Microsoft in Trouble Why Its Worse Than You Think
1. Windows Vista Is Still A FactorWhether Microsoft likes it or not, the corporate world still looks back at the days of Windows Vista and worries that they’re coming back. It’s why there is still an inordinate number of Windows XP boxes in the wild. It’s also why Microsoft’s standing in the OS market isn’t as great as it used to be. Until Microsoft can overcome Vista, it will never be the same in the OS space.
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2. What’s In the Cloud?The cloud continues to be a key battleground among several companies. However, Microsoft doesn’t seem to want to embrace it as much as it should. The time has come for the software giant to double down on Azure and improve its standing elsewhere in the cloud. If it doesn’t, it will be left far behind.
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3. Windows Phone 7 Is In TroubleThe mobile space is integral to the future of Microsoft’s business. However, Windows Phone 7 is not catching on with consumers or enterprise customers. And so far, Microsoft hasn’t come up with a solution to address that problem. Considering how important mobile advertising will be going forward, Microsoft won’t want to find itself too far behind. If so, it could lose a major portion of its importance in the industry.
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4. Ballmer Isn’t Cutting ItThere’s nothing worse than a company that has an incompetent leader. Luckily for Microsoft, its leader, Steve Ballmer, is actually competent. However, he doesn’t necessarily deliver the same guidance and management effectiveness as other CEOs in the industry, like Steve Jobs. As long as Ballmer is at Microsoft, the company just might not be able to reach its full potential.
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5. What Will Come of Windows 8?The future of Windows is currently unknown. Windows 7 has proven extremely popular, but there’s no telling if Windows 8 will actually catch on. And the charge for Microsoft is to ensure that operating system does appeal to customers. If Windows 8 succeeds, Microsoft should be in fine shape. But if it turns into another Vista, all kinds of trouble could erupt.
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6. The Stock Price Won’t MoveMicrosoft has been generating billions of dollars in revenue and profits every year. But over the last several years, its stock price hasn’t moved all that much. Considering Microsoft investors are looking to maximize their ability to generate a profit on their investment, Microsoft’s share prices need to start moving. The longer they remain stagnant, the worse it will be for Microsoft’s chances of attracting investors.
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7. An Identity CrisisMicrosoft is having trouble deciding what it’s all about. Is it a software firm that delivers operating systems and productivity software or is it a company that wants to compete in the mobile space, the cloud, and other areas that it hasn’t traditionally been extremely popular in? Microsoft has the cash on-hand to be everything to every customer, and it has done that for quite some time. But it’s obviously not working. Microsoft needs to decide what it’s all about and stick with that.
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8. Security Issues ContinueOver the years, security has proven to be one of the biggest issues Microsoft faces. Its Windows platform has been hobbled by malware, Internet Explorer 6 was practically a gateway for malware to attack computers, and even Office has been an issue. Microsoft needs to get its arms around the security problems its products face. The sooner it can do that, the sooner it can get beyond its reputation.
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9. The Trouble With GoogleThe problem at Microsoft right now is that Google continues to find ways to steal the company’s market share. It does it online, it’s doing it in the browser market, and now it’s easily besting it in the mobile space. As long as Google continues to make Microsoft look bad, the software giant will not be able to return to its former place of dominance in the technology industry. It’s as simple as that.
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10. Tablets, Anyone?Apple’s iPad is easily making all the other competitors in the tablet space look like also-rans. In fact, the company’s tablet is easily outselling every other device in the space. Microsoft’s Windows platform doesn’t have a slice of the tablet market. That’s rather unfortunate. Tablets are the future. If Microsoft can’t find a way to make a splash in the tablet space, it’s in for serious trouble going forward.