Archive | 2003

CNET News.com – Front Door carries the story that \”PC sales bolster Microsoft profits. The software giant reports earnings that narrowly topped Wall Street expectations as sales rose 6 percent from a year ago. \” Not a surprise to those of us who follow Microsoft. What was surprising was the breakdown of sales across Microsoft’s seven divisions and the fact the CNET reported it without any analysis of what, if anything, those numbers meant. Perhaps a picture would have helped…

This one, perhaps, that would have shown that revenues were flat in client (Windows) and Information Worker (Office) divisions – no surprise with a flat economy and little innovation. That Server bumped up by 15% surprises me, Can anyone explain that one? And it’s pretty obvious, in the big picture, those are the three that matter. In the smaller divisions, though, there’s where the growth is: Mobile up an astounding 88%, Home nearly 20% and MSN 15%. Business Solutions also turned in a respectable 21%. Too bad these weren’t standalone companies: their returns would have been better than the 4.9% overall increase in sales. But then again, would the sales have occurred without the backing of Microsoft?

Remember the weekly Microsoft Security Bulletins that Microsoft
announced would be reduced to one per month to relieve the burden on
adminstrators? That lasted three weeks. In my inbox this morning are
two messages, titled “REVISED: Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin
Summary for October 2003” and “REVISED: Microsoft Exchange Server
Security Bulletin Summary for October 2003” Each bulletin is a complete
reprint of the original, with a paragraph tacked on the front
explaining that one of the items in each bulletin has changed
significantly, and to see that particular item for details.

Well, it’s better than not telling us at all, but the format could be better. I’d prefer individual security bulletins.

Microsoft’s Integration Strategy Is Costly For Customers, according to this article at Internet Week. It starts:

Microsoft’s strategy of increasingly integrating its
server and client products — as best evidenced by the Office System
line-up which officially launches next week — means some enterprises
may end up paying 10 to 40 percent more to stay with Redmond’s wares, a
recent report from Jupiter Research suggests.