Does Bill Gates?s retirement consign Microsoft to the corporate retirement home as well? Mary Jo Foley doesn?t think so. Her 25 years of Microsoft-watching provides a unique vantage point from which to speculate on how Microsoft might write its next chapter. Identifying signposts and interpreting clues she knows well, Foley offers a thought-provoking view of the software giant?s post-Gates future. Don?t be surprised to be surprised.
Microsoft 2.0
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"The award-winning journalist author has access to inside information and what she has to reveal will bring tremendous media attention".(The Bookseller, Friday 14th March 2008)
"If you need a Christmas gift for an insomniac geek, look no further." (ComputerWeekly.com, September 30, 2008)
From the Inside Flap
In the beginning, there was Bill Gates. Then were born Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, Xbox, and assorted other progeny. There were billions in revenue and tens of thousands of employees worldwide.
And above all, there was power.
But challenges arose. There were antitrust suits and rumors of more. The Internet star grew brighter. Google and AJAX and open-source technology threatened to unseat the master. Suddenly, there were murmurs of discord in Redmond paradise. Yet despite it all, the idea of Microsoft without its creator at the helm seemed unthinkable.
On July 1, 2008, the unthinkable becomes reality as Bill Gates retires from his daily responsibilities at Microsoft. From her 25 years of studying the company, Mary Jo Foley has developed sharp insight and a unique perspective on what the future might hold for Microsoft minus Gates.
This is a remarkably incisive look at leadership, potential products, management and product development styles, licensing issues, and other signposts. Who are the rising stars? What does the business model look like? Does the brass ring lie with consumer products or business solutions? What's ahead for Ray Ozzie, Steve Ballmer, and Steven Sinofsky? How will Microsoft digest future acquisitions during its "2.0" phase?
Whether you're a customer, competitor, business buff, or garden-variety consumer, this look at the next generation of one of America's corporate monoliths is riveting reading.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mary Jo Foley has made a valuable contribution to investors and stock analysts. This books makes it easier to understand Microsoft's background, which kinds of business models does Microsoft employ to make money, and the future evolution of these models. This book is helpful if you are going to estimate future cash flows and calculate the intrinsic value of the company. Whichever tools do you have to your disposition as an analyst, this one is a worthy addition.
The author has done great job summarizing miscellaneous (and sporadic) sources of information like various speeches, blogs, and articles. She has also used Microsoft's SEC filings like annual and quarterly reports.
First, she introduces the reader to terms used by Microsoft, e.g. what is "eXperience", "S+S", "Office Live" and so on. Rather than copying vague definitions from the website, she really makes the reader to understand what lies behind these terms in a neutral manner.
Then, she focuses on key people of Microsoft, near-term products of Microsoft, and then devotes the most of the book to the business models. She is not a Microsoft insider and didn't have support from Microsoft key people while writing this book, thus she uses neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic voice: she is quite neutral. The fact that she is not an insider is also good because she doesn't have to do any promises that she have to keep.
There is a useful "annotated reading list", which list blogs which you might want to read to keep in touch with Microsoft. This section also lists some books, but they are quite old and are interesting only in historical perspective.
The only disadvantage of this book is that is somewhat small: more analyses and figures would have been useful for better understanding of the business models of Microsoft.
The author has done great job summarizing miscellaneous (and sporadic) sources of information like various speeches, blogs, and articles. She has also used Microsoft's SEC filings like annual and quarterly reports.
First, she introduces the reader to terms used by Microsoft, e.g. what is "eXperience", "S+S", "Office Live" and so on. Rather than copying vague definitions from the website, she really makes the reader to understand what lies behind these terms in a neutral manner.
Then, she focuses on key people of Microsoft, near-term products of Microsoft, and then devotes the most of the book to the business models. She is not a Microsoft insider and didn't have support from Microsoft key people while writing this book, thus she uses neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic voice: she is quite neutral. The fact that she is not an insider is also good because she doesn't have to do any promises that she have to keep.
There is a useful "annotated reading list", which list blogs which you might want to read to keep in touch with Microsoft. This section also lists some books, but they are quite old and are interesting only in historical perspective.
The only disadvantage of this book is that is somewhat small: more analyses and figures would have been useful for better understanding of the business models of Microsoft.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By B. Ford
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
After reading Microsoft 2.0, here are my thoughts:
If you are a geek that reads Slashdot, Digg, and other technology news sites, it is most likely that this book is going to bore you to death. It's filled with information you most likely already know. I usually enjoy reading tech-related books, but this was the first time I was completely bored reading. I don't blame the author, she could only work with so much.
This book seems targeted at people that don't keep up with the tech industry.
Also, the author lacks the knowledge of Microsoft's gaming division and their XBox Live efforts. One could tell from reading her thoughts on XBox Live that she truly didn't understand the service. However, Microsoft is a big company, and it will be difficult for a person to be knowledgeable in all areas.
If you are a geek that reads Slashdot, Digg, and other technology news sites, it is most likely that this book is going to bore you to death. It's filled with information you most likely already know. I usually enjoy reading tech-related books, but this was the first time I was completely bored reading. I don't blame the author, she could only work with so much.
This book seems targeted at people that don't keep up with the tech industry.
Also, the author lacks the knowledge of Microsoft's gaming division and their XBox Live efforts. One could tell from reading her thoughts on XBox Live that she truly didn't understand the service. However, Microsoft is a big company, and it will be difficult for a person to be knowledgeable in all areas.
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An insightful look at where Microsoft goes once Bill Gates moves on...
May 14, 2008
Format:Hardcover
This is a book I've been looking forward to for some time... Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era by Mary Jo Foley. Given her long track record in covering Microsoft in tech media, I was interested to know how she perceived the behemoth as they come to a critical juncture in their leadership. I personally think she did a very good job in touching on and analyzing all the different facets that make up Microsoft's efforts to stay relevant. Only a minor deduction for an assumption she had to make late in the game that didn't play out as many expected... :)
Contents:
Forward - The Microsoft 2.0 World (According to Mini-Microsoft)
Acknowledgments
Introduction - Microsoft 2.0 - Welcome to the New (Post-Gatesian) Microsoft
Microsoft 1.0 - It Was All about Bill
Microsoft 2.0 - The Buzzwords
Microsoft 2.0 - The People
Microsoft 2.0 - Products on the Near-Term Radar Screen
Microsoft 2.0 - Big-Bet Products
Microsoft 2.0 - Tried and True Business Models
Microsoft 2.0 - Untried but Unavoidable Business Models
Conclusion - On to Microsoft 3.0
Memos, Letters, and E-mails
Annotated Reading List
Index
When you're trying to analyze a company as large as Microsoft *as it is still moving*, it's a difficult chore to commit words to page without having those same words become irrelevant (or even wrong) before the book sees the light of day. Many of the previous books on Microsoft try to tell the story of some past event, and at least have the ability to know that the story isn't going to change much. Foley had to look at the not-so-distant past, mix in the ever-changing present, and try to figure out what it all means for Microsoft once Bill Gates steps away from the company on July 1st, 2008. Given that nearly impossible task in book form, I think she accomplished what she set out to do. She's realistic in where Microsoft has succeeded and failed, without portraying an overwhelming bias as a fan-boy or hater of the company. Although the company would not grant her access to officials for this book, she has plenty of other sources to reveal little-known projects, plans, and experiments designed to keep Microsoft from constant reliance on the cash cows of Windows and Office. But it's painfully clear that Microsoft still continues (and will for the foreseeable future) to rely heavily on those two products to keep the ledger sheet green and to allow them to sink/waste vast amounts of money on other projects that still haven't panned out over time (like IPTV). After reading this book, you realize that Microsoft isn't dead, isn't irrelevant, and isn't going to go away overnight. However, they are at a critical point in their existence, where leadership, technology, and market forces are all combining to make the stakes higher than they've ever been.
To Foley's credit, she doesn't come out and "predict" Microsoft's future. Far too many industry analysts attempt to do that on a daily basis, and continually fail. What she does do is lay out the challenges and offer some insight as to where they *might* go given their track record and past history. That's incredibly useful, and also allows you to go back a couple years later to see how those forces actually played out. The only nit I had about the book surrounds the Microsoft-Yahoo proposed merger. Obviously, that event happened *very* late in the writing of the manuscript. An event of that magnitude could not be ignored without the book looking dated before it was even printed. However, the outcome of that event seemed to have different treatments as the book went along. Earlier in the book, she apparently made the decision to assume the merger would transpire and wrote as if it had. Later on, it was more of an "if the proposed merger occurs" stance. I understand she had to do something with it... It just so happens that it didn't play out as most everyone expected it to. It still doesn't negate or lessen the value of all her other insights and analysis.
You can quibble over whether she's right or wrong as much as you'd like. That's life in the tech world, as we all have our own "expert" opinions on how technology will absolutely play out. What I don't think you can argue over is whether she did her homework on this book and delivered on what she set out to do. She did... Nice job.
Contents:
Forward - The Microsoft 2.0 World (According to Mini-Microsoft)
Acknowledgments
Introduction - Microsoft 2.0 - Welcome to the New (Post-Gatesian) Microsoft
Microsoft 1.0 - It Was All about Bill
Microsoft 2.0 - The Buzzwords
Microsoft 2.0 - The People
Microsoft 2.0 - Products on the Near-Term Radar Screen
Microsoft 2.0 - Big-Bet Products
Microsoft 2.0 - Tried and True Business Models
Microsoft 2.0 - Untried but Unavoidable Business Models
Conclusion - On to Microsoft 3.0
Memos, Letters, and E-mails
Annotated Reading List
Index
When you're trying to analyze a company as large as Microsoft *as it is still moving*, it's a difficult chore to commit words to page without having those same words become irrelevant (or even wrong) before the book sees the light of day. Many of the previous books on Microsoft try to tell the story of some past event, and at least have the ability to know that the story isn't going to change much. Foley had to look at the not-so-distant past, mix in the ever-changing present, and try to figure out what it all means for Microsoft once Bill Gates steps away from the company on July 1st, 2008. Given that nearly impossible task in book form, I think she accomplished what she set out to do. She's realistic in where Microsoft has succeeded and failed, without portraying an overwhelming bias as a fan-boy or hater of the company. Although the company would not grant her access to officials for this book, she has plenty of other sources to reveal little-known projects, plans, and experiments designed to keep Microsoft from constant reliance on the cash cows of Windows and Office. But it's painfully clear that Microsoft still continues (and will for the foreseeable future) to rely heavily on those two products to keep the ledger sheet green and to allow them to sink/waste vast amounts of money on other projects that still haven't panned out over time (like IPTV). After reading this book, you realize that Microsoft isn't dead, isn't irrelevant, and isn't going to go away overnight. However, they are at a critical point in their existence, where leadership, technology, and market forces are all combining to make the stakes higher than they've ever been.
To Foley's credit, she doesn't come out and "predict" Microsoft's future. Far too many industry analysts attempt to do that on a daily basis, and continually fail. What she does do is lay out the challenges and offer some insight as to where they *might* go given their track record and past history. That's incredibly useful, and also allows you to go back a couple years later to see how those forces actually played out. The only nit I had about the book surrounds the Microsoft-Yahoo proposed merger. Obviously, that event happened *very* late in the writing of the manuscript. An event of that magnitude could not be ignored without the book looking dated before it was even printed. However, the outcome of that event seemed to have different treatments as the book went along. Earlier in the book, she apparently made the decision to assume the merger would transpire and wrote as if it had. Later on, it was more of an "if the proposed merger occurs" stance. I understand she had to do something with it... It just so happens that it didn't play out as most everyone expected it to. It still doesn't negate or lessen the value of all her other insights and analysis.
You can quibble over whether she's right or wrong as much as you'd like. That's life in the tech world, as we all have our own "expert" opinions on how technology will absolutely play out. What I don't think you can argue over is whether she did her homework on this book and delivered on what she set out to do. She did... Nice job.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
A so-so book from a fantastic blogger
I have mixed impressions of Microsoft 2.0 by Mary Jo Foley. I love Foley's blog. But not this book.
This book is written by Mary Jo Foley, who maintains a wonderful blog... Read more
This book is written by Mary Jo Foley, who maintains a wonderful blog... Read more
Published on May 15, 2011 by Dan tdaxp
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the read
Foley's writing is crisp and clear (as always). Surprisingly, the book is HEAVILY footnoted with extensive net references for details, making the book smaller (and better) than if... Read more
Published on November 24, 2009 by Howard Kapustein
2.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps I was expecting too much
First, if any analyst used this book as a reference I'd be afraid, very afraid. The statement about Microsoft buying Yahoo in the first chapter was very annoying since it didn't... Read more
Published on September 10, 2009 by JPKelly
4.0 out of 5 stars
Microsoft 2.0
A couple of weeks ago I finally finished reading Mary Jo Foleys book on Microsoft (Is there anything else she is working on besides Microsoft at all? Read more
Published on February 26, 2009 by A. A. F. Stam
4.0 out of 5 stars
More for Microsofties, but very very good
You have to adjust your mindset a little if you are not fully a Microsoftie developer. Mary Jo leans more towards the "fascination" of the company, not so much being critical. Read more
Published on September 12, 2008 by David Friedel
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Insight
I just finished reading MJF's book last night. Microsoft 2.0 is a fascinating and exceptionally well written read. Read more
Published on August 24, 2008 by ScottB -
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-read for any Microsoft Watcher worth their salt
Few people have covered Microsoft longer and more consistently than Mary Jo Foley (besides maybe Ed Bott). A couple of weeks ago, MJ sent me a copy of her new book Microsoft 2. Read more
Published on June 26, 2008 by Robert McLaws
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, but did MS acquire Yahoo yet?
Interesting book, only thing that bothered me that at times Mary Jo Foley incorrectly assumed Microsoft would acquire Yahoo (or even already had). Read more
Published on June 10, 2008 by Robin Wauters
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought Provoking Insights
Do you work at Microsoft, at one of their partners, or competitors? Own their stock? Then this book is for you. Read more
Published on June 1, 2008 by Stephen Forte
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nailed It
Mary Jo Foley did a great job of explaining the depth and the breadth of challenges that face Microsoft as they plan for the future. Read more
Published on May 30, 2008 by Mike Gilis
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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