Microsoft exec: Tough times play to our strengths
Published: 13 Oct 2008 13:29 BST
With a tough economic climate forcing cutbacks in IT spending, Microsoft is already working on honing a message that it can help businesses save money.
In an interview on Friday with ZDNet.co.uk's sister site, CNET News.com, Microsoft Business Division president Stephen Elop [pictured] said companies are certainly re-evaluating their tech-spending projects, but tried to make the case that Microsoft stands to fare better than most.
"Relative to Microsoft's general approach of making all technology, all software very affordable... that plays very well at these times," Elop said. "Who knows what lies ahead, but nonetheless, we've got some pretty good messages."
Microsoft has been working on getting those messages ready in a hurry. Chief operating officer Kevin Turner sent an email to Microsoft's salesforce on Wednesday, highlighting a dozen or so things the company can do to help customers save money.
The things on the list aren't big surprises — unified communications to reduce travel costs, virtualisation to save on server costs, as well as Microsoft's many licensing and financing options.
"It is the case that we are very focused and getting even more focused on having a conversation with our customers around value," Elop said.
But while Microsoft has long grown sales by offering a lower-cost option than software rivals, it now finds others, including Google, using those same arguments against core products such as Windows and Office.
Elop said it's not his first time managing through tough times. "I've been through a pretty significant economic downturn in the early part of this century — boy that sounds old — when I was at Macromedia," he said. At the time, he told his troops Macromedia could lead through the tough times and come through it stronger at the other end. "I think at Microsoft we can do that even more so."
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