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TABLE OF CONTENTS
MICROSOFT HISTORY1
EARLY INFLUENCES2
FIRST BUSINESS VENTURE3
EDUCATION ATTEMPT3
THE MOTIVATIONAL SIDE OF FEAR4
A JAPANESE CONNECTION5
IBM INFLUENCE5
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST6
A CRUCIAL DEAL6
COMPETITION ERRORS7
BIRTH OF WINDOWS7
MISSION STATEMENT AND ANALYSIS8
INDUSTRY AND COMPETITVE ANALYSIS9
DOMINANT ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS9
Market Differentiation9
Pace of technological change10
Advances to the Printed Word11
DRIVING FORCES12
The Internet13
The Information Highway14
KEY SUCESS FACTORS14
PORTERS 5 FORCES MODEL15
INDUSTY STRATEGIES16
COMPANY SITUATION ANALYSIS16
SWOT ANALYSIS17
Strengths17
Weaknesses18
Opportunities20
Threats21
STRATEGIC ISSUES23
STRATEGY AND SITUATION23
STRATEGIC FIT24
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS24
OEM REVENUES24
WINDOWS 957 RETAIL UPGRADE25
DESKTOP APPLICATIONS AND OTHER PRODUCTS25
COST OF REVENUES25
OPERATING EXPENSES26
BALANCE SHEET26
PLATFORMS PRODUCT GROUP31
APPLICATIONS AND CONTENT PRODUCT GROUP32
SALES AND SUPPORT GROUP32
EARNINGS AND FINANCES34
FINANCIAL RATIOS36
ANNUAL RATIOS36
COMPARISON TO INDUSTRY37
STOCK PRICE COMPARISONS38
DIVERSIFICATION41
ANALYSIS42
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft History
Historians categorize blocks of time with the discovery of certain raw materials that humans utilized. ... The company that offered the world its first software manufacturing company was Microsoft Corporation (MSFT on the NASDAQ exchange). ... In time we named it >Microsoft. ...
Microsoft provided BASIC language because it allowed a format for computer users to write their own programs instead of having to rely on scarce, packaged software. ... The strategy at Microsoft was to convince computer manufacturers to buy licenses to "bundle" Microsoft software with their computers. Royalties would then be paid to Microsoft on each computer sale. Aside from the antics of early software piraters and lack of government laws preventing such activities, this strategy of selling licenses for the use of their software worked well for Microsoft. ... Kay telephoned Gates in 1978 after discovering Microsoft in a newspaper article. ...
Microsoft moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico to its present home in Redmond, Washington in 1979 with most of its twelve employees. According to Gates, the mission of Microsoft was "to write and supply software for most personal computers without getting directly involved in making or selling computer hardware. ... we wanted choosing Microsoft software to be a no brainer . ... along the way, Microsoft BASIC became an industry standard. ... As a result of this meeting, Microsoft hired Tim Paterson, from a Seattle, Washington firm, who became responsible for creating the Disc Operating System (DOS) for IBM compatible computers. ... Gates developed a three-part plan to come out on top of the competition:
< make Microsoft DOS the best product of the three
< help other software companies write MS-DOS based software
< ensure MS-DOS to be inexpensive. ... Microsoft would allow IBM to use DOS (called IBM- or PC-DOS to distinguish itself from the nearly identical MS-DOS) for a low one-time fee for as many PCs IBM could sell. ... This put Microsoft in the business of licensing a software platform to the PC industry. ... IBM made a mistake working with Intel and Microsoft to create its PC. They argue that IBM should have kept the PC architecture proprietary, and that Intel and Microsoft somehow got the better of IBM. ... In 1983, Microsoft announced its version of a GUI called Windows7. ...
MISSION STATEMENT AND ANALYSIS
At Microsoft, our long held vision of a computer on every desk and in every home continues to be the core of everything we do. ... My biggest problem with this mission statement is the fact that Microsoft is to worried about being on top and will do what ever is necessary. ... The major difference that Microsoft held over Apple was its willingness to allow other software developers open access to the Windows format. ... That difference helped to elevate Microsoft eventually to the software industry leaderCbar none. ... His reason for the disappointing results of IBM=s attempts are chiefly due to the fact that graphical computing could have found mainstream success if IBM had been more cooperation with Microsoft in developing a general application of GUI software to be used with existing hardware rather than insisting on developing a whole new application.
When Microsoft went public in 1986, Gates offered IBM 30% of MSFT stock in order that IBM could share in the fortune, be it good or bad, of Microsoft. ... This was Microsofts attempt at keeping IBM close to Microsoft as IBM was instrumental in the success of Microsoft. ... " (62) IBM again refused to cooperate with Microsoft insisting total dedication to the development of OS/2 which was eventually doomed to an ignominious future. ... "] According to Gates, "If IBM and Microsoft had found a way to work together, thousands of people-yearsCthe best years of some of the best employees at both companiesCwould not have been wasted. ... " (62)
Pace of technological change
In its twentieth fiscal year (July 1BJune 30) since incorporation, Microsoft leads the software industry with revenues of $5,937,000,000 as of June 30, 1995 . ...
Despite its current position, Microsoft is still faced with new challenges as with the progression of any high-tech industry. The most recent challenges facing Microsoft are its applications to the Internet and its commitment to the development of the information super highway. ...
The competitive scope for the computer industry globally is very strong, microsoft is worldwide. The Japenese are very big competitors, but Microsoft is to powerful to compete with. ... Microsoft comes out with new products all the time, but you dont necessarly need to buy them. ...
Although Gates admits that Microsoft was surprised at the commercial success of the Internet, he has begun work on software applications to make the Internet easier to access for PC owners with limited computer knowledge. ... " (6) Just as Microsofts mission in 1975 was "a computer on every desk and in every home," (Gates, 14) so it is with Microsoft progressing towards ".
Approximate Word count = 4590
Approximate Pages = 18.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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