Focus on Search

Google's announcement overnight that it intends to take on Microsoft in the OS market, comes as no real surprise. It was interesting to note that Microsoft's share price stood steady.

One might expect Steve Ballmer to become defensive and invest more heavily in Windows 7.0 development. That would be a mistake. Bing is already beginning to make an impression on Google's search numbers in the States. And with FAST Search being integrated into SharePoint and no doubt further Microsoft apps in the future, this is where I believe the battle lines are really drawn.

My own take is that Microsoft has finally begun to work to a search roadmap that will lead to positive results. Acquiring search market share back from Google is now therefore back in Microsoft's own hands. Deploying significant resource in Google's own backyard might just be the strategy to offset last night's news from Mountain View.