Microsoft moves on weakened rivals
MSNBC | at | by Mike
All over the high-tech industries, a looming recession and a collapse in stock prices have forced companies to cut spending, lay off workers and slow product development and sales efforts. For Microsoft Corp., that means it is time to wrest important new markets from its weakened rivals. At the top of its target list: software for hand-held computers, online services and servers.
These days, however, Microsoft has two things going for it in corporate-computing markets: new products and newly cost-obsessed U.S. companies. Microsoft last year rolled out its more dependable Windows 2000 operating system, a version of which powers most of the company's Web and back-office servers. Corporate technology officials say the products are much more dependable than Microsoft's previous offerings, making them competitive with Sun, Oracle and IBM for some tasks.