Ballmer on partners: Must specialize to thrive

On the eve of this weekend's partner conference, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer discussed his company's strategies with CNET News.com, emphasizing, among other things, that the partners who specialize are the ones who will thrive.

"As we go to market with our partners, we want to provide customers with the broadest ecosystem of products and services, and to do that, everyone involved needs to make choices about where to focus and add value," he said. Click here for full interview.

[System Tyrant]

Well...

until Microsoft decides they are going to compete with you. Then they just give away their product with their OS until you can't even give yours away. Next thing you know the consumer is stuck paying for a half baked program that never worked right, but now cost you twice as much as the original.

But hey that capitalism.

those who specialize also are easily ROBBED

Yah go ahead and specialize.

Then some company gobbling up patents using their cash reserves can steal your intellectual property in a heartbeat.

MS needs friends

It's so alone in the industry.

[mas90guru]

Y-A-W-N

Wow - the old "specialization" war chant is appearing. I file that under "revenue is slowing and we gotta try something"...

Specialization is one of those "the grass always looks greener" type ideas. It's very difficult to do because (a) you can't "pretend" with most niche markets -- people know when you understand their industry - and going to a rah-rah session at a partner conference won't get you to the specialist level (b) there are already WELL ENTRENCHED competitors in your specialty area. So abandon any thoughts of marching right in and taking over a market and (c) it's never as lucrative as it looks (file this under the same category as the SAP and SIEBEL who look to come downmarket and sell to mom and pops the instant they see their numbers hit the skids).

In reality, specialization is already here. Who in the consulting world doesn't have a specialty? Aren't there already people feeling this niche? I mean don't tell me these niche's are all on paper and pencil just waiting for someone to appear in a nice suit and automate them??

As the famed Jack Nicholson said so aptly in "As Good As It Gets"..... Sell Crazy Someplace Else - We're All Stocked Up Here....