Microsoft no longer has the means to be arrogant

Microsoft no longer has the means to be arrogant. Even with Windows. Tuesday, Los Angeles, it is with great modesty, or humility, that the leaders of the editor presented what is now called Windows 7, i.e. the successor to the current Vista.

Quite significantly, this presentation was performed before more than 6,000 developers of applications, gathered in Los Angeles for the week, the Professional Developers Conference. In this case, it was more for their support and assistance to improve the new operating system than to the fait accompli. Because Windows 7 will be marketed by fifteen to eighteen months.

If Microsoft cares so, very in advance, hospitality that reserve the computer community to its future Windows 7, it is because the image of this operating system is seriously degraded. Almost two years after the launch of Vista, the figures are there to confirm that many PC manufacturers prefer other versions of Windows and that individuals and companies themselves preferred the current version. Thus, according to a survey of Sanford c. Bernstein, in two years four years after his release only 26 of U.S. companies will have installed Vista. A similar survey conducted shortly after the release of the program, provided that they would be 68... Symbol of symbols: Intel announced recently that it waived install overall internal system for its tens of thousands of users around the world.

Pell-mell, it complains that Vista to be too heavy and too slow, too little compatible with the existing and not quite secure. Even if, of course, Microsoft continues to improve each month. "Buy Windows today is like buying a car: it is not known if has paid it the right price, if it goes really well walk and where the next problem will come", summarizes Michael Cherry, of Directions on Microsoft, an analysis firm specialized on Microsoft.

Technological innovations

Consequence of all these problems, the latest quarterly results made public last week, the turnover of the Windows division grew by 2 in one year, a shot of historic brake in the history of the company. And the crisis has nothing to do with it: the division of the Office software has seen its activity grow 23 from one year to another, now exceeding sales Windows...

Of course, this activity remains the most cost-effective Microsoft and still more than 15 billion dollars per year. It is precisely because it is strategic that the Editor cannot afford two failures in a row. A priori, the future version 7 will have real technological innovations. As this function "Homegroup" to automatically reconfigure a laptop when it will be connected to new terminals, from the Office at home for example. In any event, Microsoft will rely not only on the technical merits of its software for the success. It should spend not less than 1 billion dollars in several years, on the marketing plan and commercial for in praise the merits. An absolute record, of course. This enough "It's nice to have the best product, but this is not always sufficient," admitted as Julie Larson-Green, "corporate vice-president" of Microsoft, at the presentation of Windows 7 in Los Angeles. Which summarizes quite well the lack of certainty who now lives the editor for the product that made him King.