[ Thanks to Brent
Toderash for this link. ]
“I keep having this image flash before my mind: Steve Jobs
standing onstage behind a podium with Bill Gates – 10x life-size –
seemingly looking over his shoulder from a huge TV screen… but
this time there’s a Corel logo on the podium. And apparently I’m
not the only one who has this image on the brain. In Internet time,
this is already old news, but for those that haven’t heard, it was
announced today that Microsoft has formed a ‘strategic alliance’
with Corel Corporation. Whatever else it means, Corel gets a $135
Million US Dollar infusion of cash, and Microsoft gets more support
for its .NET platform.”
“One must also ask what “outstanding legal issues” were
settled. Stacking things up, there looks like more potential gains
on the Corel side of the ledger, so the ‘legal issues’ are likely
the unseen on the MS side, and might we speculate that it includes
a waiver of future litigation for damages over Microsoft’s
anticompetitive practices? On the technology side, it’s
possible (read: very likely) that Corel was ahead of Microsoft on
working out details for the delivery of applications over the
Internet, which is obviously crucial for Dot-Net to succeed. And
don’t forget, the best Microsoft technologies seem to be the
acquired ones, not written in-house. There has to be something
unseen in it for MS, which isn’t exactly known for being a
technological business benevolence society.”
“Microsoft: Needs Dot-Net to fly, as the old way of selling
software is slipping from their fingers. Also needs competitors
with more than one pony in the stable, so need Corel to stay afloat
until the antitrust thing is done. Has lots of cash to toss about
or burn at will.”