. As the largest search engine, Google attracts more advertisers and can serve up more relevant advertisements. This in turn attracts more users and advertisers, and so on.
In recent years Microsoft has tried to create a comparable cloud of its own. It is investing heavily in infrastructure and has built data centres around the world. It is also trying hard to catch up with Google's services, notably internet search. It recently strengthened its position in display advertising, a subset of the online-ad market that is smaller than search-based advertising, but is expected to grow quickly. In May Microsoft bought aQuantive, an online-ad agency, after Google agreed to buy DoubleClick, a leader in display.
Yet it has little to show for its efforts. In search, for instance, Microsoft's worldwide market share in December 2007 was 2.9%, according to comScore, a market-research firm, compared with 62.4% for Google (and 12.8% for Yahoo!). Microsoft's online business has yet to turn a profit. Yet what worries the firm's management most is that Google is pulling ahead in online advertising and may soon corner this crucial market, particularly once its acquisition of DoubleClick is completed. Despite fierce lobbying by Microsoft, American regulators have approved the deal, and their European counterparts are expected to follow suit soon.
Ironically, Microsoft argues that Google will benefit from the same advantage that has long made it almost impossible for any other firm to compete with its own Windows operating system, and which played an important role in successful antitrust cases against the software giant. Since so much software is written to run on Windows, it is difficult for competing operating systems to enter the market. Similarly, if too many publishers and advertisers adopt Google's online-advertising platform, rivals will not be able “to mount a credible competitive challenge”, as an internal Microsoft document puts it.
Having failed to keep DoubleClick out of Google's clutches, Microsoft now hopes that Yahoo! will keep it from being left in the dust. If it succeeds, the takeover would expand Microsoft's cloud, though not to the size of Google's. The combined firm's websites would attract over 290m unique visitors per month in America—slightly more than Google, according to Nielsen Online, another market-research firm. Yet Microsoft-Yahoo! would have a market share of only 18% in search advertising and 30% in display, according to Oppenheimer, an investment bank.
Still, the takeover would give Microsoft greater clout in other areas. One is web-based e-mail, where the merged entity would have 80% of the American market. It would be equally dominant in instant messaging. Since Yahoo! also offers many other services, such as Flickr, a photo-sharing site, Microsoft would control the world's biggest directory of registered internet users—a valuable asset as it develops new cloud-based services.
Nonetheless, the transaction could be good news for Google, at least in the short term. Google will most certainly try to lure away Yahoo!'s best staff. The integration effort will distract Microsoft's management and take time. Google has already launched a lobbying campaign to block the merger, arguing that it could undermine innovation on the internet—though neither Microsoft nor Yahoo! has done anything terribly innovative online lately. Indeed, the more Google complains about threats to innovation, instead of just getting on with doing it, the more it sounds like Microsoft used to.
Monday, February 04, 2008
FT.com / In depth - Google weighs in against Microsoft
FT.com / In depth - Google weighs in against Microsoft
Google weighs in against Microsoft
By Richard Waters in San Francisco and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in London
Published: February 3 2008 19:54 | Last updated: February 4 2008 03:17
Google raised a red flag over Microsoft’s unsolicited takeover offer for Yahoo, on Sunday arguing it could open the way for the software developer to extend its PC monopoly to the internet.
The intervention is the latest example of the growing enmity between the two companies and echoes Microsoft’s denunciation of Google’s proposed acquisition of online advertising company DoubleClick.
While Microsoft claimed that deal could give Google inordinate power to control online advertisements as they become the lifeblood of many internet companies, Google believes Microsoft would be in a position to influence the evolution of the web itself.
However, Brad Smith, general counsel of Microsoft, said: “Microsoft is committed to openness, innovation, and the protection of privacy on the internet.”
Microsoft has not ruled out launching a proxy fight for control of Yahoo by 13 March, the last date it can nominate its own directors to the company’s board ahead of this year’s shareholders’ meeting.
Separately, an alliance with Google is being seen inside Yahoo as one of the main options as the company tries to fight off Microsoft’s unsolicited approach, according to one person familiar with its thinking.
Yahoo rejected the idea of a tie-up with Google last year but has now put it back at the top of its list of options, along with finding ways to realise more of the value from its stakes in Japanese and Chinese joint ventures, according to this person.
The possibility of an alliance between the two internet groups adds to the intrigue surrounding the tussle between Google and Microsoft, and could raise questions about Google’s motivations in publicly attacking Microsoft now.
In a posting on Google’s company blog, David Drummond, its top lawyer, said: “While the internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies – and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets.”
He went on to question whether a Yahoo acquisition would allow Microsoft, “despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offences, to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the internet”.
Google swung the spotlight on to the “overwhelming” share of the web e-mail and instant messaging markets that Microsoft and Yahoo account for, plus the fact that they own two of the busiest web portals.
“Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors’ e-mail, IM, and web-based services?” Mr Drummond asked.
Meanwhile, a Google-Yahoo alliance, something discussed but not pursued last year, would enable Google to halt Microsoft’s latest bid to boost its standing on the web.
The idea was receiving serious consideration again this weekend as Yahoo looked at a wider range of options, according to a person close to the company.
Microsoft’s cash-and-stock offer for Yahoo was worth $43bn at the end of last week.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Google weighs in against Microsoft
By Richard Waters in San Francisco and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in London
Published: February 3 2008 19:54 | Last updated: February 4 2008 03:17
Google raised a red flag over Microsoft’s unsolicited takeover offer for Yahoo, on Sunday arguing it could open the way for the software developer to extend its PC monopoly to the internet.
The intervention is the latest example of the growing enmity between the two companies and echoes Microsoft’s denunciation of Google’s proposed acquisition of online advertising company DoubleClick.
While Microsoft claimed that deal could give Google inordinate power to control online advertisements as they become the lifeblood of many internet companies, Google believes Microsoft would be in a position to influence the evolution of the web itself.
However, Brad Smith, general counsel of Microsoft, said: “Microsoft is committed to openness, innovation, and the protection of privacy on the internet.”
Microsoft has not ruled out launching a proxy fight for control of Yahoo by 13 March, the last date it can nominate its own directors to the company’s board ahead of this year’s shareholders’ meeting.
Separately, an alliance with Google is being seen inside Yahoo as one of the main options as the company tries to fight off Microsoft’s unsolicited approach, according to one person familiar with its thinking.
Yahoo rejected the idea of a tie-up with Google last year but has now put it back at the top of its list of options, along with finding ways to realise more of the value from its stakes in Japanese and Chinese joint ventures, according to this person.
The possibility of an alliance between the two internet groups adds to the intrigue surrounding the tussle between Google and Microsoft, and could raise questions about Google’s motivations in publicly attacking Microsoft now.
In a posting on Google’s company blog, David Drummond, its top lawyer, said: “While the internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies – and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets.”
He went on to question whether a Yahoo acquisition would allow Microsoft, “despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offences, to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the internet”.
Google swung the spotlight on to the “overwhelming” share of the web e-mail and instant messaging markets that Microsoft and Yahoo account for, plus the fact that they own two of the busiest web portals.
“Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors’ e-mail, IM, and web-based services?” Mr Drummond asked.
Meanwhile, a Google-Yahoo alliance, something discussed but not pursued last year, would enable Google to halt Microsoft’s latest bid to boost its standing on the web.
The idea was receiving serious consideration again this weekend as Yahoo looked at a wider range of options, according to a person close to the company.
Microsoft’s cash-and-stock offer for Yahoo was worth $43bn at the end of last week.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Friday, February 01, 2008
Ready to Rumble: Microsoft-Yahoo! vs. Google | AMR Research
Ready to Rumble: Microsoft-Yahoo! vs. Google | AMR Research
The last minutes of January were barely off the clock when Microsoft made a $44.6B cash-and-stock bid for Yahoo!. Microsoft is offering $31 per share, a 62% premium over Yahoo!’s closing stock price January 31. If I were Yahoo! co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang, having recently stepped back into the lead role only to deal with executive departures, disappointing results, and layoffs, I’d be ecstatic that Steve Ballmer has taken Mick Jagger’s offer and has come to “my emotional rescue.”
When I saw the news flash on a television as I entered the gym, I had three reactions:
First, it’s a lot of money for a company that continues to fall far behind Google in revenue, market share, market valuation, profitability, and mindshare. The offer is nearly seven times last year’s revenue.
Second, can Microsoft recoup its investment? I use My Yahoo! every day … for free. When I talked about this with one of the investment gurus who belongs to my gym he said, “If Yahoo! provided the same services for just a penny per subscriber per year, they would lose 50% of their base immediately.” While I’m not sure that’s true, his point is that we’ve come to expect Yahoo! and Google functionality will be free. The cost is offset by the paid ads that no one admits to clicking on.
Third, can Microsoft retain the key Yahoo! developers and sales stars? There is so much venture money in Silicon Valley chasing proven talent that it may be hard for Yahoo! employees to accept Microsoft’s planned retention packages in lieu of the opportunity to join the next Google. How ironic is that?
On the flip side, if Microsoft really wants to slow or stop Google in its march across the enterprise, did it have any other choice? As I was trying to finish writing, Jonathan Yarmis and Jim Shepherd came to my office arguing passionately that this deal makes sense for Microsoft. To make sure his points were heard, Jonathan teamed with Chris Fletcher and Jim Murphy on a companion piece.
Zimbra as hidden jewel for Microsoft Live?
When I think of Yahoo!, I think of my portal. In considering the Microsoft-Yahoo! combo, I initially overlooked Zimbra. Yahoo! bought the collaboration software vendor last September for $350M. I first wrote about Zimbra, last April, saying:
“When I first saw it, my reaction was that this is what SAP and Microsoft are trying to do with Duet. The Zimbra Collaboration Suite is designed to allow PC users to add or build new capabilities on top of their preferred desktop standard (like Microsoft Outlook or any of its competitors). The company provides a wide range of Zimbra-developed and third-party “zimlets” that allow users to access Google maps, VoIP services, data sources (such as Wikipedia and catalogs), enterprise applications, and third-party services such as travel.”
Zimbra’s software would be ideal for extending—some would argue saving—the Microsoft Live initiative. It certainly sets up an interesting play against Google Apps. Does Microsoft Zimbra escape the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Justice?
Meanwhile, Google shares get walloped
Ironically, Google employees with options at ridiculously high strike prices may be looking for the next Google, too. Shares of GOOG were getting spanked at opening February 1. By 11:30 a.m., the stock was trading at $513.01, down $51.29 or more than 9%. This is a far cry from the peak of $747.24 reached last November. At the current price, Google still enjoys a market cap that tops $160B. That’s more than $100B higher than SAP ($57.58B) and $56B higher than Oracle.
While some of the sell-off might be because of the threat of Microsoft emerging as a stronger competitor, the market has reacted negatively to Google’s recent earnings report. The company said that 4Q07 profits and paid clicks had grown slower than the previous three quarters. A fierce debate has ensued over whether Google will be helped or hurt by the long-predicted U.S. recession.
What do you think?
Is Steve Ballmer making a smart bet, or could he have waited six months and bought Yahoo! at a fraction of today’s price? If the deal goes through, will Microsoft be able to keep Zimbra or will it be seen as having too much power on the desktop? Is Google’s recent slower growth rate in profits and paid clicks a sign of saturation or just part of the ebb and flow of its dynamic business model? As always, I welcome your feedback and ideas—brichardson@amrresearch.com.
The last minutes of January were barely off the clock when Microsoft made a $44.6B cash-and-stock bid for Yahoo!. Microsoft is offering $31 per share, a 62% premium over Yahoo!’s closing stock price January 31. If I were Yahoo! co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang, having recently stepped back into the lead role only to deal with executive departures, disappointing results, and layoffs, I’d be ecstatic that Steve Ballmer has taken Mick Jagger’s offer and has come to “my emotional rescue.”
When I saw the news flash on a television as I entered the gym, I had three reactions:
First, it’s a lot of money for a company that continues to fall far behind Google in revenue, market share, market valuation, profitability, and mindshare. The offer is nearly seven times last year’s revenue.
Second, can Microsoft recoup its investment? I use My Yahoo! every day … for free. When I talked about this with one of the investment gurus who belongs to my gym he said, “If Yahoo! provided the same services for just a penny per subscriber per year, they would lose 50% of their base immediately.” While I’m not sure that’s true, his point is that we’ve come to expect Yahoo! and Google functionality will be free. The cost is offset by the paid ads that no one admits to clicking on.
Third, can Microsoft retain the key Yahoo! developers and sales stars? There is so much venture money in Silicon Valley chasing proven talent that it may be hard for Yahoo! employees to accept Microsoft’s planned retention packages in lieu of the opportunity to join the next Google. How ironic is that?
On the flip side, if Microsoft really wants to slow or stop Google in its march across the enterprise, did it have any other choice? As I was trying to finish writing, Jonathan Yarmis and Jim Shepherd came to my office arguing passionately that this deal makes sense for Microsoft. To make sure his points were heard, Jonathan teamed with Chris Fletcher and Jim Murphy on a companion piece.
Zimbra as hidden jewel for Microsoft Live?
When I think of Yahoo!, I think of my portal. In considering the Microsoft-Yahoo! combo, I initially overlooked Zimbra. Yahoo! bought the collaboration software vendor last September for $350M. I first wrote about Zimbra, last April, saying:
“When I first saw it, my reaction was that this is what SAP and Microsoft are trying to do with Duet. The Zimbra Collaboration Suite is designed to allow PC users to add or build new capabilities on top of their preferred desktop standard (like Microsoft Outlook or any of its competitors). The company provides a wide range of Zimbra-developed and third-party “zimlets” that allow users to access Google maps, VoIP services, data sources (such as Wikipedia and catalogs), enterprise applications, and third-party services such as travel.”
Zimbra’s software would be ideal for extending—some would argue saving—the Microsoft Live initiative. It certainly sets up an interesting play against Google Apps. Does Microsoft Zimbra escape the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Justice?
Meanwhile, Google shares get walloped
Ironically, Google employees with options at ridiculously high strike prices may be looking for the next Google, too. Shares of GOOG were getting spanked at opening February 1. By 11:30 a.m., the stock was trading at $513.01, down $51.29 or more than 9%. This is a far cry from the peak of $747.24 reached last November. At the current price, Google still enjoys a market cap that tops $160B. That’s more than $100B higher than SAP ($57.58B) and $56B higher than Oracle.
While some of the sell-off might be because of the threat of Microsoft emerging as a stronger competitor, the market has reacted negatively to Google’s recent earnings report. The company said that 4Q07 profits and paid clicks had grown slower than the previous three quarters. A fierce debate has ensued over whether Google will be helped or hurt by the long-predicted U.S. recession.
What do you think?
Is Steve Ballmer making a smart bet, or could he have waited six months and bought Yahoo! at a fraction of today’s price? If the deal goes through, will Microsoft be able to keep Zimbra or will it be seen as having too much power on the desktop? Is Google’s recent slower growth rate in profits and paid clicks a sign of saturation or just part of the ebb and flow of its dynamic business model? As always, I welcome your feedback and ideas—brichardson@amrresearch.com.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Facebook Wins Big as Microsoft Validates Social-Platform Value
Facebook Wins Big as Microsoft Validates Social-Platform Value
The emerging social-platform wars ratcheted up a notch when, in a long-awaited development, Microsoft struck a deal to invest $240 million in Facebook.
The emerging social-platform wars ratcheted up a notch when, in a long-awaited development, Microsoft struck a deal to invest $240 million in Facebook.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft loses Office software standards vote
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft loses Office software standards vote
Microsoft loses Office software standards vote
By Richard Waters in San Francisco
Published: September 5 2007 00:38 | Last updated: September 5 2007 00:38
Microsoft has failed in its initial attempt to have some of the key new technology in its latest Windows and Office software recognised as an international standard.
However, the software company claimed strong momentum for its efforts and predicted that it would overcome the remaining hurdles by early next year.
Microsoft is seeking recognition for the formats for documents and spreadsheets contained in its new Office software, known as Open XML.
Winning approval is considered essential since many governments are otherwise expected to balk at the new Microsoft technology, opting instead for the rival ODF format, which already has international recognition.
Though technology standard-setting efforts like this seldom attract much public attention, Microsoft’s push is seen as a vital part of its attempt to win broad support for the latest versions of its key desktop software products.
Also, the company’s controversial international campaign to win support, by getting supporters of its position to take part in national-level discussions about the issue in many countries, has drawn allegations of abuse from rivals such as IBM.
The International Standards Organisation said Tuesday that only 53 per cent of countries that voted on whether Microsoft’s technology should be adopted as a standard had supported the move at this stage, short of the two-thirds majority needed.
Also, 26 per cent had voted against the plan, while under ISO rules an initiative cannot be approved if more than 25 per cent vote against.
Microsoft will get the chance to propose changes to its application at a meeting in February.
If those changes prove insufficient, it will be forced to follow a slower application process that could take as long as two to three years to complete.
Even a delay at this stage is likely to discourage governments from moving ahead to buy new Microsoft software, claimed Marino Marcich, managing director of the rival ODF Alliance.
However, Tom Robertson, general manager of inter-operability and standards at Microsoft, denied that the delay would hit sales.
He claimed that the initial ISO vote was “a very positive sign of momentum” towards ultimate support.
He said that standards bodies in some countries, such as Ireland, had indicated their support in principle, even though they voted against at this stage, suggesting that Microsoft will be able to achieve its objective.
Microsoft’s opponents, meanwhile, claim that the company will have to make substantial changes to its application before gaining full recognition, for instance by tying the formats less closely to its other software.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Microsoft loses Office software standards vote
By Richard Waters in San Francisco
Published: September 5 2007 00:38 | Last updated: September 5 2007 00:38
Microsoft has failed in its initial attempt to have some of the key new technology in its latest Windows and Office software recognised as an international standard.
However, the software company claimed strong momentum for its efforts and predicted that it would overcome the remaining hurdles by early next year.
Microsoft is seeking recognition for the formats for documents and spreadsheets contained in its new Office software, known as Open XML.
Winning approval is considered essential since many governments are otherwise expected to balk at the new Microsoft technology, opting instead for the rival ODF format, which already has international recognition.
Though technology standard-setting efforts like this seldom attract much public attention, Microsoft’s push is seen as a vital part of its attempt to win broad support for the latest versions of its key desktop software products.
Also, the company’s controversial international campaign to win support, by getting supporters of its position to take part in national-level discussions about the issue in many countries, has drawn allegations of abuse from rivals such as IBM.
The International Standards Organisation said Tuesday that only 53 per cent of countries that voted on whether Microsoft’s technology should be adopted as a standard had supported the move at this stage, short of the two-thirds majority needed.
Also, 26 per cent had voted against the plan, while under ISO rules an initiative cannot be approved if more than 25 per cent vote against.
Microsoft will get the chance to propose changes to its application at a meeting in February.
If those changes prove insufficient, it will be forced to follow a slower application process that could take as long as two to three years to complete.
Even a delay at this stage is likely to discourage governments from moving ahead to buy new Microsoft software, claimed Marino Marcich, managing director of the rival ODF Alliance.
However, Tom Robertson, general manager of inter-operability and standards at Microsoft, denied that the delay would hit sales.
He claimed that the initial ISO vote was “a very positive sign of momentum” towards ultimate support.
He said that standards bodies in some countries, such as Ireland, had indicated their support in principle, even though they voted against at this stage, suggesting that Microsoft will be able to achieve its objective.
Microsoft’s opponents, meanwhile, claim that the company will have to make substantial changes to its application before gaining full recognition, for instance by tying the formats less closely to its other software.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
Microsoft Expands IM Functions With Parlano Buy
Microsoft Expands IM Functions With Parlano Buy
As part of its aggressive drive to propagate its instant-messaging system, Microsoft has filled a functional hole by acquiring Parlano, a vendor with strong tabbed and group chat capabilities.
As part of its aggressive drive to propagate its instant-messaging system, Microsoft has filled a functional hole by acquiring Parlano, a vendor with strong tabbed and group chat capabilities.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
With Popfly, Microsoft Enters 'Mashup' Tool Market
With Popfly, Microsoft Enters 'Mashup' Tool Market
With the alpha version of Popfly, Microsoft joins its competition in creating tools that will help move "mashup" technology from a "cool" Web developer hobby to a business value enabler.
With the alpha version of Popfly, Microsoft joins its competition in creating tools that will help move "mashup" technology from a "cool" Web developer hobby to a business value enabler.
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 24 2007 01:59 | Last updated: May 24 2007 01:59
Microsoft has played down reports that it could acquire Yahoo, saying agreeing to buy the Aquantive online advertising company for $6bn last week has given it all it needs.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising strategist, told the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas in answer to a question on whether the search engine company had assets that could assist the software giant: “From where we are today, I think we have all the pieces.”
Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 24 2007 01:59 | Last updated: May 24 2007 01:59
Microsoft has played down reports that it could acquire Yahoo, saying agreeing to buy the Aquantive online advertising company for $6bn last week has given it all it needs.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising strategist, told the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas in answer to a question on whether the search engine company had assets that could assist the software giant: “From where we are today, I think we have all the pieces.”
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
FT.com / Companies / IT - Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 24 2007 01:59 | Last updated: May 24 2007 01:59
Microsoft has played down reports that it could acquire Yahoo, saying agreeing to buy the Aquantive online advertising company for $6bn last week has given it all it needs.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising strategist, told the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas in answer to a question on whether the search engine company had assets that could assist the software giant: “From where we are today, I think we have all the pieces.”
It emerged earlier this month that Microsoft had made a tentative takeover approach for Yahoo.
But on Friday, Microsoft agreed to pay $6bn incash for Aquantive – more than four times the size of its previous largest acquisition.
Mr Mehdi hinted that Microsoft would makemuch smaller bolt-on acquisitions in future to fill inany gaps in its internet offerings.
“There are other small pieces that we’re in the process of getting to as well, organically or otherwise,” he said.
He added that the Aquantive deal put Microsoft in a strong position to serve display advertisements on websites targeted to users’ interests and behaviour.
He said this kind of advertising was growing faster than the text-based kind that appears with search results on services such as Google’s.
Google has agreed to pay $3.1bn for DoubleClick, whose technology serves display advertisements.
Microsoft is objecting to the deal on antitrust grounds, arguing that it would give Google 80 per cent of the market.
A merger or partnership with Yahoo could have given Microsoft access to the Silicon Valley company’s own advertising technologyas well as its extensive content from a network of websites.
But Microsoft’s sites, including the MSN network, already boast the largest internet audience withhalf a billion visitors a month and with the Aquantive acquisition it will offer advertising services to sites outside its network. This is something it has not yet attempted, apart from a relationship with the Facebook social networking site.
A combined Microsoft and Yahoo would still trail Google significantly in search.
Google had 55 per cent of all search queries in the US in April, according to Nielsen NetRatings, compared with 22 per cent for Yahoo and 9 per cent for MSN/Windows Live.
Mr Mehdi said Microsoft was planning new features for its search service that would give Google a “run for their money”.
He said it was necessary to “do something big and bold and different” to try to displace the market leader.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Microsoft plays down Yahoo move
By Chris Nuttall in San Francisco
Published: May 24 2007 01:59 | Last updated: May 24 2007 01:59
Microsoft has played down reports that it could acquire Yahoo, saying agreeing to buy the Aquantive online advertising company for $6bn last week has given it all it needs.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief advertising strategist, told the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas in answer to a question on whether the search engine company had assets that could assist the software giant: “From where we are today, I think we have all the pieces.”
It emerged earlier this month that Microsoft had made a tentative takeover approach for Yahoo.
But on Friday, Microsoft agreed to pay $6bn incash for Aquantive – more than four times the size of its previous largest acquisition.
Mr Mehdi hinted that Microsoft would makemuch smaller bolt-on acquisitions in future to fill inany gaps in its internet offerings.
“There are other small pieces that we’re in the process of getting to as well, organically or otherwise,” he said.
He added that the Aquantive deal put Microsoft in a strong position to serve display advertisements on websites targeted to users’ interests and behaviour.
He said this kind of advertising was growing faster than the text-based kind that appears with search results on services such as Google’s.
Google has agreed to pay $3.1bn for DoubleClick, whose technology serves display advertisements.
Microsoft is objecting to the deal on antitrust grounds, arguing that it would give Google 80 per cent of the market.
A merger or partnership with Yahoo could have given Microsoft access to the Silicon Valley company’s own advertising technologyas well as its extensive content from a network of websites.
But Microsoft’s sites, including the MSN network, already boast the largest internet audience withhalf a billion visitors a month and with the Aquantive acquisition it will offer advertising services to sites outside its network. This is something it has not yet attempted, apart from a relationship with the Facebook social networking site.
A combined Microsoft and Yahoo would still trail Google significantly in search.
Google had 55 per cent of all search queries in the US in April, according to Nielsen NetRatings, compared with 22 per cent for Yahoo and 9 per cent for MSN/Windows Live.
Mr Mehdi said Microsoft was planning new features for its search service that would give Google a “run for their money”.
He said it was necessary to “do something big and bold and different” to try to displace the market leader.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - Web-Duo bekämpft Microsoft
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - Web-Duo bekämpft Microsoft
Eine Allianz mit dem Mietsoftwarepionier Salesforce soll Google den Einstieg in das Geschäft mit Software als Webservice erleichtern. Im Visier haben die beiden kalifornischen Konzerne den Erzrivalen Microsoft.
Eine Allianz mit dem Mietsoftwarepionier Salesforce soll Google den Einstieg in das Geschäft mit Software als Webservice erleichtern. Im Visier haben die beiden kalifornischen Konzerne den Erzrivalen Microsoft.
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