Microsoft's biggest fear is irrelevance
by Volker Weber
Four dots to connect:
- Microsoft claims Windows 10 on 300 million devices.
- Microsoft reminds you that Windows 10 will cost $119 after July 29.
- SAP works with Apple on enterprise apps.
- Android is wiping the floor with everything but Apple.
Windows 10 upgrades are already stalling and Microsoft wants to remind you that time is running out for your free Windows 10 upgrade. And they are pushing hard. Really hard. Why is that happening? Simple. Nobody wants a new Windows. Windows 7 works just fine. Developers don't want a Microsoft controlled app store. And if both users and developers don't want the Universal Windows Platform, as it is called now, the Windows business is toast and Microsoft loses its leverage. That's why your Windows 10 update is "free". And I don't think that anybody will ever want to buy Windows for $119.
Android is the new Windows. It's running on everything but Apple. Android and iOS combined combined market share is above 98.5%. That's why BlackBerry is pushing for a secure Android. And why Microsoft is stalling with Windows 10 Mobile. Watch how the few UWP apps all come out for "Windows PCs and tablets" and are not "universal" in that they also run on Windows phones. Microsoft knows this and is pushing applications for Android and iOS. Faster and harder than on Windows itself. There is a real danger that Microsoft might become irrelevant.
Microsoft still holds a strong position in enterprise. But the battle has moved from operating systems to cloud services. Where Microsoft's biggest competitors are Google and Amazon.
Comments
For Microsoft, a migration to cloud services means competing with every other cloud services provider. Some current customers will probably end up migrating to a competitor if they offer better uptime.
Just got this in the mailbox:
> Wir möchten Sie über einige bevorstehende Änderungen
> bei OneDrive informieren, die auch Sie betreffen. Der in
> OneDrive standardmäßig verfügbare Speicher wird von
> 15 GB in 5 GB geändert.
Free storage is reduced to 5GB.
That was the only Microsoft service I use. I've been tempted to use several, but I will rather keep a distance if you force me to work around decisions like that.
Well, as a vowe.net reader you could have avoided that restriction with a few clicks.
http://vowe.net/archives/015355.html
Thanks for the heads up. I must have missed it back then.
Too late now, but not a big deal...
