Top of the big era

Although Bill Gates has retired, he is still the spiritual pillar of Microsoft and is the honorary chairman. In normal times, he will also participate in some important decisions of Microsoft.

In this era, the most cutting-edge field is the mobile Internet.

Microsoft, too, has made one of its most important decisions recently, which is to abandon its past mobile operating systems based on feature phones and multimedia phones and re-launch a new operating system based on smartphones.

Targeted at Google.

The second most important decision is that Microsoft completely abandoned its Live search last year and integrated Bing Search, a new search product developed by the three major search engines of MSN, Yahoo, and AOL.

It’s still aimed at Google.

Relying on Microsoft's 1 billion users around the world, it launched a major attack... In fact, the effect was not very good, and the thunder was loud and the rain was small. What’s more important is that Microsoft’s users are basically PC users.

Smartphones have become an unconquerable market.

It's like a river divides the Internet world into two halves, one side is the computer side, and the other side is the smartphone side. Microsoft has the broadest land on the PC side, but it can't find a good way to cross the river.

Launching an operating system based on smartphones is of course the best way.

But, can this thing really succeed?

This shows the risk resistance of giant companies.

Microsoft's operating system department is very confident in its own mobile phone system, super confident. In the field of operating systems, Microsoft is the world leader.

In their view, as long as Microsoft enters the market, all competitors will die!

The final pattern will inevitably be like the PC side. There are only two systems left in the world. One is Microsoft's system, which has a monopoly-level market share. One is Apple's system, which has a niche market in a closed space.

Even the people in the operating system division are so confident that they "charge" money.

Android is free?

Rubbish!

Just like the desktop Linux system back then, it was also free, so what? No one uses it at all, and most people still have to pay a high price to buy Microsoft's Windows system.

However, Microsoft is a giant company with more than a dozen major business groups, each of which is in charge of its own business.

People in the operating system division were very confident, but people in the search division looked confused.

They've been blindsided by Google over the past few years.

They dare not blindly believe that Microsoft can easily destroy the Android system. What if it is not destroyed? There still needs to be a more comprehensive consideration!

If Bing Search wants to be successful, it must maximize its use of resources and target more users, especially smartphone users!

Then, the "instruction manual" project developed by Ziweixing was placed in front of the case. They are all smart people, and they can see at a glance the important role this project can play in the early days of the mobile Internet.

This somewhat surprised Zhou Buqi, "Instruction manual project? Do you know all about it?"

Bill Gates said: "I mentioned it during a private chat. I think the idea is very good. It can face users directly at the closest distance. I am afraid that others will imitate it and ruin the business."

Zhou Buqi said: "No, we have signed an exclusive contract."

"That's good." Bill Gates nodded and analyzed, "If you give one copy of the user guide as a gift, users will have a fresh sense of reading it. If you receive three or four similar gifts at once, it will be a good idea." If it becomes a burden on users, the effect will be greatly reduced.”

Zhou Buqi smiled and said: "It makes sense. It has been arranged. All project partners have exclusive cooperation terms. Including Apple."

"apple?"

Bill Gates was slightly stunned.

Zhou Buqi knew what he meant. He probably wanted to cooperate with the "Manual" project to promote Microsoft's products. He had to brag for a while, "Yes, Apple. Including Apple's official website sales and Apple retail stores. Every iPhone and Purple MSI’s App User Guide will be provided with every iPad sale.”

Bill Gates was shocked, "Achieved? Signed the contract?"

Zhou Buqi coughed and said, "We are still talking. There is a 90% chance that the talks can be concluded."

"how much longer?"

"The results should be available within this month."

Zhou Buqi keeps in touch with Zhou Shaoning every day. He is leading a team to contact Apple, which involves cooperation in all aspects, not only the business level, but also the strategic level.

Google is suppressing Asda and supporting Samsung. To some extent, Asda and Apple have a common interest base.

Bill Gates didn't know the inside story, but he knew that if the "Instructions" project cooperated with Apple, it would definitely be good news for Microsoft. This means that the promotion resources of the "manual manual" channel have been expanded to the iPhone side, which is equivalent to occupying half of the smartphone market.

The promotion effect is greatly increased!

Bill Gates became more and more interested, and then explained the main purpose of his visit. He said that Microsoft's newly developed Bing search had already launched a mobile app, but the promotion effect was not good.

I hope to cooperate with Ziweixing's "instructions".

This can be said to be the best app promotion resource for smartphones in the world today.

Zhou Buqi was a little embarrassed, "It's not very convenient..."

"I know, there is a fee."

Bill Gates smiled.

This kind of thing is very common in the business circle, and even more common in the technology circle. Technological innovation in the technology circle requires the protection of patents; an "exclusive cooperation agreement" is equivalent to a patent for commercial innovation to a certain extent.

Since it is a patent, of course you have to pay to use it.

Zhou Buqi pondered for a moment and said slowly: "That's right, there are three difficulties. First, the 'Manual' project is updated every three months, and the new version will be launched on December 1st. If Microsoft wants to participate, We have to wait until December.”

"certainly."

"Second point, there are more monks and less meat!"

"Ah?" Bill Gates was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding what this metaphor meant. "A lot of people? A little meat? Are you vegetarian?"

Zhou Buqixiao said awkwardly: "What I mean is that the 'instructions' cannot be made too complicated, otherwise it will make users unhappy. The advertising space is limited, but there are too many interested partners. It has been launched for more than a month now. The market effect is very good. As far as I know, more than 10 search companies are interested in cooperation."

Bill Gates waved his hand and said calmly, "That's not surprising, it's just bidding."

Zhou Buqi laughed and said, "Yes, it's bidding."

It's easy to talk to smart people.

"Instructions" resources are typically in short supply. It's only the end of September, and it's already gaining momentum around the world. Even Bill Gates has heard about it. One can imagine what kind of amazing market effect the "instructions" will have in the peak sales season of autumn.

If supply exceeds demand, prices will inevitably rise.

Then bid!

In November, the "Instruction Manual" project team was instructed to hold a bidding activity, and the highest bidder would win. Microsoft has a lot of money, and the most important thing it lacks is money.

"And the third point..." Zhou Buqi looked very embarrassed, "It's easy to talk about other projects. Bing and Google compete head-on. If you choose Bing instead of Google, I'm afraid... you know, in the past In recent years, Ziweixing and Google have maintained a very good cooperative relationship."

Bill Gates is serious and serious, "Business is business."

"That being said, there is no reason for Ziweixing to mess up its relationship with Google. Moreover, Ziweixing is still a shareholder of Google."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, I was the one who voted for YouTube back then."

"I've heard a lot about you, and I know you have an excellent investment vision." Bill Gates sincerely praised him, "I heard that the Aster mobile phone is also related to you?"

Zhou Buqi said: "Yes."

Bill Gates said: "Microsoft is also developing a mobile operating system. I think Microsoft can try to cooperate with Asda."

Zhou Buqi said calmly, "Aster is the most popular Android phone in the world. There is no need to change partners, right?"

"What do you want?"

Bill Gates understood it so well that he immediately heard that this guy was making conditions.

Zhou Buqi was not polite at all and sighed artificially, "Actually, I have always hoped that Ziweixing can develop long-term cooperation with Microsoft, especially the office series products."

"Office?"

"Ziweixing has developed an office product, Weishu... Of course, it is not competitive with the office series products. Weishu is a collaborative product. If office can provide a port for Weishu, office files can have Weishu The function of cloud storage and file sharing can make users more convenient."

"Yeah." Bill Gates nodded and pondered for a moment, "Push office products into Ziweiyun?"

Zhou Buqi clapped his hands, "Yes! What a great idea! Mutual benefit and win-win situation!"

This is truly mutually beneficial and win-win.

Although office products are relatively backward, they are still the largest irreplaceable office software in the world. Now, Microsoft has also launched Microsoft Cloud. If users want to use office products, they do not need to download or pay for installation. They can directly subscribe to office in the cloud and then use it.

Products can be configured and installed directly in the cloud.

Then, various office documents produced can be saved directly in the cloud, which is particularly convenient.

But now there is a small problem.

Microsoft's current CEO Ballmer is full of fighting ideas and is unwilling to license Microsoft's most important and core office products to competitors.

As a result, Office cloud products can only be used on Microsoft Cloud, and not other cloud computing platforms.

If Microsoft's office products can be deployed on the Ziwei Cloud platform, it will have a huge competitive advantage compared to its main competitor Amazon Cloud.

It is also good for Microsoft. Office products can be sold on Ziweiyun, which greatly increases a sales channel.

To put it simply, this is related to Microsoft's current strategic thinking, whether to use Microsoft's monopoly position to maintain high competitiveness, or to let itself go and cooperate with more businesses.

Even Bill Gates couldn't make a decision and could only make a fuss, "We'll think about it when we get back."

Zhou Buqi smiled and said, "Yes, think about it more... Well, if Microsoft is interested in naming Manchester United's training center and reserve team stadium, I think we can still have a very pleasant cooperation."