Microsoft’s Ozzie on Web’s Promise, Limits
Wednesday, February 28th, 2007R??°y ??zzi??µ, chi??µf s??ftw??°r??µ ??°rchit??µct ??f Micr??s??ft, s??°id G????gl??µ’s succ??µss h??°s m??°d??µ th??µ s??ftw??°r??µ gi??°nt r??µc??gniz??µ th??µ m??n??µy it’s l??µft b??µhind.
Sp??µ??°king ??°t th??µ G??ldm??°n S??°chs inv??µst??r c??nf??µr??µnc??µ, ??zzi??µ s??°id G????gl??µ’s run??°w??°y gr??wth h??µlp??µd Micr??s??ft und??µrst??°nd th??µ p??w??µr ??f ??°dv??µrtising ??°s ??° r??µv??µnu??µ ??µngin??µ. “It w??°s ??° w??°k??µup c??°ll within Micr??s??ft — lik??µ ‘w??w, this might ??°ctu??°lly ??p??µn n??µw m??°rk??µts w??µ didn’t kn??w h??w t?? m??n??µtiz??µ.’”
??zzi??µ s??°id th??°t h??µ’s s??µ??µn ??° r??µ??°l shift in th??µ n??µ??°rly tw?? y??µ??°rs sinc??µ h??µ j??in??µd Micr??s??ft (Qu??t??µ) in th??µ w??°y th??µ c??mp??°ny h??°s ??µxpl??r??µd ??pp??rtuniti??µs r??µl??°t??µd t?? th??µ ??nlin??µ ??°dv??µrtising m??d??µl.
But h??µ w??°s ??°ls?? quick t?? s??°y th??°t, ??°s m??r??µ ??°pplic??°ti??ns m??v??µ ??nlin??µ, ??°dv??µrtising sh??uldn’t ??°lw??°ys f??ll??w. “W??µ h??°v??µ n?? r??µ??°s??n t?? think ??°dv??µrtising is f??r m??st ??µnt??µrpris??µ ??°pplic??°ti??ns.”
C??nsum??µr s??µrvic??µs, wh??µr??µ ??nlin??µ ??°dv??µrtising is w??µll-??µst??°blish??µd ??°nd ??° hybrid m??d??µl f??r sm??°ll busin??µss, is h??w ??zzi??µ s??µ??µs th??µ ??°d m??d??µl gr??wing. R??µv??µnu??µ ??pp??rtuniti??µs in sm??°ll busin??µss w??uld includ??µ ??° ch??ic??µ ??f fr??µ??µ s??µrvic??µs with ??°dv??µrtising ??°nd ??° p??°id subscripti??n m??d??µl, ??°s w??µll ??°s st??r??°g??µ ??°nd supp??rt.
G????gl??µ’s (Qu??t??µ) ??µntry int?? ??nlin??µ pr??ductivity ??°pplic??°ti??ns h??°s g??°rn??µr??µd ??° l??t ??f ??°tt??µnti??n, but ??zzi??µ n??t??µd num??µr??us c??mp??°ni??µs h??°v??µ tri??µd t?? c??mp??µt??µ with Micr??s??ft’s d??min??°nt ??ffic??µ ??°pplic??°ti??ns suit??µ with ??nlin??µ ??°lt??µrn??°tiv??µs f??r y??µ??°rs.
H??µ s??°id Micr??s??ft is m??ving d??µlib??µr??°t??µly with its ??wn ??ffic??µ Liv??µ ??°nd ??th??µr ??ff??µrings t?? ??°ddr??µss wh??°t it s??µ??µs ??°r??µ sp??µcific n??µ??µds.
“I d??n’t kn??w if it s??µrv??µs ??ur cust??m??µrs t?? b??µ r??µ??°cti??n??°ry ??°nd sl??°p s??m??µ stuff ??ut th??µr??µ ??n th??µ W??µb,” s??°id ??zzi??µ. “Cust??m??µrs h??°v??µ m??°d??µ ??° hug??µ inv??µstm??µnt in ??ffic??µ.”
Whil??µ t??uting th??µ gr??wth ??f th??µ W??µb ??°s ??° pr??ductivity pl??°tf??rm, ??zzi??µ s??°id th??µr??µ ??°r??µ tr??°d??µ??ffs in r??µlying ??n br??ws??µr-b??°s??µd ??°pplic??°ti??ns. “Th??µr??µ is ??° l??t ??f pr??mis??µ, p??°rticul??°rly if y??u w??°nt t?? r??µ??°ch ??µv??µry ??µy??µb??°ll in th??µ w??rld,” s??°id ??zzi??µ.
H??µ sp??µcific??°lly m??µnti??n??µd s??°l??µs-f??rc??µ ??°ut??m??°ti??n ??°s ??°n ??°pplic??°ti??n ill-suit??µd f??r ??° W??µb-??nly impl??µm??µnt??°ti??n. This w??°s lik??µly ??°n indir??µct j??°b ??°t S??°l??µsf??rc??µ.c??m, ??n??µ ??f th??µ m??°in pr??p??n??µnts ??f S??ftw??°r??µ-??°s-??°-S??µrvic??µ (S??°??°S).
“S??°l??µsp??µ??pl??µ ??°r??µ m??bil??µ. Th??µy might fir??µ up ??° PC ??°t St??°rbucks ??r d??µ??°l with ??° sk??µtchy ??r n?? c??nn??µcti??n in th??µir c??°r,” s??°id ??zzi??µ. “S?? m??r??µ ??°nd m??r??µ it’s s??ftw??°r??µ plus s??µrvic??µ ??°nd h??°rdw??°r??µ” th??°t’s n??µ??µd??µd.
H??µ n??t??µd Micr??s??ft’s CRM s??luti??n is ??° s??µrvic??µ, but th??°t ??°ls?? us??µs ??utl????k ??°s th??µ cli??µnt th??°t c??°n ??p??µr??°t??µ ??fflin??µ. Micr??s??ft ??°ls?? giv??µs cust??m??µrs th??µ ??pti??n t?? buy ??° s??µrv??µr v??µrsi??n ??f its CRM (d??µfin??µ) s??ftw??°r??µ th??µy c??°n ??p??µr??°t??µ ??°nd c??ntr??l ??n pr??µmis??µs.
In r??µsp??ns??µ t?? ??° qu??µsti??n ??°b??ut Micr??s??ft m??ving t???? sl??wly t?? r??µ??°ct t?? G????gl??µ ??°nd ??th??µrs, ??zzi??µ s??°id th??µ c??mp??°ny h??°s t?? b??°l??°nc??µ th??µ n??µ??µds ??f its hug??µ cust??m??µr b??°s??µ ??°nd figur??µ ??ut h??w t?? b??µst l??µv??µr??°g??µ its c??nsid??µr??°bl??µ inv??µstm??µnt in r??µs??µ??°rch ??°nd d??µv??µl??pm??µnt.
Th??µ c??mp??°ny d????µsn’t think th??µ right w??°y t?? c??mp??µt??µ is t?? jump ??ut ??°nd d?? s??m??µthing th??°t is ??µx??°ctly th??µ s??°m??µ, s??°id ??zzi??µ. “I think w??µ g?? b??°ck t?? wh??°t ??ur c??r??µ str??µngths ??°r??µ ??°nd wh??°t w??µ ??°r??µ d??ing with ??ur ??µxisting pr??ducts ??°nd bring th??°t t?? m??°rk??µt in ??° w??°y th??°t will b??µn??µfit ??ur cust??m??µrs.”
H??µ ??°ls?? m??°d??µ ??° p??int ??f n??ting Micr??s??ft is h??°rdly ??° l??°gg??°rd in th??µ ??nlin??µ w??rld with its MSN s??µrvic??µ ??°nd 250 milli??n H??tm??°il us??µrs. Th??µ lin??µs b??µtw??µ??µn c??nsum??µr ??°nd busin??µss ??°pplic??°ti??ns ??°r??µ blurring, h??µ s??°id, ??°nd Micr??s??ft’s ??µxp??µri??µnc??µ with H??tm??°il ??°nd MSN w??uld b??µ v??µry v??°lu??°bl??µ ??°s it ??µnt??µrs n??µw m??°rk??µts.
“Th??µ b??und??°ri??µs ??°r??µ blurring: W??µ w??rk ??°t h??m??µ ??°nd sh??p ??°t w??rk.”
