But having lived through the IBM era, many users know that one vendor's control over so many key software segments will eventually lead to higher prices and reduced innovation. Microsoft's competitors must make the herd instinct work in their favor. They must convince customers that they offer an equally clear and safe path to the future. So far, they haven't. The necessary cooperation, alliances and mergers either haven't happened or haven't been effective.
Government intervention can help but offers only a partial solution.
Antitrust overseers must balance any efforts to assure open competition with a healthy respect for the expressed needs of the consumer. If government decisions or jawboning can restrain Microsoft's most predatory tactics, Washington will have done its job. As the database management market shows, software monopolies aren't inevitable. In the end, if customers want dominant leaders, they will have them. The downturn in the tech economy isn't as gloomy as you might expect.