Microsoft Stakes Out the Middle

摘要

When it comes to studying customers and their buying habits, Microsoft president and CEO Steve Ballmer has examined it: all, from Fortune 500s to the smallest mom-and-pop shops. But it's those companies that fall in between, the mythical mid-market, that have—by his own admission—captivated Ballmer tor the better part of his tenure at Microsoft. Today, the midmarket's estimated 1.2 million businesses represent the next major target for Microsoft and, Ballmer hopes, its partners. Last month, the company detailed its strategy for selling its wares to midsLze firms, which it defines as businesses with between 50 and 1,000 employees and/or 25 to 500 PCs. The initiative involves new products and services, encompassing both the classic Microsoft infrastructure portfolio and its sta- ble of business applications, from Great Plains and Navision to Microsoft CRM.