Do not write Microsoft Off!

Google is cool. Facebook is cool. Salesforce.com is cool. So is Twitter.

SAP? Oracle? HP? Microsoft? Forget about it!

We have a common tendency - out with the old, in the new. But as Microsoft has proven over the past year or so, Elephants can dance! Let's examine some places where it has been playing catch up for a while, but now seems to be getting somewhere:

1. Windows Mobile - One of the biggest announcements of MWC? The announcement of Windows 2010. With integration with Zune AND XBOX Live, Microsoft seems to have gotten the concept of a phone for the user (rather than the enterprise) right finally. As show in this screenshot, Windows Phone has a rather cool tile based dashboard for messages, people etc. which can help you keep on top of your social and work life from the same place. And with a Windows Phone probably being something easier to digest for IT Departments than the iPhone, I think it will be a strong contender in the Mobile Space. What is the one factor that can prevent it from succeeding? Apps.

2. Search - I like Bing. Not more than Google, but so many parts of it are easier to use. Especially the Image and Video Integration that is so much easier to use than Google, combined with restaraunt reviews from Yelp and the integration with Farecast, Microsoft Bing is a strong contender for sure.

3. Windows 7 - I tried to load Windows Vista as a virtual machine on my MacBook. It sucked. Windows 7 worked beautifully. Enough said.

4. Cloud - The cloud is where the future lies, correct? Well, yes and no. I like MSFT's strategy of three screens and a cloud. Why? Just like how Blogs did meant a decline in magazines, but NOT the end of magazines, I believe that the cloud will coexist with desktop applications. A lot of systems - especially Enterprise systems that are not super compex, like Email, should move to the cloud sooner than later. More complex systems like ERPs might follow long long after, especially given the investments companies have in existing installed versions. But would everything move to the cloud? I am sceptical. I like Steve Blamer's recent comments on how he doesnt see cloud as one big opportunity for Microsoft, but more as a necessary layer of all the other big opportunities that Microsoft has ahead of it, namely Search, Natural Computer Interfaces, Advances in Personal Computers, Enterprise etc.


So my final take? Apple, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Facebook and salesforce.com. All will do well, in their own way.

Do Social Networks make for better advertising?

I have read numerous articles mentioning how Social Networks make for really lousy places to advertise, and generate high quality traffic as compared to search. It makes sense to some extent: when you are searching for something, you are somewhat more likely to be ready to purchase something from the category, rather than when you are just looking at which of your friends did something stupid on Facebook.

So what advantages do social networks have, that they can use, over search? I feel that Social Networks are more tailored to brand advertising than direct response advertising. In what ways? I feel that Social networks can do this in the following manner:

1. Innovative advertisement format - Social networks have the ability to tailor the ad formats and ad copy, based on your unique profile. For example, I have seen advertisments on Facebook that say 'If you are a 29 year old male in Illinois, and looking for car insurance, click here.' Now the ad is not particularly targeted at 29 year old males, but just the fact that is mentions that makes me notice it more

2. The user mood - I believe there is hidden potential in social networks predicting a user's mood based on their last post, and tailor the type or content of the ad based on that. This could be done in several ways. For example, a commercial for beer when I am expressing anger, disgust, frustration might be powerful.


3. Responses to user posts about the Brand - For example, if I post 'Delta Sucks' (it doesn't, I quite like Delta Airlines actually), Delta could serve me an ad, or even better, American Airlines could serve me an ad. Would this ad lead to an instant purchase? Probably not.


4. User profile data - Ads could be targeted based on user profile data

So what plagues growth of more brand advertising on social networks? Perhaps the right metrics. A Bain study focused on this aspect, proposing metrics more relevant to brand advertisers, and creating more segmented offerings catering to requirements of direct response marketers and brand marketers respectively. Who is likely to take the lead on this? No doubt, Facebook. With an intense emphasis on monetization, I predict that we will see some significant new developments in the next year or so. I look forward to it.

Google Chrome and Switching Costs

I am a big fan of the Google Chrome browser. What is so special about it?

1. Technology - no doubt that it is faster than other browsers. No matter in what you do. Also, i really liked the fact that you could have one tab in the browser crash, without bringing down the whole browser, as each tab runs in a separate process

2. Design - Google chrome was a very well thought out, and very well designed. For example, if you have a bunch of tabs open, and you want to close several of them, you can close one tab, and then the next, and then the next - without moving your mouse! The next tab's close button aligns with your mouse as soon as you close the last one. Also, whenever you open a new tab, it shows the most frequently sites you visit in a simple format on the screen, making it easy to go to your favorites

3. Offline - With Google gears, Google is embracing scenarios in which the user will be offline but want to use a web app. I am pretty sure that Google Chrome will be the first browser to adapt new features of Gears, as they are developed. One of my favorite web apps, Remember the Milk, uses Google Gears.


So I switched to the Chrome, but gave it up and moved back to Firefox. Why is that? Switching costs of third party apps/extensions. I use a Firefox extension called Read It later, which as the name suggests, lets you mark any page to be read later, come back to it easily, and remove it from the list when you are done. There was a Chrome extension; it just didn't work well enough. And so, I am back for now, to my dear old Firefox.

Kindle opened up: Now what?

As you can read here, Amazon has opened up the kindle to develop applications for the Kindle. I believe this move is in anticipation of the launch of the Apple Tablet/E-Reader (which is expected to bring, among other things, world peace). According to the article, developers will get to keep 70% of revenue - a 15 cent per MB Delivery free. Kindle released 3 models for apps - free, one time and subscription based.So would there be 10,000 apps developed for the Kindle? Let's explore various aspects of it:

1. Developer fatigue - The iPhone was the first awesome, super-duper-cool mobile platform open to developers. Then came Android and Blackberry. Now everyone, and their mother, is creating an open platform. This is likely to result in developer fatigue, and resistance to learning how to code in new platforms

2. Drawbacks of e-ink - monochrome, minimal graphics, no touch screen interface etc.

3. The 15 cent per MB charge - which means that the app cannot access the internet (without losing money or being very expensive)

So what kind of apps are likely to be developed for the Kindle?

1. Interactive books - Zagat guides are being developed as an app, but so could be some pretty cool stories for kids, which are book, but also an app. And the story book could have different elements - it changes every time the kid reads it. These books are best for kids above 7 years of age, as before that age, kids just love repetition and consistency (Side Note: I am no child psychologist, just my observation)

2. Mystery book-games - same unpredictability aspect, but for adults! Now, a sherlock homes novel, which is interactive, lets you guess outcomes, and can be used 10 times as there are 10 storied embedded in it!

3. Thought of the day/blog post of the day etc - which is basically a Kindle adoption to an exsting web service. The concern remains - the 15 cent per MB Delivery fee

Other thoughts?

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

View more presentations from Carmine Gallo.

2010 : The year of the Tablet/E-Book Reader

I was (and am) waiting for the Apple Tablet to be released. It is expected to be announced January 25th or 26th. Expectations for it are sky high. Here are some of the things I have read about it on Tech blogs

1. The price will be $800
2. It will have a new, and very surprising method by which you interact with it. Do you sing to it?
3. It will have the regular color screen, apps, multi-touch interface
4. It will include an E-Book reader
5. Steve Jobs is happy with it. That is saying a lot!

But even before the launch of the Apple tablet there are many other devices that either are already here, or are expected to be announced soon:

1. HP/Microsoft's Slate Tablet released at Consumer Electronic Show
2. Plastic Logic's Que ebook reader (video below). It's pitch is that it is flexible, shatter proof and completely designed for Business. It features full control by touch, ability to view documents, synchronize calendar with outlook, pin favorite things, receive books by wireless etc.

Plastic Logic shows off Que eBook reader from Dean Takahashi on Vimeo.

3.HP's Android tablet here

And so on and so forth. But what do you really want from a tablet/ebook reader Device? The way I look at it, I always question - what device does the Tablet replace? This is true of most new gadgets. Even the iPod replaced a device - the CD Player. It also replaced you carrying around a 1000 CDs. The apple tablet must replace a few simple things for me - a pen, a notebook, and books that I read. It must include a eReader, but be a lot more.

This is what I want:

1. A single device - not a separate ebook reader and tablet PC

2. Calendar/email integration

3. Ability to download and run apps

4. A replacement for the notebook - with a stylus pen, and ability to add comments to documents, create notes and synch with a service like Evernote

5. Price less than $500. Because I am a student

6. Wireless capability for downloading books

What are the questions apple faces:

1. How to get wireless service on the device? Would users be willing to pay for another connection?

2. How to get content - books, videos etc? It can rely on iTunes for everything else other than books. But what about books? Partnerships? Perhaps a partnership with Amazon, which might be very contentious, given the Kindle?

I am waiting eagerly for January 26th...

My second entry on the Kellogg student diary just posted

Check it out here

Google and Yelp Acquisition Talks

One of the key lessons we learned in our first strategy class was - always question an acquisition. Always question whether the objectives of the acquisition could be met simply with a contract, and whether the synergy (the most over-used buzzword in the history of business, and possibly
mankind) made any sense.With this perspective, I began to analyze the recent Google - Yelp acquisition talks. I feel that the synergies associated with Yelp as part of Google do make sense, and Google should acquire Yelp, if the price is right. What do you think?

Startups Evolve: Tagga

It is said that most startups change their basic idea and/or business model atleast three times before they are successful. I recently revisited the home page of a rather interesting company I discovered about a year ago: Tagga.

As this article on Techcrunch would tell you, Tagga initially started as a company offering free way for users to launch their own SMS campaign. Thus I could for example choose a keyword (lets say CHIPMUNK. I don't know why that was the first word that came to mind. But now that it did, let's just say CHIPMUNK). I could put up signs that say 'Text CHIPMUNK to 82442' anywhere. If you did text CHIPMUNK to 82422, you will get a text reply with whatever content I wanted to distribute to you. It could be a link. The catch was that the content would be atmost 80 characters long, and it would be followed by an 80 character advertisment.

The business model was: advertisers could buy keywords for the placing their 80 character ads. So lets say I really wanted to sell nuts, I might buy the keyword CHIPMUNK. (Do chipmunks eats nuts....Whatever). Or I might just buy ads via other methods, like geographical region. Like if I want to see coats, I would buy Chicago. It's cold here.

Back to the point. Now if you visit the Tagga homepage, it says that Tagga is now an Agency Platform. In the words of the website, it 'is the ultimate opt-in direct marketing platform that is 100% focused on the agency world.' There is one problem with that - I have no idea what it means. It seems like a whole lot of jargon to me. Like synergy.

To really understand what Tagga is doing, I need to click the features button. And then read what each feature is.

To sum up, this is what I think Tagga is doing now: take the original idea, add a bunch of features, but reposition it as a white label service to help agencies launch marketing campaigns. Interesting. But why, why is it making it so difficult for ordinary people like me to understand what they are doing? Why not give a short summary of what they are doing on the homepage, rather than just throwing around buzzwords?

That's it. I have rambled way too much. Time to call it a day

Interesting Video on Socialnomics

I don't think that Social Media is the silver bullet, as this video seems to imply. However, it is still a force to recon with. I am particularly excited about it's potential for small to medium size businesses, who get to advertise for free.






There seems to be no better example of a small business using social media, than Kogi BBQ , the Mobile Barbeque business. The company operates a fleet of vans that drive around, and post the location where they would be stopping 45 minutes before they get there. When they arrive, there is already a line of people waiting to buy food from them. These are the kinds of ideas I look at, and say 'Brilliant!!'