Microsoft concedes platform fight to Apple and Google
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It has been in the offing for some time now, but yesterday in an interview with Cheddar, Microsoft’s chief marketing officer Chris Capossela formally raised the white flag when it came to the platform wars with Google and Apple.
“We’ve moved away from that competitive focus that I think we’ve had in the past,” he said.
“We need to bring our products on the platforms that our customers are using,” he continued, conceding that Windows was now only a small part of the day to day computing experience of users. “So Office on the iPad or iPhone, Minecraft on every platform, that’s just a natural thing for us to do,” he noted.
Capossela painted it as laying down of arms on all sides, saying the traditional tech rivalries don’t make much sense anymore, and noting that Google which uses Microsoft’s VS code developer tool. In truth, however, Microsoft appeared to be the main one making concessions to the reality of their subordinate position, for example having more than 100 apps in the Apple App Store, while Google and Apple have precious few in the Microsoft Store.
Caposella credited Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for the cultural shift, saying Microsoft was focussing on what they did for their own fans, referring to users who see the company as a productivity powerhouse, rather than competing for the same users, noting this approach has helped Microsoft grow after years of stagnation.
“Millennials tell us that when they think of ‘adulting,’ they think of Microsoft and we love that,” said Capossela. “When it’s time to get a job … they think of Microsoft. And that’s a wonderful position for us to be in.”
via CultofMac
