Can Microsoft’s open source problem be solved?

In his recent piece about how Microsoft should be afraid of open source, our own Matt Asay stumbles on a solution to the problem.

He offers this nifty Forrester chart (right) showing how software revenues have changed in the last few years, from licenses to maintenance, with services declining as well.

insert chart showing licenses and services going down fast, but maintenance revenue going up fast



All of which leads to my cunning plan.

Stop selling Microsoft software. Rent it


Rent my operating system ?


Instead of selling Windows for, say, $150, through an OEM, sell one year of it for $99. Require registration for updates, and then charge $75/year for maintenance, just like the anti-virals do.


Update what ???? What exactly do you update on an operating system that I care to spend $75 a year on ?

This fails the "would I do it ?" test (ie: I personally wouldn't even consider it). What makes you think anyone else would either ?


Now you’ve got recurring revenue, you’re actually getting more than retail (because people keep PCs for three years, not two), and you’ve got constant access to the customer’s PC in order to provide the service that customer is paying for.


Thanks for pointing out the huge security risk that some profit oriented company is poking around in my computer deciding what I can and cannot do.


Plus there’s constant customer contact and the ability to upsell. Companies like-y the upsell.


There's no upsell. Either you're dealing with 10 000 employe's who'll direct you to their manager , or you're dealing with a private individual who'll yell at you for spamming them.

So, tell me I’m crazy here.

You're crazy.

The only reason I'm still on Windows at all on even one of my machines is because of the online games. Drive too many people off of windows and onto linux, and that machine doesn't get replaced when it's three year warrenty runs out.


Oh yes, why I started this article in the first place.

Can Microsofts Open source problem be solved ?
The only problem MS has with Open Source is that it exists, and it would like to kill it quick. Unfortunately if you look back over time you see the open source movement , in particular Linux and the software that runs on linux , has only been getting larger and larger, not the reverse. People working for free, and giving away their labours for free, that's kind of inevitable. Throw in a few Microsoft Made Messes to tick people off....

No, the Open Source problem cannot be solved. Open Source in the end will likely rule the Operating System World.
Now putting proffessional games on Linux (pay to play games) , thats another matter. I think that would work just dandy. Dump windows , move to Ubuntu , keep my World of Warcraft ? Works for me.