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The emerging paradigm of Marketplace Computing provides businesses with many opportunities. Profits, market share and emerging markets are all part of the paradigm but the first company that achieves standardisation of Marketplace Computing has the potential to achieve the holy grail of a total business monopoly.

The demise of once great software companies - who's next?

Through standardisation and integration, Microsoft has repeatedly shown how it can reduce once great software companies and their products to almost obscurity (Netscape, Novell, Lotus-123, WordPerfect, Visicalc). History tells us that Microsoft achieved all of this and more in less than 10 years.

With the introduction of and standardisation of Marketplace Computing, history is set to repeat itself (at a faster rate) and the next wave could see the likes of Oracle and Sun Microsystems reduced to being niche players. Will history repeat itself or will those companies threatened with the "next wave of obscurity" act in time?

Has Microsoft positioned itself for a total business monopoly?

Microsoft knows the importance of standardisation and integration and has successfully used this to achieve a monopoly in operating system and killer application at the desktop. This monopoly is being used to standardise enterprise computing, whilst simultaneously starting the process of standardising Marketplace Computing. From standardisation of Marketplace Computing comes the potential for a total business monopoly.

The latest trend in I.T. is the stifling of knowledge and collaboration.

Despite the changes in technology from mainframes, to personal computers, to the Internet, user frustration with I.T. and the I.T. industry is a continuing common thread. The latest and emerging area of user frustration is the stifling of knowledge and the demise of collaboration. Will this be the legacy of the I.T. industry to humanity or does the blame lie elsewhere?

Distributed-computing power is good but distributed data storage is a proven strategy for increasing hidden costs.

Advocates of distributed computing are keen to highlight the benefits of this solution and point to the shift from mainframes to PCs as the example. Increasing use of mobile devices and smart appliances are also seen as beneficial examples of distributed computing. Whilst few would question the benefits of distributed computer processing power, the use of distributed data storage however, is a proven path to increased hidden costs and increased duplication of effort.

Look no further than every day business activities. How often is information trapped on a PC where people can not access it? What is the effort wasted on reconciliation between disparate systems? How often are losses incurred because of the incorrect duplication or non availability of information? The challenge faced is to keep the benefits of distributed computing power, whilst consolidating data storage.

What does Microsoft have to fear?

Of all the software companies Microsoft stands alone. Microsoft does not fear the rest of the software industry because only Microsoft has repeatedly shown the required vision, resources and drive. Even if the rest of the software industry worked together as an alliance to provide an alternative to Microsoft, could they act in time to stop Microsoft from gaining a business monopoly in the emerging paradigm of Marketplace Computing?

Who is the liberty alliance challenging because it is not Microsoft?

Amongst others, Sun Microsystems often champions the need for an alternative to Microsoft and is championing the cause with Liberty Alliance. The Liberty Alliance is currently developing an open standards alternative to Microsoft's .Net software. Although the alliance is growing, it is seem that major players are missing from the alliance and that their combined resource pool is still less than that of Microsoft. More importantly however, is the question of "who is the alliance really challenging?"

Contrast the strategy of the Liberty Alliance with that of Microsoft. In addition to the .Net activities, Microsoft has developed a strategy to bring together business software in a set of common business applications to standardise marketplaces. Microsoft is already aligned with professional service providers to address the major issue of business integration and is also aligned with providers of computing hardware. Microsoft is also arranging for its operating system to appear on hand-held devices. Once Microsoft has aligned with telecommunication companies to ensure use of its software and delivery of service, what will be the future of the Liberty Alliance?

Who will control the emerging paradigm of Marketplace Computing?

The need for business to standardise their operations will drive the development of standardised marketplaces and standardised Marketplace Computing. Those controlling those marketplaces will be in a powerful situation but who will they be?

Content Providers: The Dot Coms showed that content is not king. Content follows applications and has a low unit cost of creation. Many providers can easily duplicate content.
Software Developers: Whilst applications take longer to build and cost more than content, software can be replicated by multiple vendors. Microsoft undoubtedly has an advantage but software alone is not the controlling key.
Hardware Providers: Hardware (servers and mobile devices) usually incurs a greater manufacturing and distribution than software but without the software they are just "dumb boxes". Multiple vendors can provide hardware.
Routers: Carrier grade VoiceOverIP (VOIP) networks can guarantee the delivery of financial information and will form the back bone of Marketplace Computing, i.e. the operating system for marketplace computing will ultimately run over VoiceOverIP layered on telecommunication networks. This not only makes Cisco a dominant player but a prime investment opportunity.
Telecommunication Networks: VoiceOverIP networks are transportable and cheaper to implement than telecommunication networks but VOIP reside on telecommunication networks. The cost of duplicating a telecommunication network is prohibitive and thus telecommunication companies could ultimately own and control marketplace computing.

Microsoft won the anti-trust but see what they all missed

In the antitrust case Microsoft not only escaped lightly at the desktop but the Internet was not really considered. Until the issue of standardisation is addressed, Microsoft will continue to use standardisation to gain market dominance until it has a dominance in marketplace computing.

The real legacy of IT and the IT industry

Users have tolerated poor service and have been made to feel inferior by the "god's in white coats" of the IT industry but wait to you see their real legacy. At what point will users stand up and business take control of IT Who is really to blame for the knowledge management legacy?

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