Globetechnology
Here are a few examples of what Microsoft now refers to as "integrated innovation" that could become fodder for future court skirmishes:
Search: In a widely covered recent speech, Mr. Ballmer conceded that the company was late to recognizing the importance of Internet and data searching. He reiterated earlier statements that Microsoft is building its own new search engine to be added into the next version of Windows, bringing it in close competition with current leaders Google and Yahoo.
Gaming: The company continues to subsidize heavy losses on the Xbox game console, while trying to catch up to leader Sony. Microsoft recently released new tools that would let game developers streamline an increasingly expensive production process by using the same components for PC and Xbox games.
Mobile phones: The company has tried with little success for a decade to move into the mobile phone OS business. But recent product releases from Motorola and AT&T have some worried that the company is finally gaining traction, aided by the high-powered phones' ability to tap into corporate Outlook e-mail servers.
Its interesting to note, that in each of the above mentioned fields, Microsoft has a number of large competitors that it has to face. It is also interesting to note, that these are not Microsofts primary fields as a software vendor, but it is the primary fields of its competitors. It will definitely be interesting to see how this works out.
