Microsoft

Microsoft has suffered some downfall in the last few years due to some varied reasons. These business challenges have impacted the company in many aspects. With the departure of its founder Bill Gates as its CEO to concentrate more on his philanthropy, Microsoft is said to lose its image rather in its technology. Even if this business giant has carved a niche in the industry, it is not exempt from the headaches of competition. Its attempts to provide consumers with more modern and hi-tech wares seem to put the company’s revenue future in a quandary. It seems that Microsoft have been “panic buying” many companies in its race against other computer giants like Yahoo and Google. The demand for better computer stuffs (programs, OS, etc.) are there and this has somehow caused the company to take too many things in their hands. Indeed competition is stiff, yet focusing and perfecting one task has posed a great challenge for the company.

To overcome these challenges, Fontana (2008) enumerates some ways to address these challenges. One of which is that Microsoft should take time seriously and should learn a lesson with the lag it allowed enhancing their operating systems (i.e. XP to Vista). Moreover, Microsoft must review and think twice in marketing too many newer servers at the same time. The company should take care of their partners which seem to be put aside because of its strategic positioning. With its billions of dollars spent on acquiring other companies, Microsoft must strive to earn back what they have spent on these investments. According to Peter O’Keily, Microsoft needs “to be cool” in its intense desire to develop more and fast. With its numerous endeavors, the company must concentrate on one field at a time and make their tasks practical and effective rather than creating many tasks at one time.

Boomer (2007) writes about how the computer and telecommunications company has strived to survive amidst the growing competition in the industry and the market. The huge and growing demand for better and more practical computer wares are prevalent in the business world especially, and effective techniques are being though of and applied in order to survive the competition. It is not enough to address the complexity of the technological market as it is. More and more companies and organizations are realizing that “people factor” in this industry should be enhanced and given priority so that their businesses would thrive.

Boomer’s article enumerates the primary skills that IT professionals should have. These skills include:

1.      Technical skills

2.      Business savvy skills

3.      Marketing and sales skills

4.      Human resources skills

5.      Project management skills

6.      Budgeting and cash flow skills

7.      Strategy and planning skills

Indeed this is a tall order, yet having these aforementioned skills are not impossible to find and inculcate in the IT professionals today. With the proper and sufficient training, IT professionals can acquire all these skills. The mixture of technical, business, human resource, management, and accounting skills may take time to be accumulated by the present IT professionals, but it the guidance of business leaders can ally their IT staff. The result would surely make companies achieve their mission-vision.