Partners Worried As Microsoft Thinks Small

Iria · Jul 10, 2005, 04:33 PM

MINNEAPOLIS Jul 10, 2005 — Microsoft Corp. will further expand its software offerings for small businesses, even though that will turn many of its current partners into competitors, CEO Steve Ballmer said on Sunday.

"We do believe that the business application market will continue to get consolidated," Ballmer told thousands of Microsoft partners from smaller technology companies at a conference here.

Many of those partners could soon be competing with Microsoft.

While Microsoft has sold millions of copies of business programs such as Word and Excel, other companies write software that is often customized for individual companies. On Sunday, Ballmer signaled that Microsoft has its eye on that market. The company has hired more than 200 people such as doctors, bankers, and plant managers to help it write software for specific industries, and it plans to roll out a program called Small Business Accounting this fall that will compete with accounting programs such as Intuit Inc.'s QuickBooks.

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Read More / Source: ABC News

Jul 10, 2005, 04:33 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 74	Partners Worried As Microsoft Thinks Small MINNEAPOLIS Jul 10, 2005 — Microsoft Corp. will further expand its software offerings for small businesses, even though that will turn many of its current partners into competitors, CEO Steve Ballmer said on Sunday. "We do believe that the business application market will continue to get consolidated," Ballmer told thousands of Microsoft partners from smaller technology companies at a conference here. Many of those partners could soon be competing with Microsoft. While Microsoft has sold millions of copies of business programs such as Word and Excel, other companies write software that is often customized for individual companies. On Sunday, Ballmer signaled that Microsoft has its eye on that market. The company has hired more than 200 people such as doctors, bankers, and plant managers to help it write software for specific industries, and it plans to roll out a program called Small Business Accounting this fall that will compete with accounting programs such as Intuit Inc.'s QuickBooks. __________ Read More / Source: ABC News