As 2004 comes to a close, Microsoft faces small but growing threats around the edges of its desktop monopoly.
As 2004 comes to a close, Microsoft faces small but growing threats around the edges of its desktop monopoly. None can yet strike at the heart of its dominance, but the issues are serious enough that you can bet Microsoft's top brains are focused on them.
The real trouble is brewing in client operating systems and browsers, key parts of the client operating environment that Microsoft relies on for the bulk of its revenues and profits, and to drive business to its other products. After listening to Microsoft's earnings call last month, financial analysts at Credit Suisse estimate Microsoft has lost 2 percent to 3 percent of its global PC operating system market share. To the investment bank's analysts, it means Microsoft's future sales will consistently underperform growth in PC unit sales.
|