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Microsoft Wants to Buy 100 Web 2.0 Companies

blog.wired.com — If Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer is to be believed, then it's a good time to flip a startup. During his Q&A at the Web 2.0 Summit yesterday he made the ballsy claim that the company is prepared to purchase 20 companies a year, for the next five years.

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 20, 2007

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  • geminitojanus, on 10/28/2007, -6/+56"If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em."
    --Microsoft Business Handbook, 2007 "Premium" Edition, pg. 519-520
  • WiseWeasel, on 10/21/2007, -1/+45Hey, what a coincidence... I have a sudden urge to START 100 web 2.0 companies...
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -2/+24There is already a free OS and that hasn't ended MS.
  • thcobbs, on 10/21/2007, -1/+23I don't know about you, but I'm for sale to Microsoft! Hell, I'll only ask $1 Million.
  • ZenMojo, on 10/21/2007, -5/+24Monopoly ain't just a board game....
  • tnoy, on 10/21/2007, -1/+19The last time the industry was buzzing about google coming out with something like that, all we got was the Google Pack. Don't get your hopes up.
  • zeptobyte, on 10/21/2007, -2/+19Nothing new. It just lets you watch HD DVDs and play Chess Titans.
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -2/+14Sounds a lot like Google, actually.
  • akkibaba, on 10/21/2007, -2/+14What's that movie about that blob-like object that rolled around absorbing everything it saw? I think it was called "The object that rolled around absorbing stuff" , but I could be wrong.
  • SealandRes1, on 10/21/2007, -1/+13What does the "Ultimate" edition of the handbook say?
  • tnoy, on 10/21/2007, -2/+13Its cheaper to buy them, it is the smarter thing to do.
  • tizz66, on 10/23/2007, -1/+12That's how all companies work, that's what business is about. A lot of start ups start up simply to be bought out and make their fortune.

    If a start up really wanted the credit for their work, they wouldn't sell, simple as that.
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -3/+12Like Apple never bought anything. Coverflow anyone?
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -0/+8Had John Candy in it right?
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -0/+8again...sounds like Google.
  • ikoul, on 10/21/2007, -3/+11Google search is arguably the most popular search engine. YouTube is the most popular online video site. GMail is the best free webmail, even if it's not the most popular. Google Maps is a lot better than crappy MapQuest. In online advertising, they're hugely successful. In half the things they do, Google manages to have a better product than the competition.
  • monsterofNone, on 10/21/2007, -3/+10brain damage != ballsy.
    i'd pay good money to see him do a soft-shoe and bellow "SUPER DUPER!"
  • inactive, on 10/23/2007, -3/+101. Youtube was BOUGHT by Google...(Funny that you would bring that up in a thread where people are bashing Microsoft for havingto buy instead of create.)
    2. Gmail is the best to YOU. However, they have not made a DENT in any of hte other online e-mails. And that is what I am saying. Tehre is no reaoson to think that a Google OS would do anything.
    3. Google Maps (which again, they didn't create) is also not not the market leader. Not even close.
    4. Your lawst setnence is your opinion..and as such, compeltely worthless to every single other person on the planet except you.
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -2/+8That was just one example. Steve jobs himself said that Apple was all about copying other people.
  • davidrools, on 10/21/2007, -0/+6Google has pretty much taken down every other web advertising company - something that goes on a bit more behind the scenes than a move visible website. But, at the same time, they've spawned companies that do other things such as purchase keywords to show up on google searches that point to their clients' websites.
  • clayasaurus, on 10/21/2007, -1/+7katamari?
  • puzzud, on 10/21/2007, -1/+7If he does, I wonder how many people would still use Digg.
  • crzdmn, on 10/21/2007, -0/+6is it just me or is the guy in that picture ***** INSANE
  • NerveBand, on 10/21/2007, -1/+6Dugg just for the picture.
  • neko, on 10/21/2007, -0/+5It'd be cheaper for them to buy 200 Web 1.0 companies.
  • inactive, on 10/20/2007, -1/+6At no point did he say that companies were not going to have to meet OTHER criteria to be considered for purchase
  • eximius, on 10/21/2007, -11/+16i wonder if they feel they have missed the boat and now just need to spend like crazy to play catch up. Also let's not forget that google is rumored to come out with a free OS that might spell the end of Microsoft as we know it.
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -4/+9You sound just like all the other "lets bash vista" idiots who haven't actually used it!
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -2/+6Shhh, don't upset the cute little anti-MS bot. And whatever you do don't mention all the stuff that apple bought or copied simply because they couldn't do it themselves.
    Hell, what am I saying, they can't even build a good OS and so had to buy someone else's and make a cute GUI for it.
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -0/+4that is my point.
  • inactive, on 10/21/2007, -1/+5No it isn't. But you have no idea what a monopoly is.
    Seriously, when you play the board game Monopoly and you get, say, Kentucky Ave., do you consider yourself to have a Monopoly on the Red squares already?
  • totorototoro, on 10/21/2007, -3/+7Why not promise not to buy ANYTHING, unless its got real potential, rather than promise to buy 100 companies because they are "Web 2.0"?
  • crzdmn, on 10/21/2007, -0/+4Lets see I can see a .com monopoly game coming out soon...

    Chance Card: "Go directly to Microplace and pay them 2ce what you have!"
    Free Parking = "Google Zone"
    Community Chest: "Take a ride on the nearest Apple Product"
  • monsterofNone, on 10/21/2007, -3/+6the shark jumped, microsoft turns into a vacuum for bad ideas.
    watch as the stock begins to slope toward zero.
  • jellygraph, on 10/21/2007, -0/+3ms will only screw them up...
  • domains, on 10/20/2007, -1/+4They should buy Pligg, those guys have created some amazing stuff.
  • allaboutdatiki, on 10/21/2007, -6/+9Ballmer is ballsy no doubt, but 20 a year might be too slow.
  • saggygrandma, on 10/21/2007, -1/+4I don't think Kevin Rose would sell out to Microsoft.
  • tizz66, on 10/21/2007, -1/+4Wait wait wait. So there's such a thing as open source software. But when a company uses it, they get slammed for 'copying' it? Make up your mind.

    And something that might interest you - OSX isn't a copy of Unix, it IS unix. That's official as of Leopard.
  • jhshukla, on 10/21/2007, -0/+3that would be a good web 2.0 idea.
  • mrASSMAN, on 10/21/2007, -3/+6Digg.com will be one of the first to be bought.. if the price is good enough. But I'm guessing they'll have to battle Google and News Corp. for the ownership.
  • DarkDx, on 10/21/2007, -2/+5Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers
    That's 100 times.
  • inf1ni, on 10/21/2007, -0/+2Hopefully when they buy them they kill them off. Otherwise it will get pretty pathetic.

    Microsoft marketing + Web 2.0 = Web 2.0 XP 2007 Ultimate End-User Edition pre-release invite-only beta
  • PortableEmpire, on 10/20/2007, -0/+2Now Weasel I thought for sure you would want to double Microsofts goal of 100?
  • zombies187, on 10/21/2007, -0/+2Did you just take credit for the Guiness joke?
  • xtc46, on 10/20/2007, -0/+2you just need to start one. then make it sound awesome and sell for the low low price of 2-3 million
  • falafelkiosken, on 10/21/2007, -0/+2no he looks that way
  • gbreed, on 10/23/2007, -2/+4Has MS every had an original idea they didn't try or later brought.
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