IP: MICROSOFT SAYS ITS FUTURE LIES IN SUBSCRIPTIONS: Edupage, June 1, 2001

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Seems to me this is how IBM made a lot of money till Justice stopped it -- 
they called it rentals djf


> Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the company is gearing itself
> to collect subscription revenues rather than offer only packaged
> software. The company is moving forward with a subscription
> model on several fronts, including the MSN ISP business, the
> HailStorm Web service, year-long subscriptions to the new Windows
> XP products, and Microsoft's new interactive TV product,
> UltimateTV. Already, the company has engineered many of its
> products for the move, such as incorporating a Web architecture
> in Office XP products so that they can be easily integrated into
> back-end office solutions from Great Plains Software. Microsoft
> acquired Great Plains this year and has begun packaging Great
> Plains software with Office features such as Excel and Outlook.
> Analysts question the new model, however, saying it could
> endanger Microsoft's stable business and cause mass confusion
> in the marketplace.
> (Wall Street Journal, 31 May 2001)



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