Business at the Speed of Thought

Valacich, J., & Schneider, C. (2012).Information systems today: Managing in the digital world(5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Microsoft has grown into an enormous and powerful corporation by a combination of aggressive business practices and having written operating systems (DOS and Windows) for personal computers. From operating systems it branched out into other software which has, along with the operating system, become something of an industry standard.

In order for Microsoft to be able to reach the goals set by Bill Gates, they must use their considerable resources efficiently to create a place in each market for the online consumer. If they wish to produce and offer online services such as electronic mail, information data bases, personal finance management, video on demand, and electronic commerce, then acquiring firms already specialized in at least some of these areas is the most efficient way to do so. Intuit’s products align with Microsoft’s without significant overlap such that the combined firms would provide a handsome horizontally integrated suite of products with prime market share positions including word processing (49% market share), spreadsheet (48% market share), tax preparation, accounting, banking, and bill paying which would all open up the prospect of continued online grazing by the user leading to repeat sales to Microsoft’s video on demand and future entertainment market. The larger objective would be to capture the user in a web to conduct direct financial transactions over the

Over the past few years the economy in the United States has taken a downturn. It has been so bad, that some businesses were not able to survive. However, Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft) was not one of those companies. The fiscal strength of Microsoft played a large part in providing the company with the ability and resources to survive the difficult financial markets (Microsoft Corporation, 2009). As a

“All of these qualities were evident in Gates’s nimble response to the sudden public interest in the Internet. Beginning in 1995 and 1996, Gates feverishly refocused Microsoft on the development of consumer and enterprise software solutions for the Internet, developed the Windows CE operating system platform for networking non computer devices such as home televisions and personal digital assistants, created the Microsoft Network to compete with America Online and other Internet providers, and through Gates’s company Corbis, acquired the huge Bett mann photo archives and other collections for use in electronic distribution.

Guided by a belief that the computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers. Gates' foresight and his vision for personal computing have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software industry. Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. The company is committed to a long-term view, reflected in its industry-leading investment in research and development each year (Microsoft, 2011).

In the New Millennium, leaders must be ever aware of the changing landscape in which they operate. In developing an understanding of the global marketplace in which humans must coexist, it would be futile to underestimate the impact that information technology (IT) has had in defining how objectives are achieved. While technology has made our lives more efficient, it also presents interesting challenges when it does not function as expected or does not provide immediate benefits to hasten our thinking. Creighton University’s Seminar: Business and IT

One company that appears to have a gap between its mission and its capabilities is Microsoft. The software giant has long had a problem with respect to innovation, and continues to rely on aging franchises for the bulk of its revenue. It was left out of the mobile operating systems boom and has failed to be a leader in either software or consumer electronics as a result (Clarke, 2010).

“No longer is IT just another tool the CEO might use to accomplish costs saving and operational ends. Today, information technology can help solve product problems, set new levels of service and create new distribution and communication channels.”

Bill Gates was consistently ranked as the world’s wealthiest person from 1995 – 2007. To this day Gates is still one of the richest and most influential people because of the creation of Microsoft. The sixty year old man, impacted the world with the first PC and to this day continues to impacts it with the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Although having stepped down from chairman, Microsoft is still successfully running. Full of innovation and many new technologies soon to be released to the public. With Microsoft, his foundation with his wife and upcoming new technologies, Bill Gates’ life is filled with success. It may have started with Microsoft but Gates’ success doesn't just end there. Microsoft was just

Microsoft, a company founded by Bill Gates has, in the last couple of years seen a number of changes in its mode of operation. Traditionally Microsoft has been in the business of producing computer-based products exclusively (Byrnes, 2010). In the light of changing technology, globalisation and changing consumer tastes and preferences change has become in the tech-giant company. In the fast-paced world of technology, consumers are actively switching to the new touchscreen laptops and tablets, which are the replacement to conventional computers. These contemporary computers require operating systems and software that are entirely different from what was in use formerly. As means of keeping up this trend, and in order to address these new

Recently, I read the book 'Gates, how Microsoft 's mogul reinvented an industry--and made himself the richest man in America ' by Paul Andrews and Stephen Manes in 1994. This was of course, during the time period when Apple was failing, and released an operating system, System 9, that nobody needed nor wanted in 1994. IBM sure wished they haven 't filed those separation papers now, when Microsoft stock stormed overhead, selling out of Windows 95 in less than two days globally. Over 2 million copies in fact, and the first publically available windows that didn 't run on top of MS-DOS, our ancient overlord. This book told the secret life of the ruler of the entire technology industry all the way to present day.

There is a big challenge for those operating primarily with paper-based office products because many companies move towards a paperless office format to decrease the operational cost and environmental friendly. Office services such as photocopying, printing and binding may be substituted by electronic forms of communications. Switching costs are moderate due to already developed ICT systems by market players. Therefore the threat of substitutes within this industry is moderate. (Pearson-Jones, 2010; Merketline, 2102)

Just over a few decades with Steve Ballmer, Microsoft has a new corporate leader at the helm. As Satya Nadella takes over the position that Mr. Ballmer once endured, his spirit took off with great confidence concerning his new role at the company (Microsoft, 2014). The next decade is likely to reveal the level of success his abilities bring to the future of the company and his own status as leader.

in order to create possibly the most effective and versatile workforce of any corporation in existence. To study Microsoft's way of doing business is to look at the company from many angles, from a managerial and organizational standpoint to its process of developing products and services for its customers and its competitive environment. The purpose of this paper is to analyze Microsoft from a strategic fit