MSNBC: Unintended consequences [of MS breakup]

“Here is a fact that the geniuses at the Justice Department
may have never considered: if Microsoft is broken up, it could lead
to the greatest brain drain of smart people in history.”

“Microsoft’s capital isn’t oil. It’s not telephone lines. It’s
not even operating systems and Web browsers. Microsoft’s capital is
people. Microsoft has built its business on the creativity of its
people — the intellectual property they have developed
collectively over the past 25 years. If Microsoft is broken up, no
matter what logic is used to create the smaller entities, the
company of Bill Gates will evaporate.”

“As a guy whose company manages human resources (we call it
‘HR’) for hundreds of dot-coms nationwide, my clients are licking
their chops awaiting the inevitable exodus of a lot of very smart
people should Microsoft face the chopping block. When HR people
hear words like merger, acquisition or breakup, they immediately
become recruiting maniacs and start burning up the phone
lines.”

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