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A call to arms: it's up to the IS community to help dethrone Microsoft.Douglas E. Welch.InfoWorld, Oct 10, 1994 v16 n41 p59(1) COPYRIGHT InfoWorld Publishing Company 1994 Don't put all your eggs in one basket. The wisdom in an old country saying like this one is timeless. Take, for instance, the overwhelming success of Microsoft Corp. Although no one can dispute that Microsoft has created some of the most useful software on the market, is it wise for companies to put all their eggs in one basket and buy all Microsoft products? I don't think so. The computer industry is a tough business environment where everyone is scrambling to get a piece of the action. Capitalism is at work in its purist state. Customers must stay on their toes and look out for their own best interests because often, no one else will. Those best interests may not always be buying the standard products from the largest companies. In fact, the best computer products don't necessarily come from the largest companies. Yet, computer users and IS organizations themselves have placed Microsoft in the lead position it occupies, a position marked this year by a U.S. Justice Department inquiry into charges of unfair trade. Do those IS directors who have placed their companies in the hands of Microsoft really understand the ramifications of their actions? Their exclusive use of Microsoft products might actually prevent them from finding computer solutions in the coming years. And that might result in Microsoft making companies' computing decisions for them. Look at it this way: Microsoft's size and control over the software market is growing with each passing quarter. Smaller companies and, yes, even some of the larger ones, are finding it difficult to develop a niche for their products. It's not that they have inferior products. Some are actually better than Microsoft's products, but due to the buying momentum, low-priced bundling and brand loyalty, these products barely see the light of day. These practices have resulted in fewer and fewer companies producing products to compete with Microsoft, fewer choices in the software market and more power for Microsoft. Imagine a future when Microsoft computers with Microsoft mice run Microsoft software on Microsoft networks with Microsoft servers and Microsoft gateways. It isn't that far away. Who will computer users turn to when Microsoft stops providing a service they need? Where will the software choices come from when Microsoft, through its customers' actions, swallows up the computer industry? Companies should seek outside solutions to ensure their stability if Microsoft decides to move in a different direction. Otherwise, they might find themselves abdicating their technology decisions to Microsoft employees. What if the next version of Windows only works with a Windows NT server? Will companies throw out Windows or all of their Novell servers? What happens when there is no other choice? It might sound far-fetched, but it could happen. Small companies that depend on using specific hardware and software for their livelihood have even more to lose. Nothing could be more damaging than to find that a software vendor has stopped producing the one product that keeps a company running. One decision by Microsoft, if sweeping enough, could close small businesses everywhere unless other solutions are available. Although Microsoft is indeed the king of the computer industry hill, it remains to be seen if this is healthy in the long run. Computer users who continue to put all their eggs in one basket may find that it wasn't the wisest decision after all. Without viable competitors forcing Microsoft to stay on top of the technology game, computer users could find themselves burdened with a slow moving, stagnant software monopoly of their own making. A basket of rotten eggs, indeed. Douglas E. Welch is a systems manager for a major California entertainment company and a member of InfoWorld's corporate advisory board |