The software giant may be showing signs of slowing as the Core Brand Power 100 2007 Study shows the firm slipping from one of the top ten most powerful and recognizable brands the world over. The study shows that in 1996, the company was ranked number one to its current level at 59. This might be why the company is continuously surprising industry leaders with bold moves in the industry. Its current foray into the acquisition of Yahoo, the opening of doors for sharing some of its trade secrets and many more unknown strategic moves which might show they are looking for a boost to its business. The company has lost favor of many companies who have been loyal to its product lines but have now turned to cheaper and free versions offered by open-sourced developers. Open Office, which is similar to Microsoft’s office, is a better and cheaper choice for businesses who are now trying to save all they can due to the current financial crisis.
Many have also opted to use Linux and the many other Unix-based operating systems which cost a lot less that mass volume licensing Windows. Some are even free which is blamed as the main reason for their favorability. These competing operating systems also have fewer requirements with regards to hardware with the most basic stripped versions which can be used as web servers able to run at older machines. Linux is re-compilable, meaning it can be stripped down of all unnecessary components which makes it faster and cheaper to implement. Windows has strict requirements with regards to processor type, the amount memory and hard disk space which it gobbles up in no time. The advent of a Windows-like interface for Linux has also made the cut deeper into the Windows market along with the release of more and more open sourced applications that can do what Windows-based ones do.
Their monopoly on the Operating system market might still be tight but elsewhere, it’s downhill. The many bugs and weaknesses of Microsoft software is also proving to be too costly for businesses and for something they pay so much for to cause so many problems they are starting to think twice before getting more of their products. Though still a player in the IT industry, it may only be time before some other IT giant is born to take its place as the world’s most prolific software vendor/developer.