Does Microsoft Need China?

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Posted by michael on Tuesday September 7, 2004 @06:56AM from the great-wall dept.

angkor writes "Does Microsoft Need China? Interesting article from CFO.com's perspective on MS pricing strategies in the developing world: 'Put another way, Microsoft is relying on current pricing and a goodly portion of the world's tech growth to sustain its 31 percent net profit margins. But an increasing portion of global tech growth will come from Asia's burgeoning economies. And it's precisely in Asia--with China in the lead--that pressure to alter the uniform pricing structure for its software is the strongest in the world...'"

12 of 226 comments (clear)

Re:It's Not Just The Price by strictfoo · 2004-09-07 06:58 · Score: 4, Funny

Microsoft has difficulty making inroads with the PRC goverment is because he central plan is not the have China beholden to foreign interests

I think it's Microsoft's silly belief that Taiwan is a country.

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I've just signed legislation that'll outlaw Russia forever. We'll begin bombing in five minutes.
In Soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-07 06:59 · Score: 2, Funny

In Communist China, Microsoft needs YOU.
"Does Microsoft Need China?" by nuclear305 · 2004-09-07 07:02 · Score: 3, Funny

In a word: no.

What they need is to rethink their current strategy and figure out how to make it more efficient in their current market.

If they rely on a new populous for their future plans...well, I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but eventually they're going to run out of new blood...unless ET visits us, but, I doubt a lifeform capable of extra-solar travel is going to be interested in licesensing MS software.
Of course they need China... by IronMagnus · 2004-09-07 07:04 · Score: 5, Funny

What would M$ do without China to produce all of the CDs on which windows is distributed.
1. Re:Of course they need China... by irokitt · 2004-09-07 07:09 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Someone just confused Microsoft with AOL;)
  
  It's okay, honest mistake.
  
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  If my answers frighten you, stop asking scary questions.
And besides by spellraiser · 2004-09-07 07:06 · Score: 3, Funny

China is a communist country, right? They'd never go for Microsoft; they're strictly open source.
Because like everyone knows, Open Source = Communism :-)

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I hear there's rumors on the Slashdots
Due to the mess that Microsoft constantly makes by teamhasnoi · 2004-09-07 07:08 · Score: 4, Funny

I would avoid China, and instead give Microsoft paper plates and a sippy cup.
Mirror, Mirror on the wall by MikeMacK · 2004-09-07 07:10 · Score: 5, Funny

If you looked in the mirror one morning and discovered you were Bill Gates, how would you regard China?
Probably not the first question I'd ask, probably more like, what the hell am I going to buy today?
Re:It's Not Just The Price by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-07 07:10 · Score: 3, Funny

Yeah, everyone knows that it's One China, and it's merely a matter of education that prevents that 1.6 billion people on the mainland from realizing that the One True Government is sitting off on that little island.
Once the masses are informed, they'll happily be reunited under Taiwanese rule.
Re:It's Not Just The Price by GCP · 2004-09-07 07:33 · Score: 2, Funny

Yes, the "Dragon Chip" has a special version of Linux, which was designed with a "back door" to allow the Chinese Communist Party to observe what its users are doing.

Interested in using it? Depending on who you work for, the Chinese might give you a special discount. ;-)

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"Those who have never entered upon scientific pursuits know not a tithe of the poetry by which they are surrounded."
Re:Rather... Does China need Microsoft? by 0x0d0a · 2004-09-07 08:32 · Score: 2, Funny

now you see how stupid it is to predict 20 yrs? i can make anything sound logical and acceptable. ...in Japan!

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May we never see th
Tea by Roger+W+Moore · 2004-09-07 10:58 · Score: 2, Funny

Microsoft definitely needs china. In fact it should include some in every Windows package so you have something to drink your tea from while you are waiting for the bloody thing to install!