Small and Mid Sized Businesses: Growth and Search
April 29, 2010
Small Business Computing ran “Microsoft SMB Specialists See 2010 Spending Rise.” Microsoft as azure chip consultants? Why not? The write up contained some quite interesting assertions about the future. Well, it was Microsoft’s business partners who were the source of the survey sample. And, to be fair, the survey did not consider the spill over from the financial issues rising like a high tide in Europe. Here’s the passage that caught my attention:
“SMBs are back in spending mode,” Birger Steen, vice president of Microsoft’s small and medium business and distribution, told Internet News.com. “The most salient fact here is, whereas last year, one in four were increasing spending, this year it’s six out of ten,” Steen added.
What was curious is that there was no mention of search. In my opinion, search is not an issue in this business sector from the Microsoft survey team’s point of view. Will this have an impact on other search vendors?
Yes. My view is that Microsoft may be leaving itself vulnerable to direct sales thrusts by vendors of search and content processing in this market sector.
Search may make little material difference to Microsoft in the small and mid sized business market. The indifference of Microsoft may be the life preserver some search vendors need. Some vendors are dog paddling like crazy and issuing news releases with quite remarkable assertions about their products. Others like Google are content with a “meh” strategy.
My view: fewer histrionics and more direct selling, please. Microsoft may slam this door and then what? More search and content processing vendors will slip into the dark, dark night.
Stephen E Arnold, April 29, 2010
Unsponsored post.
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