Microsoft Market Planning and Strategies

The provided text is an analysis of Microsoft's market planning and strategies, focusing on the company's approach to global expansion. It discusses the importance of understanding internal factors in international trading, Microsoft's development of user-friendly software, and their adaptation to changing markets through decentralization and flexibility. The text also compares Microsoft's strategies in different countries, highlighting the challenges of entering the Japanese market due to its unique advertising and publicity requirements.

Running head: MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
Microsoft and its Evolution
Name of the Student
Name of the University

1MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
Microsoft: Profile Details
A gigantic global organization, Microsoft Corporation rules the sectors of information
technology, computer technology and software. The Microsoft Corporation has an annual
turnover of $44 billion with an annual rate of employment as recorded as 71,553 across 102
countries. Having the head quarters of the company situated in Ridmont, seattle, Washington,
United States, it designs and develop hardware and software.
Though Bill Gates initially started the company, yet, it must be noted that presently both
Bill Gates and Paul are the owners of the company.
Established in the year 1975, Microsoft initially dealt with software. However, no sooner
it got its place in the apex of software marketing companies after developing software like
Wizard basic. Paul and Bill Gates checked the brand Microsoft in the market on 26th November
1976. Microsoft right away reached the zenith of the software market, surpassing all the other
existing companies. The most revolutionary operating system developed by the Microsoft was
UNIX in the year 1980. Microsoft reached its zenith due to its full proof plan of launching
software in the market. That is, after developing UNIX, it was tested Santa Cruz Operations to
check the working and the performance of the software. Santa Cruz was bought from a source
called AT&T by Microsoft. After a full proof investigation that the software was working well
will all the type of systems, the software was finally launched in the market.
IBM, in the year 1980 required a software to be incorporated with its computer systems.
Microsoft played the intermediary role in this context. Microsoft merged the products sold by the
company Seattle Computers and IBM. That is The software products and services were
incorporated into the hardware systems of IBM. QDOS software, owned by Seattle Computers

2MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
was launched in the computers of IBM. At the end, QDOS was purchased by Microsoft and was
copyrighted before its final launch in the market. QDOS, after being launched my Microsoft
came to be known as MS-DOS. IBM launched its in house brand computer in the year1981. In
the same year Microsoft launched PC-DOS and got a commercial license to use the same along
with MS-DOS and both of these were used by IBM to run its in house branded computers. Later
a deal was signed by IBM and Microsoft to merge the respective hardware devices with the
corresponding software. IBM computers were compatible enough and received a huge customer
base as it was user friendly. However, both the companies were free to edit and alter their own
systems, that is, the software and the computer system manufactured by IBM. The joint
collaboration of Microsoft with IBM and its huge popularity fetched Microsoft an immediate
success and a loyal customer base. The loyal customer base that Microsoft received made one of
the major exporters and manufacturers of software systems for computers.
In this context, it would be apt to mention that software systems were also used in
computers before Microsoft launched its services in the market. However, the computer systems
were mostly used for professional purpose. Launching of the software system by Microsoft not
only enhanced the working of the computers but also increased the longevity of the systems.
Apart from that, the smoothness of work also increased. The systems were and user friendly with
the incorporation of the software designed by Microsoft. Sing software by Microsoft were also
cost effective, as compared to the previous installation of software by other brands. Another
factor that triggered the dominance of Microsoft in the market was the demand of personal
computers amongst customers. Computers were no longer limited to official purpose and were
also owned by customers for private reasons. This change in the demand was particularly evident
in the year 1980s and 1990s. The year 2009 witnessed a revolution in the world of computer and

3MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
software technology when both Yahoo and Microsoft collaborated to run the operating system
and yahoo search engine in computer systems. The deal was made for ten years.
Products
Microsoft has a variety of products to offer to the market and all the products are equal in
demand. However, the best selling products of Microsoft are Microsoft windows system and MS
Office. Microsoft did not limit its innovation only in manufacturing and developing software, but
also developed its own search engine under the name MSN search engine that was a multilingual
portal. The leading competitors against Microsoft were yahoo search engine and Google search
engine.
Product Variations:
Microsoft office was developed mostly to meet the changing demands of office
personnel. MS office offered the professionals with many opportunities in the system that made
their work easier like editing texts, updating program databases, program presentations, program
lists and many other. Microsoft has ever kept updating its office and in the recent times,
Microsoft 10 is the latest updated version of the company that is widely used and has the most
demand in the market.
MSN search engine was replaced by a new version of search engine developed by
Microsoft on the month of May 28, 2009 known as Bing. Bing is a search engine that performed
all the tasks of MSN search engine in a smoother manner. Steve Ballmer, the chief executive at
Microsoft, developed Bing. Microsoft also developed games such as ‘Fight Stimulator’ which
further increased its demand amongst the youth.

4MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
Microsoft Word:
This particular program was incorporated within MS Office which made a revolutionary
change in the entire system of storing document in the form of hard copies to soft copies. There
were options of storing a document permanently in MS Word and there were option to take a
print out only if necessary. However, in the initial period the system was not known as MS
Word. It was launched as Multi-Tool Word in the year 1983 that was a revised of Unix and at the
same time was licensed by AT & T.
Strategies adopted by both the companies to enter in the market:
According to the traditional belief, things cannot be planned that are unachievable. If
such plan are made, it would lead into a gross failure. On the other hand, technology market
entirely depends on the innovation and development of unexpected things and thus, the
traditional belief contradicts. However, in this context it would be worth asserting that Microsoft
makes a proper strategic marketing plan for a certain span of time.
Moving into deeper detail about the company Microsoft is a global brand that makes a
annual turnover of $44 billion and provides a global employment of approximately 71,553
employees across 102 countries. The headquarters are situated in the busiest areas of Ridmont,
Seattle, Washington, United States. Bill Gates and Paul initiated the company. The current
location of the company is in Mexico.
Microsoft apart from making gigantic turnovers and profits also keep concern about its
social responsibilities. It keeps its stakeholders satisfied and happy to ensure the long-term
benefit of the company. It is a two way process. The satisfaction of the stakeholders results in
better investment, better production and thus, creating value products for the customers. The

5MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
company assists its customers by handing them products that helps the customers to achieve their
financial goals. Microsoft values its employees that serve the need of its customers. It maintains
some reward and recognition strategies to recognize its employees and to keep the employees
motivated. The company also maintains the social responsibilities, as it is one of the highest
taxpayers of the nation.
Microsoft in United States:
Mission of Microsoft: To ensure a proper investment that would not only enhance
the benefits of the company but also at the same time would satisfy the needs and demands of the
customers. The mission is dependent o the elasticity and flexibility of the company.
Objectives of the company:
 Goals of the company: the main objective is to maintain the throne in the technological
market in the long term and simultaneously develop, produce, manufacture, ensure
marketing practices and support a wide array of software and operating systems in not
only English, but other regional languages as well. It attempts that the software are not
limited to professional use but also personal usage for entertainment and gathering
information. Microsoft has incorporated this software in mobile phones, camera, TV and
books. Microsoft ever focuses on exploring the unexplored and creating a niche.
 The financial goal of the company is to elevate the financial performance by doubling up
the profit returns each year.
Microsoft in Japan:

6MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
Microsoft was already a master of 3D planning process which was later
introduced by other companies in the country. It keeps on planning strategies and designs ti
hit the target market and keep its position intact.
Features of the planning process:
 Creating a standard that can hardly be reached by rivals and maintaining the performance
by keeping the products user friendly.
 Prior planning and assessing the investments, budgets and expected returns on the basis
of market share of the company. The planning is made for three years.
 Depending on the performance of the company and the feedback of the customers, the
plans are updated and altered.
The planning is monitored and updated by the senior managers (Gates and Ballmer), the
sectional managers and development managers. The alteration of the marketing plan is done after
an acute scrutiny made by the concerned authorities. In order to alter the market plan, the
decision of Gates and Ballmer are final. The strategies of the market plan are designed after an
intensive discussion between the directors and the unit managers, thus any fault within the plan is
under the responsibility of the unit managers. The plan is also used as toll control.
An extensive discussion of ideas and sharing of thoughts are made before designing the
final market plan. The process of market planning is simplifies as a process of decentralization
and adaptable to flexible condition.
Official: In this process the managers are held accountable and it discusses about the future
allocation of resources and investment plans.

7MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
Decentralization: The plan is developed and designed by several heads. Hierarchy is not
maintained. All the opinions are considered.
Flexible: The plan can be altered by the manager according to the demand of the customers and
change in market trend. The plan is designed in a way that can accept quick alterations.
The legal, political and economic considerations: Trade in International countries
Trading in the global context can be troublesome without the proper knowledge of the
internal factors that rules a nation. A coherent knowledge is needed about the GDP of the
country, unemployment rate, inflation, its import-export activities, industry specific information
and consumer expenses. Updated track of information is imperative as these credentials are
expected to constant change.
Microsoft constantly kept developing the software, specially the Windows operating
system that helps the clients to auto connect it with the internet ad printer and make the work
easier. Later the implementation of wireless networks also smoothened up the process. The
advancement of multimedia systems made the company even more popular as computer became
a source of entertainment. Music, movies, work, games, sports and everything else that a person
could think of was available at the comfort of home. Simultaneously, Microsoft successfully
settled the judicial procedures to incorporate all the features and alter the software in the brads
that largely produces computers for private purposes.
Features that signifies Microsoft as a global entity:
Goals:

8MICROSOFT AND ITS EVOLUTION
 Increasing profit margins
 Inflation of business
 Global fame
 Assessing rival advantage in the Changing International Environment
Country specifications:
 Market access
 Delving in unexplored markets
 Exploring regional trade centers
 Advantages related to first producers and developers
Comparison of the strategies adopted by the company in two different countries:
Keeping in concern the pressure of competition, the comparative strategies were
developed. The comparative theory was developed to track and understand the behavior of the
MNEs. The competition not stagnant and is ever changing. The MNEs makes the exploitation of
the new products in the market and creating paths for entering the market by skipping market
barriers.
Japan:
Japanese market does not support the excessive use of advertisement and publicity during
the launch of any particular product. Thus to enter into the Japanese market publicity plans must
be designed craftily by the company since the Japanese questions the trustworthiness of the
demands made during advertising the products.