New challenges for Microsoft in 2010
It is well known fact that great power comes with great responsibility, but some people may not realize that great power also attracts heap of problems to the authority. From last two decades, Microsoft Corp, Redmond, Washington based technology giant has been dominating the world with its successful softwares and operating systems. However, the company has been facing tough time in the current year. The company layoffs about 5,000 people due to ongoing financial crisis and reported its worst quarterly revenue earnings ever.
On a brighter side, Microsoft had launched its various products like search engine Bing, Windows 7 operating system, Windows Mobile 6.5 OS, Windows Azure Cloud platform and its first public presence on Television. But, due to its enormous size, Microsoft has been affected most compared to smaller stature. Hence, 2010 will the year to improve the company stature in the market as economy slowly turning back on the track.
Here, the feature discusses various challenges faced by the company in the upcoming year.
Windows Mobile Operating System
The initial feedback of Windows Mobile 6.5 was not very enthusiastic, which was launched in October this year. As we know that the company is working on Windows Mobile 7 platform; therefore, the company should take care of the negative feedback, competition from iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm, Android, Symbian, Maemo and bada OS, and most important the confidence of customers in its next software.
Further, the company should also start its much rumored 'Project Pink' to launch its own Smartphone and Zune services in the next year.
Windows 7 Response
Microsoft's Windows 7 has received much anticipated response. According to latest data, Windows 7's market share in first three weeks was more than what Vista had achieved in five months. Now, Windows 7 crossed the 5% market share, which is more than the total market share of all versions of Apple's Mac OS X.
Recently, the company had announced that from July 13, 2010, it will close down the support for Windows XP SP2, which suggests Microsoft want to encash the opportunity to deliver Windows 7 to all those customers who decline to move to Vista in 2010.
Competition from Google Apps
Microsoft's Office suite is the cash cow for the company, but with the introduction of Google's Apps or OpenOffice.org, Zoho tools or Symphony, the market scenario will be different. New businesses are now adopting Google Apps, but Microsoft Office desktop tools still find preference by those organizations which are built around Exchange servers.
Meanwhile, the company is aware of the growing threat from Google, and will balance out with its Office 2010. Further, it will include Web-based versions of its most commonly used applications, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for the first time.
Bing's market share
Recently, the company had announced some fresh updates to its Bing search engine to outflank Google, by calling it the decision engine. It will now provide more information in a organized way that make easier for users to book flights and purchase retail items.
In 2010, Microsoft will target to raise the Bing's ad revenue and market share. The search engine's market share jumps almost 2% since its launch to 9.9%, ComScore reported. Mr. Steve Ballmer has planned to spend $5.5 billion to $11 billion on Bing during the next five years.
Also, the recent Microsoft-Yahoo deal will also increase the market share of Bing in 2010.
