Brad Silverberg, Greg Maffei, Pete Higgins, both Myrhvolds and many others have left over the past year. Microsoft employees may strenuously defend the company, but the pressure of having to do so constantly is bound to make that startup opportunity even more appealing. And the trial experience, plus the prospect of litigation stretching on for years, make it harder now for employees to convince themselves Microsoft s future is as bright as its past. Microsoft s other obstacle is time. As the company itself argued during the trial, the technology industry moves extremely fast.
Disruptive changes come along often, making it difficult for any company to stay on top for long.
There are always competitors ready to undermine perfectly good business models in ways incumbents can t touch. Partly because Microsoft has innovated when needed, but partly because Microsoft has so ruthlessly used its leverage with PC vendors, customers and partners through its licensing and negotiating practices. In effect, Microsoft slowed down the clock of change to the point where it could keep pace. It is precisely those tactics that will now be reined in, either through court-imposed conduct restrictions or simply because they must face public scrutiny. Microsoft is still a great, great company.