Microsoft's multiple personalities
C|Net | at | by Mike
Microsoft has been accused of many things over the years, but no one can say it's stagnant. Despite a steep downturn in the technology market and an exhausting four-year battle with the federal government, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant has continued to plow ahead with new products and services. The secret of its success: dollars, developers and endurance.
With nearly $40 billion in the bank, Microsoft has the financial muscle it needs to enter highly competitive arenas such as gaming and to stick with slowly developing markets such as interactive TV and cell phones. Meanwhile, the company's developers are steadily improving the bread-and-butter products: Office and various flavors of the Windows operating system. And its executives continue to dream up and evangelize emerging concepts such as the tablet PC and Web services.
The result is that four years after the government charged Microsoft with violating antitrust laws, the company has grown richer and more influential as it expands well beyond its PC origins.