Recently I have heard several clients indicate that someone in senior management in the company is “anti-Microsoft”. This always baffles me, because I do not think they really understand what they are saying.
Microsoft has completely entrenched itself in the international business community in the last few decades. Whether it’s Outlook, SharePoint, CRM (now Dynamics 365), ERP systems, or just Word, I challenge you to find a medium-large sized business that’s not using Microsoft tools. Sorry Google, but there are not a lot of Fortune 500 companies out there using Google Docs and Spreadsheets to run their business. Even those that use Gmail usually run it through the Outlook interface.
Microsoft is the gold standard for business applications, so when people say they are anti-Microsoft, they are (I believe) really indicating that they are anti-PC.
Differences in Devices
People feel very strongly about their devices. If you are an avid iPhone user and live with an Android person (and I’m speaking from experience here) you know what I am talking about. The interface, the look and feel of the device, etc. are all things that people form opinions toward early on.
And, honestly, I can understand being anti-PC; for people in graphic design, CAD, or marketing, a Mac just works better for what they need to accomplish. Personally, I couldn’t work on a Mac all day. However, even though KTL is a full-fledged Microsoft Business Partner, we have several people that work solely on Macs!
The Power of Microsoft Software
Here’s the truth, though: you cannot run a business and not utilize a Microsoft tool. It just can’t happen. At one point you will need business email, office tools, document storage, ERP, a cloud based CRM, etc. One of those things will be a Microsoft tool!
Microsoft Software Has the Edge
Of course, there are competitors out there. For instance, SalesForce is Microsoft’s biggest competition in the CRM space. SalesForce has a few features over Microsoft, and a large user base. However, no one is more customer-centric than Microsoft. SalesForce and Oracle are known for putting customers in contracts with low rates and then jacking them up at renewal time, by which point they are so invested in the solution that they cannot easily migrate to something else.
Contrast that with Microsoft: the price you see is the price you pay, and you have a large network of partners to help you find the right solution for you. There are a limited number of SalesForce/Oracle partners, and that number is shrinking.
Stop and Think
So, the next time you go to say you are Anti-Microsoft, think about a few things.
- Do you really just hate your PC? If so, you need to look at the new Surface.
- When was the last time a Google, Oracle, or AWS partner reached out to you to learn about your business and work with you one on one?
- Think about every Microsoft tool you touch in a day, and then picture how your day would be impacted if you did not use any of them.
Want to learn more about Microsoft – including how their powerful tools can drastically improve the way your business functions? Get in touch with us. At the end of the day, I’m pretty sure you’ll come to the same conclusion: it’s pretty hard to be anti-Microsoft.
