Redmond Ramps Up Retail Revolution
Yes, this Microsoft store thing is serious...and Redmond has hired a former retail guru from Apple to really get the thing rolling. Of course, this sort of thing is of little concern to enterprise partners, but it's not the greatest news for smaller Microsoft channel members who might actually have to compete with these stores to some extent. We don't think Microsoft will abandon its channel, but the Microsoft shop could be a hassle at the low end. We'll see how Microsoft's little effort goes over in comparison to Apple's super-cool retail outlets.
Candidly, we at RCPU are kind of cheering for Microsoft's nerds to put a dent in Apple's retail prowess -- not because we don't like Apple (we like it fine) but because, like Microsoft, we're un-cool, and we expect the Microsoft mall to be the very expression of lack of cool. We'll see.
Posted by Lee Pender on July 22, 2009