The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Gates memo warns of future threats

Where's our bloody leaked email?

Customer Success Testimonial: Recovery is Everything

In an email apparently leaked to almost every media outlet and their dogs, Bill Gates and Ray Ozzie warn that the current move to a services-based world poses a serious threat to Microsoft's business.

Gates's email to senior staff, dated October 30, described the move to Web-based services as "the next sea change" and as important as his late conversion to the internet ten years ago.

The memo warns senior staff they must "act quickly and decisively" because "This coming 'services-wave' will be very disruptive".

A spokesman for Microsoft confirmed to the New York Times that the emails were genuine but refused further comment.

The memo notes the threat from advertising-supported businesses like Google and Yahoo but also warns that "grass-roots adoption and popularization model" makes it easier for start-up companies to reach a mass audience.

A document written by Ray Ozzie is called "The Internet Services Disruption" notes that Microsoft has failed to exploit technologies it was responsible for creating. He mentions search, the widespread use of pdf documents and VoIP as areas where Microsoft missed a trick. He said: "We knew search would be important but through Google's focus they've gained a tremendously strong position."

More details on News.com here or take your pick from Google news here.®

Regcast training : Hyper-V 3.0, VM high availability and disaster recovery

More from The Register

SCO vs. IBM battle resumes over ownership of Unix
Zombie lawsuit back and wants to suck the brains out of Linux
Bjarne Again: Hallelujah for C++
Plus: Now officially OK to admit you never used STL algorithms
Interwebs taunt Sir Jony over Apple eye candy makeover
Hey Ive, Ive... add more unicorns, willya?
Apple: iOS7 dayglo Barbie makeover is UNFINISHED - report
Plus: You don't like the icons? Blame marketing
Red Hat to ditch MySQL for MariaDB in RHEL 7
So long, Oracle! Don't let the door hit you on the way out
Shy? Socially inadequate? Fiddling with your phone could help
App 'tells the brutal truth' about social inadequates' chatup lines
Java EE 7 melds HTML5 with enterprise apps
New release arrives with GlassFish, NetBeans support
 breaking news
'Office Facebook' firm Tibbr wants you to PAY for mobe-meetings app
Great idea. Punters won't cough for it though
 breaking news
The only Waze is Google: Ad giant tipped to gobble map app 'for $1.3bn'
Pac-Man-satnav-ish upstart in bidding war with Apple, Facebook
 breaking news
PM Cameron calls for modern, programmable computers! (We think)
IT education musings to G8 chiefs to mystify IT industry