Subject: Exchange tops Domino in marketshare
Do you really think it’s relevant for Microsoft to claim that there are more
individual users of Outlook than Notes? Or Exchange than Domino? They aren’t
selling those seats – they’re giving them away. And the recipients are using
them to delete spam and spread viruses, not conduct business.
[Microsoft has got passion, resources, creativity and most important, they
make the best user interfaces in the world.]
Best user interfaces, huh? You mean like folders lists that sort only
alphabetically, putting the Inbox halfway down the screen? MS has as many
interface issues as every other major software developer – people are just
accustomed to the Microsoft shortcomings.
[I am Lotus professional (CLP)but moving to .Net.]
Even if they design the world’s best interfaces, they still can’t produce
products that get business solutions out the door quickly. .Net won’t be any
different.
[Same story repeated many times; Lotus 123/Excel, NetScape/IE, Novell/NT,
Quicken/Money, Cold Fusion/ASP, Palm OS/Windows CE, and now happening to
Nintendo/XBox, Notes/OutLook, Domino/Exchange, SameTime/Live Communication
Server, Java/.Net, Oracle/SQL server, and many more.]
This is a good example of the rhetorical technique of getting your audience to
nod their heads at the beginning, then duping them into continuing to nod them
at the end. Domino still leads Exchange in revenue dollars. Sametime is far
ahead of LCS. Java continues to kick the snot out of .Net as a development
platform. Oracle is in no danger from Microsoft SQL Server, which has just
announced yet another delay. PalmOS has not been eclipsed by WinCE by any
stretch. And Nintendo vs. Xbox!? Have you been paying attention? The leader
in the console market is SONY, not Nintendo. And Microsoft loses money on
every Xbox sold – which sounds like a 1997 business plan.
[Why are the beating competions every single time? They did not have
monopoly in video games market and now they are no 2.]
In a market with 3 players, one of whom was already getting flogged by Sony,
and where they are losing money hand over fist. But yeah, they’re still
beating the competition, if the race is to lose money faster.
[If you ever study books written about Microsoft, you will find out. The
answer is the Microsoft’s culture. These guys are thrilled, excited, motivated
and driven.]
And unethical, untruthful and irresponsible. Just like a lot of the rest of
the corporate world.
[I am very upset seeing Domino, a very powerful collaboration platform,
going history in next 3-5 years.]
A refrain sung every year for the last 8 years, and yet, here we all are.
[1. You should have bought hotmail when Microsoft did. Why? Because they
are working on a project to make user interface of hotmail like outlook web
access interface. This will make users sooo much used to with their interface
that they will find it very hard to learn any other interface. So IBM should
start something like hotmail, a free web based service for private users, and
make the interface like iNotes.]
Here’s a cheaper idea: make a skin for the Notes mail template that looks like
that Outlook interface. Then Microsoft can invest billions in training people
on their free interface, and get no competitive advantage whatsoever!
[2. Microsoft has launched Office Live service which works very well with
Outlook. This gives users another reason to use Outlook and Messenger. IBM
should partner up with WebEx or something or buy a company to compete. They
should make it work seamless with SameTime and Notes client.]
Ummmm… have you looked at Notes 6.5? No? Check it out.
[3. You need to drastically improve your marketing. Just watch the ad from
Microsoft (either for Office Live or Your Potential Our Passion) and you will
find it obvious.]
Well, this I can’t necessarily argue with. MS ads are masterful at showing a
utopian world of business. Their products don’t do anything to accomplish that
– but in the advertising game, unless Ralph Nader is chasing you down, that’s
not really relevant.
[4. Re-design user interface of Notes. Make it look similar to Outlook
2002 (or the latest). Their interface is slik, loads real fast and very
intutive.]
There is nothing more intuitive about Outlook than Notes. The fact that many
users have Outlook at home (because it ships with the OS and is free) makes
them more familiar with it in an office environment, and therefore lowers the
learning curve. But there is nothing inherently better about it. And it sure
as hell doesn’t load faster. Outlook takes 15-20 seconds to shut down!
Make a skinnable version of the Notes mail template that looks like Outlook.
Then Microsoft can give their client away to every man, woman and child on
earth, and again, it’s zero competitive advantage.
[There is a lot more I have to say, but I am going to stop here, hoping
that someone from IBM will listen.]
Come up with some more realistic ideas, and they just might.
Here’s the dirty little secret about Microsoft: you know why they’re building
such a large cash reserve? Because they’re accounting practices have
positioned them to be the next Enron. You see, they have compensating their
employees with enormous amounts of stock options. But by US laws and GAAP
practices, they aren’t required to list these options as a liability. This is
compensation paid essentially directly by the shareholders of the company, in
the form of dilution of shares. The company keeps a large cash reserve so that
it can buy back shares on the market, and keep the price shored up. But that
also means that they have a huge off-book liability. And if they’re cash
reserves every start to fade, whether due to continued losses in the console
market, or the loss of upgrade-cycle revenue (anyone particularly motivated to
move to Office 2003?), the much vaunted Microsoft is going to look very
unattractive indeed.
