The defense of the Empire of Microsoft: later do not sell software to accept "monthly rent"

"NetEase Science and technology News" June 25, "Business Week" recently wrote the "Defense of the Empire of Microsoft", Microsoft intends to "software leasing" to replace the "software sales", the software implementation of the "leasing" system, and to intervene in data hosting business to meet the growing challenges of the network era.

Next year, Microsoft will launch a free version of Office 2010, and for the first time to insert ads into the software, the new office will provide multiple-person simultaneous operation capabilities. Mr Ballmer's ambitions still face a "cost" challenge, and, to be sure, "leasing" will be popular with businesses, which will have a much lower operating cost than in the past.

Whether it's "software leasing" or "Software sales", Microsoft will stick to Gates ' billing theory, and the only thing that makes consumers welcome is that the Internet will force Microsoft to change its power and start thinking about saving money for its users.

The following is the full text:

At the end of 2008, a Microsoft salesman went to the Tarrytown Hotel in New York, visiting CIO William Herli of Westchester Group, who was arguing for more than half of the day. Finally, William Herli was impatient and growled to the salesman, "I've had enough!" I'm not going to do this stupid anymore. "Then he complained, complaining that Microsoft has always made a set of software portfolio, not only high prices, maintenance costs are outrageous." But it was a surprise to Hurley that Microsoft prepared a second plan. A few weeks later, Hurley finally nodded, signed the Office background software (used in conjunction with the mail system), Microsoft will operate on its own server projects and data, and the Wellcome Group will only pay a monthly fee.

This is a terrific signal! Even the high above Microsoft, also cannot but kneel in front of the Internet. In the computer world, the era of Microsoft's exactions will be over, and the Software Empire has to catch up with the opportunities for change brought about by the network. In the past few years, Microsoft CEO Bauer has made a two-point summary of the company's future business: First, Microsoft will be software sales to software leasing, only in this way with the Internet "cheap" and "free" competition. Second, customers must be courted to meet their growing demand for Internet cooperation. Now that Microsoft is moving, it's not just about changing the "What to do" problem, but about how to "deliver" and "charge".

In the Microsoft Empire, the front-line sales department is the high profit area. The team holds Office applications, SharePoint software, and mail services. Last November, Microsoft began offering the leasing of email messaging and collaboration software. Users are already tired and unwilling to put bulky projects on their servers, and new initiatives are no doubt welcome. No longer hiring people to care, no more hardware, just "order" to Microsoft to solve the problem.

More than that, Microsoft has significantly upgraded Office applications. For example, Microsoft intends to launch Office 2010 in the middle of next year, which will be a different form from the past. Free but functionally limited office will appear for the first time, and some companies that don't want to buy it all have a better choice. In addition, the free version of Office will support the insertion of online ads, which can be operated remotely with Word and Excel, or via a mobile phone or Web page.

The paid version will be more powerful. Support multiple people to create documents and spreadsheets at the same time, click the mouse, and once you get permission, you can join them and participate in the modification of your writing. Rich in fonts, rich in style, more diverse datasheet. In short, office focuses less on PCs than in the past, but on organization. Ayca Yuksel, who worked for 14 years at Microsoft, showed the software in July: "We are trying to redefine ' product productivity '!" ”

Microsoft has not yet planned to launch an office 2010-month rental service, but insiders say that office is bound to move to order later or sooner.

Microsoft is betting that "ordering" will lead to more lucrative profits, as is actually the case. Originally only collects the software fee, now may cooperate with the big company, earns the software leasing fee and the service contract (translator note: such as data center, server and so on). The only thing that is uncertain is how much it costs to maintain this data. The answer will determine the future, decide to go to the sales road or lease the road.

Business Week cover article: The Battle of the Microsoft Empire