Well, I don't have an annual report here... although I do read them. This is a side issue I realize, however, I am disappointed with msft's investments primarily because I see them as weak in internet content and feel they should augment their own weaknesses with investments that deliver, now.
Investments in satellite technology are fine, but that is a blue sky thing, as opposed to filling out the product mix currently. For example looking at Amazon, they have investments in drugstore.com, gear.com, della and james (gifts), etc. etc. so there is an immediate return to shareholders against the amzn bottom line when these IPO, additionally the benefits of possibly folding these companies into the amazon product line. Amzn is a little rare being in a wide open space so there are a lot of possible investments but cisco for example has akamai and sycamore, recent IPOs, and those expand cisco biz too. Maybe msft has been doing the nih thing for so long they don't know how to move that way. Imo msft should have invested in real networks. |
