Ray:
Re: Citrix and its Hydra/ICA product
I am afraid I am unable to give you an intelligent answer because I am not
familiar technically with that product. However from what I have read,
ICA will be successful when NCs take off later on this year, which is
great news for Citrix (and perhaps even Microsoft). Again from what I
understand Microsoft is using Citrix's Hydra/ICA to cover itself from the
attack of the NCs! Citrix, in my humble opinion, will win greatly as it
will benefit from the explosive growth of the NC market. The thin client market
is big enough to accomodate everyone (including Sun, Citrix, IBM, HP,
DEC, ....). In this market there are no losers but those that defy the
Sun Microsystems (and its partners including main database, software tools
and semi conductor companies) vision of modern computing through Jave
technology and the fundamental concept of true open standards. It is
sort of like Communism VS. Capitalism, with Communism being Wintel, and
Capitalism being Sun Microsystems and all its partners!
Keep in mind one very interesting and strong factor playing in Microsoft's
foundations and progress, and that is the concept manifested from the
following statement Bill Gates believes in very strongly (which he took
from Andy Grove of Intel): ...and only the paranoid survived...!
This has had a profound impact on what has made Microsoft what it is today,
and I, for one despite the fact that no longer am a MSFT share holder, admire
Microsoft for and am very much impressed. Because of this funfamental
paranoia Microsoft is capable of changing with time and adapting
to new concepts.
When modern internet computing was born (by Sun), Microsoft changed its
entire business model. NT and Java became the number one priority with
Microsoft. Microsoft understands what Sun is trying to do and it is circling
around the model Sun is pushing. It has bought WEBTV, and a company such
as Citrix in order to have a dominant presence in the thin client
market where information and all software applications can be accessed/run by
everyone, everywhere and anytime. It has involved itself with the McGraw
family to launch a set of satellites around the earth in order to provide
a network of information gathering to supply to the entire planet earth!
It has involved itself with media (e.g. NBC) to provide news and other
types of information to the mass public. All implying its acceptance and
embracement of the Java technology and Sun Microsystems vision for the
future of information processing. There is, however, one minor problem.
The paranoia that used to make it possible for Microsoft to define
the standards is no longer working for it! Somehow the erogance
took over the paranoia for a short period of time and that caused
Microsoft to miss the boat. It has been playing catch up ever since, but
that is all it can do: Just to follow and no longer lead! There is a younger
bully called Sun Microsystem that the entire industry is following for
its vision and avice of the future computing and information processing.
Microsoft is trying very hard to expand into practically everything that
Java can manipulate (from WEBTV, to tools, to servers, to media, to satellites, etc.),
but as Clint Eastwood, said in one of his first dirty harry movies:
A man has got to know his limitations! Microsoft can buy
portions of the industry to help it have a presence in the new model of
computing, but it can not buy the entire industry! Sun Microsystems on the
other hand does not need to buy anything because the entire industry,
including Microsoft, are following its technology and vision for the
future! Sun, in my humble opinion, is the leader now, and whoever
has a business model that adopts Sun's vision (such as Citrix) will win
greatly.
Regards,
Addi Jamshidi |
