Free Advice For Steve Balmer
The most interesting news out of Microsoft in a long time was its Silverlight announcement at Mix '07 in Las Vegas.
"Whazzat?" you ask. "Silverwhat? Some kind of mix? In Vegas?"
This is the sad state of the Softies. Google burps and the press reports it as a gastronomic breakthrough that will change digestion forever. Steve Jobs hiccups and they go gaga over his visionary diction. Microsoft announces a technology that could become the platform for most future web development of all kinds, and they scratch their heads and yawn.
Rather than diving into this new technology and its implications, I am here to offer some free strategic advice to Steve Balmer and his gang that, if followed, will get gobs of ongoing press and consumer attention. It is time, Steve, to make the Microsoft Entertainment division (yes, it is all about ME) a force to be reckoned with. It is time to add the other pieces of the puzzle to Zune and Xbox.
Acquire TiVo and Netflix. These are both cheap right now for a variety of reasons. Both are great brands. The MS Netflix store would provide video DVDs and audio and video downloads on a subscription basis. Zune becomes just a device brand and the Netflix brand gets slapped on the Zune Store. Subscription is a Netflix forte, the content creators want it and Steve Jobs shuns it. What could be better?
TiVo brings a base of time-shifting customers and great technology and IP. TiVo becomes a service brand and Xbox the device. TiVo boxes become the low-end DVR-only Xbox.
All of this can be done right now. None of it requires legal or technological advances.
And it would be great fun.
Copyright © 2007 Philip Bookman
Technorati: Business Strategy, Strategic Planning, Microsoft
"Whazzat?" you ask. "Silverwhat? Some kind of mix? In Vegas?"
This is the sad state of the Softies. Google burps and the press reports it as a gastronomic breakthrough that will change digestion forever. Steve Jobs hiccups and they go gaga over his visionary diction. Microsoft announces a technology that could become the platform for most future web development of all kinds, and they scratch their heads and yawn.
Rather than diving into this new technology and its implications, I am here to offer some free strategic advice to Steve Balmer and his gang that, if followed, will get gobs of ongoing press and consumer attention. It is time, Steve, to make the Microsoft Entertainment division (yes, it is all about ME) a force to be reckoned with. It is time to add the other pieces of the puzzle to Zune and Xbox.
Acquire TiVo and Netflix. These are both cheap right now for a variety of reasons. Both are great brands. The MS Netflix store would provide video DVDs and audio and video downloads on a subscription basis. Zune becomes just a device brand and the Netflix brand gets slapped on the Zune Store. Subscription is a Netflix forte, the content creators want it and Steve Jobs shuns it. What could be better?
TiVo brings a base of time-shifting customers and great technology and IP. TiVo becomes a service brand and Xbox the device. TiVo boxes become the low-end DVR-only Xbox.
All of this can be done right now. None of it requires legal or technological advances.
And it would be great fun.
Copyright © 2007 Philip Bookman
Technorati: Business Strategy, Strategic Planning, Microsoft
Labels: Business Strategy, Microsoft, Strategic Planning
posted by Phil Bookman at 9:04 AM
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