Do you think MSFT's statement today is a threat to SUNW?
That's a very good question Marvin, particularly since there was no statement. What Balmer said today was a reaction, not an announcement. It was Balmer & Bill's attempt to put the best face on panic. It was a statement of intent to announce, descending to a level of attempted FUD that is pathetic even for M$.
But even so, it does worry me. Balmer's words are the surface manifestation of a lot of panicky activity as Bill G. cracks the whip in Redmond, and his little serfs scurry around, working over the long weekend, drawing madly on white boards, preparing FUD-oriented slide presentations, trying to figure out what existing pieces of crapware they can repackage with minimal effort in minimal time to FUD Office into a web portal service. How to undercut Sun's initiative with some press releases? You'll be the target too, Reggie.
It will be interesting to see what they come up with, and they will most assuredly come up with something. The problem is that people are so naive that whatever M$ comes up with, many people will believe. M$ has paralyzed markets with FUD but no product, many times. In fact that's a methodical approach to business for them. That's why I am so hoping that Sun executes on this stuff fast like never before. Sun must put themselves into a position to fight noise with action. If StarPortal takes them so long that they are forced to fight action with noise, then they lose and M$ wins.
I don't view this as a time to be smug. Smugness is the enemy. This is the moment when the paranoid survive. Microsoft will act paranoid. Sun must also.
Regards,
--QS |
