Can MicroHoo Take On Google?

When Microsoft launched its bid to host the Yahoo being audacious in the extreme 44.6 billion US dollars this year, it instantly backing February, the company became an almost impossible position: either compromise its Windows everywhere capacity or commitment to the most ambitious, if not unrealistic Software Integration the efforts of Windows and open source. This can also reshaping the future of the Internet and the software industry at large.

But one thing is clear from the start: Microsoft is pulling out all the stops to narrow the gap between themselves and the enemys how effective Microsoft Google - Yahoos marriage may end in the positioning The combined company will be more competitive, with Google - - especially in the area of the next generation, and its applications and services - is still an open question. But it is clear that Microsoft has decided now is the time.

"Google poses a clear long-term threat to Microsofts business, said:" David Mitchell, Ovum senior vice president in charge of information technology research, consultancy company based in London. "However, Microsoft and Yahoo will jointly make a major competitor, they can fight back." Although it is clearly and unmistakably to thwart further gains by Google in the search, advertising, portals, online consumer services, Microsofts shares, on the ground, will set the agenda of all the core enterprise software business. Yahoo entered the fold - or not to do so - could also reshaping how Microsoft sets to define its "cloud" initiative, and plans to develop into a "software and services" players.

"They decided in the mid-1990s that the Internet is imperative, but they never really take action, as it has been inevitable," said Jeffrey, JP McManus , the main platform for the San Francisco consulting firm, associates and a former director of Yahoos Developer Network from 2005-2006. "Writing this huge check to buy Yahoo, basically draining the company coffers, it will become a serious stake - - companies advocate." So what advice Yahoo acquisition means Microsofts Windows 51.1 billion US dollars core business, in particular its Windows and Office Live initiatives? "This is a business in transition, Windows users to be alive," Ballmer said on February 1 on Microsofts announced bid. "Windows experience will be increasingly embracing the Internet. A Windows Live services. There will be Office Live strategy, we must continue to bring out innovation, in which posts transform, and converted to the Internet. " Microsoft 44.6 billion US dollars need to come up with unprecedented success in the online world, in order to catch up with Google? "Microsofts big problem is that they have the desire, lack of focus, in order to create the success of network performance, but they never really do that, and said:" JP McManus, an expert in the deployment of key Microsoft technologies, including. NET Framework, Visual Basic and C #. "They are not in their DNA, in order to reach this point. At the end of the day, this is what kind of things, if Yahoo finally bought Microsofts serious attitude to do interesting things on the Internet, more power to them. " May be a more pressing question remains: What is not conducive to 44.6 billion US dollars invested in a web-based, open-source-driven companies to do so on Microsofts long-term holders of the core mission of the windows, everywhere? "This integration of the two companies will be a big project, in the history of modern commercial society," predicted analyst Michael Gartenberg also in the New York-based Jupiter Research.

"If the deal is Microsoft become masters of one of the largest distributed open-source data center complex in the world, said:" Denajiadena, principal analyst interarbor solution gilford in New Hampshire: "This is an incredible irony. " e-mail minor issues from Bideiwaheer trying to re-shape the business environment in the Internet, Microsoft is betting that, by adding Yahoo! How technology companies in their own online portfolio, it will make the economy of scale to help it better compete in the Internet. Microsoft and Yahoo! Have e-mail and instant messaging (IM), in its every policy area, let us first look at how each companys products stack up, including one.

E-mail doing things for the masses Microsoft has no real commercial e-mail solution for the network. Hotmail, is primarily a consumer product. Yahoo! E-mail is similar to Hotmail, but also is applicable to consumers. Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA operator), is a real clunker, by the poor performance, memory leakage and limited functions.

The autumn of last year, Yahoo! Zimbra the acquired company is a Web-based e-mail client in the early Miles Microsoft Internet. Zimbras objective is to start from scratch, as a Web 2.0 e-mail solution. With the personal and group calendars, online maps, contact database and other efficiency function is very intuitive, and is conducive to enterprise customers.

In particular, its use of AJAX, or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, as a response to make it as a desktop application. Zimbras chief technology officer, Scott deitzen said that in the end of 2007 the e-mail client component, and more than 150,000 lines of JavaScript.

Ways to integrate Microsoft Zimbra company will be a good sign of how serious there, it is of their own transformation for the enterprise market. If the company is willing to cut loose concept that Zimbra as its next generation e-mail client, then there is hope that its preparations for its own window after the era.

On the other hand, if Microsoft relegates the Zimbra companys technology, a backwater, the leading behind-the-scenes Outlook desktop solution, then it is obviously not serious attitude, the provision of alternative, high-quality Web-based productivity solution.

Informal communication many companies use instant messaging service fast and informal communication. Is probably the most relevant characteristics of the business and are able to write custom plug-in IM client.

Yahoo! Before coming out here to define and publish programming interface, a group of add-ons and features a library of third-party plug-ins. Many plug-ins have a consumer focus, but there is some help services, such as calendar and local news. You can also write custom plug-ins.

Another advantage to Yahoo! Messenger, the current version is for other operating systems, such as Apple, Unix and Linux. If you need instant messaging client for any of the above operating systems, you can not standardize on the Windows Messenger.

Yahoo! Also allows you to send and receive short message service (SMS) messages, and configure your account to send messages to your cell phone. These characteristics of natural advantages, both computer and phone platforms.

Although Yahoos advantages, Windows Messenger is still part of a desktop version of the Windows operating system. Yahoo! IM is a separate installation procedures (such as the next generation of Microsofts Windows Live Messenger, and more of a consumer-oriented products).

It is unlikely that Microsoft will ever demoted an integral part of its operating system for the background, to the acquired products. To be fair to, Windows Messenger can provide several enterprise-class features such as remote assistance, application sharing and white boarding. However, its lack of scalability of Yahoo! Alternative.

Envelope, please The only obvious dunk decision for Microsoft is to maintain and promote Zimbra as its new e-mail client, even going so According to replace prospects. Such a move will show that Microsoft has died careful and comprehensive network strategy.

In addition, there is no compelling need to integrate other Yahoo! Enterprise communication technologies. Yahoo! IM client will be an upgrade from Windows Messenger, but the latters Windows operating system position to make any change strategy unlikely.

Some analysts have asked what, if, as big as Microsoft Windows and will be committed to supporting open-source products and strategy also - perhaps the two tied together in an environment through an expansion of W eb services initiative - What is the problem, this is the current corporate customers tens of millions of dollars have been sunk into Windows-based products? "If they are willing to bet so much money to a network of services, search advertising infrastructure play based on open source efficiency, why did not have their own large enterprises, it is necessary to make the same bet you," and Dana pointed out. "This is not the only change is that Microsoft is the idea of what kind of company it want, but its largest IT customers to do likewise. Microsofts whole philosophy of the company and is seeking the matter. " Consider Yahoos critical data management platform running on key sites, such as Yahoo Finance and busiest photo-sharing site Flickr is operating in the open source MySQL, which ironically Sun Microsystems, Inc. has agreed to acquire 10 100 million US dollars. And server-side scripting language that embodies the Yahoo Web site is based on PHPs.

"If Microsoft wants to pull their checkbook, and hurled hundreds of engineers in the migration to SQL Server Yahoo Finance, which is their prerogative," JP McManus said he can not imagine any other company to do so .

When Microsoft bought Hotmail, it did not actually transfer platforms, from Unix to Windows. Microsoft will do the same with Yahoo? Analysts have pointed out that this took many years, is not a happy experience. Yahoo scale, as well as all of its PHP code and all the scattered FreeBSD server and MySQL will be an order of magnitude more complex. "In my view, as it will be crazy to take the existing code base and its relocation to another," said JP McManus. It will tell Observers here agree on how to deal with Microsoft and other issues.

This acquisition to accelerate the provision of new and important Web-based products to market, as well as improving their quality of the important factors in the war, the companys wages, the enemy Google? "Yahoo has been on a relatively sophisticated Web 2.0 technologies, relative things, such as social networks and other things in those areas," Tang said Burg. "In addition to Microsofts engineering design capabilities, a Yahoo should allow the combined company to bring new products and services to get to market more quickly, and that Yahoo is a significant struggle." Combinations can be enhanced online services, from Yahoo and Microsoft counterattack, regardless of the installation of attack Google, its core desktop applications? "Microsoft is the desire to protect a solid revenue and profit contribution from the office said the egg Mitchell. Googles application has yet to make a decision truly shaken the giant Microsoft Office, but they do pose a long-term threat. Online engineering capability, Yahoo will undoubtedly provide Microsoft could bring new services to market, "he said.

Even if Googles application, and ultimately gain traction if Microsoft to a similar model, what does this mean for the traditional application software business? Ballmer told analysts in the press conference, February 4 in New York said he understood that some of the new business model, its "cloud" of the initiative, and by extension, whether Yahoo Loss and established, profitable enterprises to take advantage of consumers and business users.

"If someone hurt and the United States, will be better on its own, in many, I think that is a net new opportunities to add value to our customers, therefore, the net new opportunity to create a truly margin, "Ballmer told analysts.

"The combination of Yahoo and Microsoft will enable us to offer a wide range of new experiences for our customers it is not we will have said to himself:" Microsofts chief software architect Ray Ozzie on February 1 appeal.

Neglected, its important strategic position in the proposed transaction is Zimbra, and the company is a start-up company Yahoo acquired in September 2007 in specialized servers and client collaboration software, including e-mail and group act Calendar. How to use Microsoft Zimbra, open source, not withstanding? "Microsoft has been weak, and the collaboration, in the traditional market compared to IBM and Lotus said Dwight Davis, a senior analyst at Summit strategy. "Building has been some progress has been made with SharePoint But even in the mobile world to the Web 2.0/enterprise 2.0 and social networks, Microsoft still lags behind the IBMs." Conversely, Yahoo intends to lend a helping hand, the rich enabling customers like Ajax, and Microsoft from fat client, but also to the affluent client and silverlight, Gardner said. "Zimbra sat in the Middle East and Yahoo heritage, as well as its heritage," he said. "This might be an interesting way for Microsofts entry into a richer application activities." Some people believe that domestic enterprises as a search engine untapped opportunities. So what is Yahoo to Microsofts efforts to expand in the enterprise search? Google has taken the lead in the enterprise search over Yahoo, said: Greg shields, an independent consultant in Denver, Colorado, "the final wave and Microsoft Vista search on the whole, although it has been the subject of the disintegration of a through Vista and bleak, "Shield said. " Trying to find file consumption about 25% of the employees in time, at present, e-commerce search is a valuable market, and only now truly decide, and perform." Microsoft also noted that its proposed acquisition of the rapid search and technology will further help it to a place in the enterprise search.

A possible benefits, Microsoft will be Yahoos vast network of data centres can play an important role, Microsofts next-generation Cloud computing strategy. This is a crucial, Microsoft can not continue to build their own building? "This is not to say there are not some good reasons, but I think that as a small part of this agreement," said the President will zachmann Laorenxing study duxbury MA. "In addition, I think that nearly 50 billion US dollars to pay for a data center is a huge," he said.

On this issue joint directory, Yahoo and Microsoft have been markedly different approach, identity management. How might play out? JP McManus pointed out that Yahoos support on the 2nd openid also gives it a huge advantage in the provision of the federal identity management, it is possible to extend the cardspaces efforts and Microsoft Active Directory.

"They are the concrete implementation of the programme will enable anyone to log in to any website using a single click," said JP McManus, who said he openid Yahoos efforts during his term of office there . "You Sign My Yahoo account and revolutionary neat." What kind of corporate culture conflict, there will be a crunchy Silicon Valley-based company and a food - breakfast beer cans for software developers? ", And the corporate culture is the most antagonistic, Yahoo is more than a media company, which is a software development organization," Gardner said. "This is the developer and the building of infrastructure, and create a lot of network performance, but it is basically a media company. There is a very different culture, focusing on how to make money around the advertising and the media about how to make money licensing software. Therefore, it is not only a cultural dissonance, this is a business model disharmony. " Due to a series of unknowns, we might play in the coming weeks and months, what is the opportunity, Microsoft ultimately will be successful acquisition of Yahoo? "I think there are more reasons than not to happen it happened," Gartner analyst David Smith. "This is driven by economic interests, market forces and competition is not a realistic one has been able to compete with Google itself in these markets." If we do not happen? Ballmer that Microsoft will be successful, he told analysts that he will continue to invest in building their own online services. "We believe that we have access to far sooner through the acquisition of Yahoo," he acknowledged. "We will continue to stay on this path regardless."