Back in the day, Microsoft was the name to beat in the world of, not just business-related software, but software in general. Whether you were crunching numbers, preparing a pivotal presentation or simply writing your magnum opus, chances are you were doing it with a Microsoft product of some sort. Now, whilst you may still be using Microsoft software as your go-to tool to complete your digital tasks, there are undoubtedly more competitors out there vying for Microsoft’s crown as King of Software.
With the likes of Apple, Google and it’s ubiquitous, cloud-based docs platform, and the many different devices such as smartphones and tablets, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Microsoft may somehow have become less relevant. Whilst it’s true that Microsoft must now share its tech amongst a plethora of other competing software products, it is arguably still in full control of its throne and in no mood to give it up.
In this article, we look at why Microsoft is still very much the King of Software.
Kings of The Office
Microsoft has stuck firmly at doing what it does better than everybody else. Sure, you can use Open Office for free, or leverage Google’s cloud-based docs platform, or maybe you run an Apple computer and output your written work in Pages. But regardless of which platform you use, if you want to be collaborative in the real business world, chances are you need to convert your document to DOCX (Microsoft’s default file type) before you can start sharing it amongst clients and colleagues, safe in the knowledge that they can open and read what you’ve sent. This is because when it comes to business software, Microsoft is still the standard, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get challenged anytime soon.
Kings of The Cloud
Microsoft are always looking for ways to add value to an already established platform with a huge user base and plenty of support; for example, they have moved towards a cloud-based system, supported by ms volume licensing, ensuring that users can access their content from any location. This supports the modern trend for an increasingly flexible working environment, as well as work collaborations (ensuring that Google no longer get to dominate that space).
And Microsoft are doing a lot of this affordably – for free, in some cases – in order to remain accessible and affordable to a bigger market. This shows strength through flexibility and adaption, suggesting they are committed to continuously improving their product alongside whatever a competing organization can offer.
Kings of The Future
As Microsoft continue to push their ubiquitous operating systems across multiple platforms, including mobile, and focus heavily on cloud-based solutions, they will continue to enhance their office software applications. They will also continue to work on virtual reality (VR) and actual reality (AR) solutions that leave the traditional office and disrupt the manufacturing and medical industries, alongside their work in artificial intelligence (AI), which rivals anything being worked on by Google, Facebook or Amazon. Microsoft is far from losing relevancy, and it’s sitting proudly on its throne, safe (for now) from a revolution.