Microsoft gets its edge back. As in edge position.

Larry Dignan writes

“Is it just me or is Microsoft a little more competitive than it has been in recent years? Microsoft has gotten under Apple’s skin—at least its lawyers—got Google’s attention with Bing and is even doing the Web app thing. Microsoft almost seems to be enjoying itself as honchos like Kevin Turner proclaim: “Competing is fun.”

Well, I hope Microsoft enjoys competing from the outside edge inwards because as I commented:

• They are now 4th in smartphone OS (see comments below) a distant 5th (?) in mobile OS
• They now have viable challenge to the Office gravy train from Zoho and Google
• They have fiercer SaaS competition in ERP and CRM compared to 2 years ago from NetSuite and salesforce.com
• They are still distant 3rd in search (see my note about Bing here)
• After trying hard to kill XP to encourage Vista adoption they luck out with an unplanned XP market in Netbooks...what happens when Win 7 rolls?

Also, I think Microsoft is trying to compete in way too many markets. Where do we start?

• SQL Server
• Virtualization
• XBox
• Zune
• Streets and Trips

Think of the internal competition for R&D dollars, executive attention. Not sure that is what Kevin Turner calls fun competition.

Comments

[andraz]

Ahm, I dont get this: 5th in the Mobile OS market? Is this smart phones only or all phones together?

[vinnie mirchandani]

In smartphones - I had a question by the number 5 - I believe WM is 4th now, just behind Apple.

[andraz]

so, symbian, rim, apple os, windows, android?

this is probably USA only. Kinna doubt that windows is behind apple and rim in europe or asia. what do you think?

[vinnie mirchandani]

actually, win is dominant in a few Asian countries like Korea. ROW Nokia is very strong. In N America Apple and RIM are pretty strong.

The wild cards in all this are how will Palm do and where Google with Android will fall.

BTW - I have been a win mobile and win laptop consumer for several years - so this is not Apple fan boy talk.