Founder of the network: Ten years of peasant career 52 years old to start a business

This is a typical inspirational novel plot: 10 peasant career, more than 1 construction team workers, children after a few years to enter Zhejiang Agricultural University; At the age of 36, the gate of the Stanford University MBA, at the same time, the first contact with the computer, 52 years of age as a Silicon Valley Chinese high-tech entrepreneurial community odd person.

The people who have these legendary experiences are Zhu Ming, one of the founders of Cisco's March 14 acquisition of the American web-news company.

Zhu Ming seems to have been very low-key and unwilling to talk more about these past experiences. However, from one of his favorite novels, he may be able to glimpse his secret of overcoming great hardships.

This novel is an American writer Jack London's masterpiece "Love Life", a book on the choice of life and death literature. About an American gold digger on the way back by his friend abandoned the story, he was in the cold, hunger, injury and dying when the unfortunate wolf followed, but eventually defeated the Hungry Wolf, rescued has lost human form.

"Sensitive to technology and market, intelligent and patient, persistent." "So the friends judged Zhu Ming. Of course, some people pay more attention to his "real" and "shrewd" in the market.

Starting at age 41, Zhu Ming has had three battles with Microsoft, the world's largest software company. These contests highlight the character secrets of the Jack London enthusiast. March 17, Zhu Ming in Hangzhou to accept this reporter's interview.

three battles with Microsoft

"21st century": we know that your products in the network news company, with some of Microsoft's products have formed a very fierce competition, to this end, in 2002, Bill Gates also made a special trip with you and your partner to discuss.

Zhu Ming: We can say that we have played three times with Microsoft, and the process lasted for more than 10 years. The first time is with Microsoft's launch of NetMeeting, this time we lost, we had to sell the company (and then we bought it back); The second time we got the company back, we re developed the technology and business model, and 1999 started with NetMeeting, and this time we won, Until the game of NetMeeting disappeared; the third is 2002 after Microsoft acquired PlaceWare, we are still in competition, so far, the market share of the network is 64%,placeware market share of about 14%.

21st Century: when Microsoft introduced NetMeeting in 1996, why did you choose to sell the company future Labs you started?

Zhu Ming: Because Microsoft has other powerful sources of revenue, its new project NetMeeting is free to promote, the charge of the future labs thus greatly impacted. But more importantly, Future Labs's business philosophy is similar to Microsoft's, doing sales rather than service. This direct hedge, Microsoft has to "kill" me.

"21st century":the Second battle that began in 1999 you win, what's the killer?

Zhu Ming: This battle for three years, we almost robbed the best customers of NetMeeting, such as Microsoft's neighbour Boeing, and finally Microsoft itself began to use the Internet news software and services. 2002, Microsoft shut down the NetMeeting business.

I think the most important killer is the use of different business ideas, charging the network actually contains the late operation of the work, positioning in the service provider.

For example, I know that Microsoft and Boeing have a good relationship, so we're going to talk to Boeing that NetMeeting is free, but how much later do you want to run it? They say the cost of one year is about 2 million dollars. So I said, I sell you 1 million dollars, all the services we do.

At first, Boeing agreed to use the company's external network and use NetMeeting within the company. As a result, Boeing found the web news to be good, because the global supplier assembly speed, its overall aircraft design almost a year, and, Boeing internal staff also quit, they say, the same company why use two tools, add trouble.

The first step to Microsoft's best customers, the second step is to knock out the Microsoft home, and soon Microsoft began to use Web News to do training tools, and later, Microsoft's major customers General Motors and so on began to use the network news products. Bill Gates and I said, "MIN, I can't beat you."

21st Century: So why didn't Microsoft buy your company directly?

Zhu Ming: Microsoft did come to negotiate, but for a variety of reasons, they did not buy. One reason is that all of Microsoft's core research and development teams are in Seattle, and our research team is in China, and many people in Microsoft are against it, and the second reason is related to the antitrust law because our market share was over 50%, and we could be criticized for acquiring Microsoft. So Microsoft turned to buy PlaceWare.

"21st century": with the PlaceWare, the equivalent of Microsoft to make up two short legs-to do the concept of service and then more than 20% market share, and, PlaceWare Price seems to be your One-fourth, finally why your market share or leading the way?

Zhu Ming: in general, a company can only do one thing if it is successful, as if you were building a house, selling a house or renting a house is two different business, can't say because I can sell a house, I can do hotel business. And the more you do on one side, the weaker the other, because the organizational structure is stereotyped. So Microsoft's service industry can't do it.

This is why Cisco needs a team with sales experience in the online registration field. If PlaceWare were free at the time, they might be bigger, but PlaceWare had to collect the money and it would be difficult.

not a gift, but an effort.

" 21st Century": your personal experience is legendary, what kind of power to get you from a farmer to this day?

Zhu Ming: I've been a farmer for nearly 10 years, and I began to study English at the age of 30, when my son was already several years old. I think this is not a gift, but an effort. Why do you have to change your life at that time? Because of dreams. If I hadn't been there, I might have been a private entrepreneur. At that time, Guanqiu has a bit of fame, I should and he belongs to the same age.

International Innovation Research Institute of Zhejiang

21st Century: We know that you resigned as president of the Internet News Company in 2005 to concentrate on returning to the country, and this time Cisco's acquisition gives you a chance to cash in on a huge amount of wealth and can talk about your next plan.

Zhu Ming: i next mainly do two things, the first is to do venture capital, now we have a very good platform, that is, Cybernaut company, has been a number of projects, it is likely that next year we will have to vote for the listing of companies; second, I will donate 10 million dollars to Zhejiang University this May.