The pushing of programs and operating systems

THE PUSHING OF PROGRAMS

AND OPERATING SYSTEMS: THE

GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY

FOR THE USER AND MICROSOFT

Howard Community College

7/4/12

Objectives

• Why does Microsoft produce unfinished products that are updated over the internet?

• How does the process work?

• What is the advantage of using this process?

• What are the economic consequences to market share?

Why does Microsoft produce unfinished products that are updated over the internet?

History prior to internet updates• Before internet updates,

programs were purchased and the majority of support came in the box. If you registered your product, when and if there was an update CDs would be sent out or need to be purchased to provide the updates. Time from idea to product release was extremely long and testing was intensive and costly.

Reasons for product updates

• Expedient method to fix post release errors

• Security fixes

• Compatibility fixes

• Reduced cost and shortened supply chain cycle

• Continuous product support Infrastructure

Pros for product updates

• Enhanced compatibility and security support

• On going product management support

Cons for product updates

• Sloppy product releases

• Consumer becomes beta tester

• Forces adoption of new programs before expiration of older ones

• Frustration may lead to product substitutions

How does the process work?

How updates work.

What is the advantage of using this process?

Advantages of pushing product updates

• Reduced cost due to internet based transport system vice disks

• This reduced cost can be used to initially introduce program at lower pricing

• Flexibility to change program at anytime at any level and complexity

What are the economic consequences to market share?

Google Analytics

Microsoft Loss of Market Share

2008 Microsoft’s market share dropped to 90%

Microsoft Loss of Market Share: Browsers

October 2008 January 2009 Change

Internet Explorer 71.27% 67.55% -3.72%

Firefox 19.97% 21.53% +1.56%

Safari 6.57% 8.29% +1.72%

Chrome 0.74% 1.12% +0.38%

Opera 0.75% 0.70% -0.05%

Netscape 0.45% 0.57% +0.12%

Mozilla 0.09% 0.07% -0.02%

Opera Mini 0.06% 0.06% 0.00%

Playstation 0.03% 0.04% +0.01%

Microsoft Loss of Market Share: OS

October 2008 January 2009 Change

Windows 90.46% 88.26% -2.20%

Mac 8.21% 9.93% +1.72%

Linux 0.71% 0.83% +0.12%

iPhone 0.33% 0.48% +0.15%

Playstation 0.03% 0.04% +0.01%

Microsoft Loss of Market Share

Discussion

• Although the loss in market share is not significant, frustration with sloppy software and competitors developing innovative products slowly are nipping at the heels of Microsoft. Hopefully this competition will improve the market production and quality assurance.

Summary

• Like it or not this method is here to stay and has good in the forms of product support and internet security. The bad is that programs seem unfinished and are not as polished as they were pre internet updates. The method has become an industry standard.

Resources

• Brodkin, Jon. Windows drops below 90% market share. 2 Feburary 2011. Internet. 10 June 2012.• Dignan, Larry. Buggy software: Why do we put up with it? 16 July 2010. Internet. 10 June 2012.• Gruener, Wolfgang. How serious is the market share loss of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer? 23

December 2008. Internet. 10 June 2012.• Mann, Charles C. "Why Software is so Bad." Technology Review July/August 2002: 33-38.

Academic Database / Journal.• Numenware. Why Microsoft creates buggy software inefficiently. 2 August 2004. Blog. 10 June

2012.• Petersen, Alan. Microsoft Buggy Software Release It Anyway Syndrome. 9 July 2007. Internet

Marketing & Infopreneur Blog. 9 June 2012.• Sams, Brad. Six reasons Microsoft will continue to lose market share. 21 November 2008.

Internet. 9 June 2012.• Spagnuolo, Chris. Releasing buggy software intentionally. 20 November 2008. Blog. 9 June 2012.• Thomas, Trisha. Google Analytics data shows Microsoft Windows losing market-share due to

phones & tablets. 2 July 2011. Internet. 10 June 2012.

QUESTIONS?