DATE: 27 July 2010 (TUES)
TIME: 18.30 – 20.00 Hrs
LOCATION: E-012 Pinar 9 Building
Dear Friends,
The IE Finance Club together with IE Strategy Club is delighted to invite Mr. Emilio Navarro, with more than 35 years of experience in teaching and researching on management & consulting related topics, to share his experiences and insights on the challenges that have impacted, and will continue to affect, the current economic landscape.
The main issues that Mr. Navarro will cover during his speech at IE will be related to the roots and consequences of the global financial crisis with respect to UK, Germany, Spain and USA as well as ways the world will change after the crisis. More details related to the respective countries as shown below.
• UK: past and present of Northern Rock, Lloyds TSB, and HBOS.
• Germany: the current conditions of the financial system and the counter-measures that the government is introducing to strengthen the German financial system.
• Spain: the problems and measures that the current government is planning to introduce, with a particular focus to the problem affecting the Cajas.
The presentation will last approximately 1 hour, followed by 30 minutes Q&A session.
For registration please click here
Warmest regards,
Jun Hao LEONG
Director IE Finance Club
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Casa del Libro
1. What would be your decision? Would you stick to the previously developed Unix platform, or switch to the new Microsoft one?
My decision will be for the management team in casadellibro.com to convince Planeta group that keeping the current Unix platform and redesigning it would be a better decision than switching to the new Microsoft platform via cost-benefit analysis.
2. Which are the most relevant criteria for you to make the decision? Just name each criterion, and explain it very briefly.
In the order of priority, I will be analyzing the following four main factors, at the same time perform a cost-benefit analysis, before making a sound decision.
1. Adjusted Market Forecast – After the dot.com burst, one would have to re-evaluate the market trend in order to decide whether to switch to a new low cost Microsoft platform. If one evaluates that the market will continue to be in a bad shape in a long run (3-5 year horizon), then it would be wiser to switch to a lower cost platform. However, if one forecasts that the internet market would rebound to the 70-80 percent level prior to the dot.com burst within the horizon of 2 years, it might be better to stick to the current system and possibly even consider selling off 2 of the servers. I will lean towards the latter.
2. Key drivers behind this line of business (content management, E-commence and search engine) – The key to success in an online business is to be able to manage content easily so as to create a user-friendly platform for customers to search and make purchases. Adopting the Microsoft platform will lose this competitive advantage as compared to the Unix platform, which in turn lead to unsatisfied customers. Customer satisfaction is extremely critical for a company at its infant stage.
3. Stability & Security – Unix tend to be more stable than Windows. Also, Unix has more security features and is less prone to hackers as compared to Windows. This is important because the last thing a customer would want to face is for his/her bank account password to be hack.
4. Cost – Bearing in mind that the cost incurred for the current system is a sunk cost as well as the additional cost required to purchase the Microsoft platform, the cost saving derived from the low maintenance of the Microsoft platform might possibly require a long period of time to break even. This is of course on the assumption that there would not be any additional upgrade cost incurred by the Microsoft platform in the near future, if not sticking to the current higher end platform might be more cost efficient. However, we see from point 1 that this assumption is not likely to hold true.
In conclusion, saving cost is indeed important, but one must not neglect other more important factors that will directly undermine the existence of the business. And clearly we see Unix as the preferred choice.
My decision will be for the management team in casadellibro.com to convince Planeta group that keeping the current Unix platform and redesigning it would be a better decision than switching to the new Microsoft platform via cost-benefit analysis.
2. Which are the most relevant criteria for you to make the decision? Just name each criterion, and explain it very briefly.
In the order of priority, I will be analyzing the following four main factors, at the same time perform a cost-benefit analysis, before making a sound decision.
1. Adjusted Market Forecast – After the dot.com burst, one would have to re-evaluate the market trend in order to decide whether to switch to a new low cost Microsoft platform. If one evaluates that the market will continue to be in a bad shape in a long run (3-5 year horizon), then it would be wiser to switch to a lower cost platform. However, if one forecasts that the internet market would rebound to the 70-80 percent level prior to the dot.com burst within the horizon of 2 years, it might be better to stick to the current system and possibly even consider selling off 2 of the servers. I will lean towards the latter.
2. Key drivers behind this line of business (content management, E-commence and search engine) – The key to success in an online business is to be able to manage content easily so as to create a user-friendly platform for customers to search and make purchases. Adopting the Microsoft platform will lose this competitive advantage as compared to the Unix platform, which in turn lead to unsatisfied customers. Customer satisfaction is extremely critical for a company at its infant stage.
3. Stability & Security – Unix tend to be more stable than Windows. Also, Unix has more security features and is less prone to hackers as compared to Windows. This is important because the last thing a customer would want to face is for his/her bank account password to be hack.
4. Cost – Bearing in mind that the cost incurred for the current system is a sunk cost as well as the additional cost required to purchase the Microsoft platform, the cost saving derived from the low maintenance of the Microsoft platform might possibly require a long period of time to break even. This is of course on the assumption that there would not be any additional upgrade cost incurred by the Microsoft platform in the near future, if not sticking to the current higher end platform might be more cost efficient. However, we see from point 1 that this assumption is not likely to hold true.
In conclusion, saving cost is indeed important, but one must not neglect other more important factors that will directly undermine the existence of the business. And clearly we see Unix as the preferred choice.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tesco – Do they enjoy an Information Technology (IT) - generated competitive advantage? Where does it come from?
Tesco has definitely used IT to gain competitive advantage over its competitors as shown from the following strategies.
____________________________________________________________
Strategy #1: Improving Business Process
Through the implementation of RFID and its own partial ERP system based on the technologies of Oracle, Tesco was able to differentiate itself from its competitors while improving its supply chain process.
Role of IT: Enhance Efficiency
This improved the efficiency in placing, retrieving and monitoring inventories in its warehouses which saved time and storage space.
Outcome: To reduce the cost of doing business
The enhanced efficiency directly translate to cost savings for Tesco and also increased customer satisfaction through products availability.
____________________________________________________________
Strategy #2: Build a Strategic IT Platform
In 1996, Tesco brought its retail shopping online through the launch of Tesco Direct Service. Additionally, Tesco introduced other online services that allowed its consumers to compare products prices with its competitors, trade shares, interact with other consumers, with an aim to provide a positive and personalized online shopping experience. Furthermore, we see Tesco acquiring 35% stake in Groceryworks.com so as to venture in the US e-grocery market.
Role of IT: New Business Opportunities
Tesco was able to leverage on the online platform as a means to tap into new business opportunities not only in UK, but globally.
Outcome: Create To create new avenue of sales
Tesco Direct Service captured more than 50% of the UK e-grocery market and by 2001, it was the number one e-grocer in UK. Its online platforms thus created new avenue of sales for Tesco.
____________________________________________________________
Strategy #3: Build a Strategic Customer Information Data Base
Through the use of NCR Teradata warehouse, Tesco was able build a data base through the information collected via the Clubcard and to provide a 360 view of its customers.
Role of IT: To provide quality and value to customers
Essentially, the Teradata warehouse allowed Tesco to understand its customers shopping habits and needs, and to subsequently provide what the customers truly n need and value.
Outcome: Maintain Valuable Customer Relationships
By targeting customers’ genuine needs and wants, Tesco was able to increase sales as well as established customers’ satisfaction, which was one of the most important factors in every business.
____________________________________________________________
In conclusion, it is through providing innovative IT services, differentiating itself, that create a competitive advantage for Tesco - the largest retailer in UK, and third in the world.
"At Tesco, technology is right at the heart of our business - helping to improve the shopping experiences for all our customers." - From Tesco.com
____________________________________________________________
Strategy #1: Improving Business Process
Through the implementation of RFID and its own partial ERP system based on the technologies of Oracle, Tesco was able to differentiate itself from its competitors while improving its supply chain process.
Role of IT: Enhance Efficiency
This improved the efficiency in placing, retrieving and monitoring inventories in its warehouses which saved time and storage space.
Outcome: To reduce the cost of doing business
The enhanced efficiency directly translate to cost savings for Tesco and also increased customer satisfaction through products availability.
____________________________________________________________
Strategy #2: Build a Strategic IT Platform
In 1996, Tesco brought its retail shopping online through the launch of Tesco Direct Service. Additionally, Tesco introduced other online services that allowed its consumers to compare products prices with its competitors, trade shares, interact with other consumers, with an aim to provide a positive and personalized online shopping experience. Furthermore, we see Tesco acquiring 35% stake in Groceryworks.com so as to venture in the US e-grocery market.
Role of IT: New Business Opportunities
Tesco was able to leverage on the online platform as a means to tap into new business opportunities not only in UK, but globally.
Outcome: Create To create new avenue of sales
Tesco Direct Service captured more than 50% of the UK e-grocery market and by 2001, it was the number one e-grocer in UK. Its online platforms thus created new avenue of sales for Tesco.
____________________________________________________________
Strategy #3: Build a Strategic Customer Information Data Base
Through the use of NCR Teradata warehouse, Tesco was able build a data base through the information collected via the Clubcard and to provide a 360 view of its customers.
Role of IT: To provide quality and value to customers
Essentially, the Teradata warehouse allowed Tesco to understand its customers shopping habits and needs, and to subsequently provide what the customers truly n need and value.
Outcome: Maintain Valuable Customer Relationships
By targeting customers’ genuine needs and wants, Tesco was able to increase sales as well as established customers’ satisfaction, which was one of the most important factors in every business.
____________________________________________________________
In conclusion, it is through providing innovative IT services, differentiating itself, that create a competitive advantage for Tesco - the largest retailer in UK, and third in the world.
"At Tesco, technology is right at the heart of our business - helping to improve the shopping experiences for all our customers." - From Tesco.com
Monday, June 14, 2010
Should companies adapt to ERPs, or the other way around?
Ideally, all companies would want ERPs to adapt to them so as to achieve the full potential of business benefits of the system via customization, which allow them to differ from standard industry practice, thus providing them with a competitive advantage.
However, customization (1 of 3 segments of the ERP system) comes with a price and requires time in the implementation of the system. Furthermore, Customization of the ERP software is limited which led to difficulties in adapting to new business processes. Also, ERPs are often seen as too rigid and difficult to adapt to the specific work flow and business process of some companies. Thus, we see that most companies in general adopting 2 of 3 segments of ERP namely, configuration (original system) and modification (slight deviation from the original system which does not require a huge amount of cost).
To be able to answer the question of "Should companies adapt to ERPs, or the other way around?" One would really have to come from the view point of cost-benefit analysis. Generally, small-medium enterprises lack the fund to introduce customization and even if they do, they are not able to generate as much revenue as large companies do, thus not being able to rip the full potential of the system. In such scenario, these small-medium enterprises would be better off either abandoning their ERP system or sticking to the original system. Thus, it is usually the large companies which have the deep pockets to introduce customization.
In conclusion, if the benefit of customization outweighs the cost (ie. sustainable competitive advantage), companies should ensure that the ERP system adapt to them and not them adapting to the ERP system.
However, customization (1 of 3 segments of the ERP system) comes with a price and requires time in the implementation of the system. Furthermore, Customization of the ERP software is limited which led to difficulties in adapting to new business processes. Also, ERPs are often seen as too rigid and difficult to adapt to the specific work flow and business process of some companies. Thus, we see that most companies in general adopting 2 of 3 segments of ERP namely, configuration (original system) and modification (slight deviation from the original system which does not require a huge amount of cost).
To be able to answer the question of "Should companies adapt to ERPs, or the other way around?" One would really have to come from the view point of cost-benefit analysis. Generally, small-medium enterprises lack the fund to introduce customization and even if they do, they are not able to generate as much revenue as large companies do, thus not being able to rip the full potential of the system. In such scenario, these small-medium enterprises would be better off either abandoning their ERP system or sticking to the original system. Thus, it is usually the large companies which have the deep pockets to introduce customization.
In conclusion, if the benefit of customization outweighs the cost (ie. sustainable competitive advantage), companies should ensure that the ERP system adapt to them and not them adapting to the ERP system.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Dell Hell
On 21 June 2005, Jeff Javis posted a blog stating that Dell’s machine is a lemon and their service is a lie which further progressed into a collective blogging which led to a devastating impact on Dell. Dell at that point of time did not realize the power of blogs as they were not widely used and thought that they could address issues at their convenience. In this blog, we will analyze what went wrong and how Dell should have responded to this crisis.
Prior to the Dell Hell saga, Dell was expanding aggressively and was involved in cost cutting through outsourcing various stages of its value chain at the expense of customer satisfaction. The entire underlying issue was therefore the failure of Dell’s customer support services and its inferior product quality as shown below:
1. Speed --> The response time in answering customers issues and delivery of products was extremely slow and inefficient
2. Off-shoring --> Customers were encountering languages difficulty towards the technical support services relocation to India and other countries from US and UK
3. Blunders --> Incorrect delivery details and loss of items
4. Technical Incompetence --> Dell’s technical support team were not proficient in solving technical issues
5. Inferior products --> Due to cost cutting, products were outsourced without sufficient quality control which led to defected goods
All these issues could have been easily resolved if Dell had placed more emphasis in customer support services and had enforced quality control on its products. To be more specific, Dell could have expanded the capacity of its customer services support to decrease the response time and demand standards from the distribution companies which Dell had outsourced to if not seek for liquidated damages if these companies were unable to uphold the standards. Furthermore, Dell could have provided language training for its customer services officers who were not proficient in English. Dell should also had recruited better engineers and provide training to ensure technical competency of its technical support team. All this can be solved by investing the right amount of money. Clearly, the management do not see these issues as their main priorities. They were just focusing on cutting cost and couldn’t care less about the rest. This might also be one of the main reasons why Michael Dell was asked to resume CEO role after being out of the company for 2 years.
Now, moving into what happened after the introduction of Dell Hell, we identify some outstanding issues or concerns which blew up the situation and led to the downfall of Dell.
1. Not tracking and responding to critical issues not only on the blogs but on the internet
2. Not being honest in admitting their faults --> pushing the blames to others (eg. It was the distributors’ fault in delivering the product slow or to the wrong address)
3. Misconception of the sellers being in control rather than the buyers --> not putting sufficient emphasis in listening to the customers
4. Not having sufficient channels for customers to voice their concerns
5. Inactive in engaging its customers to find out their problems
Thus, we see that if Dell had been more honest, admitted its mistakes, and resolved the issues promptly as in response to Jeff Javis’s blog. But before solving the issues, Dell should first find means to track customers concerns efficiently, and the most effective and efficient manner is to provide more channels for customers to voice their concerns. In the model context, we see companies using various online platforms such as Facebook, Skype, Blogs etc in communicating with their customers in receiving feedbacks.
On the positive note, Dell did tried to tackle the about issues by taking the initiative of investing $150m in their customer service operations in improving it. Furthermore, the launch of Dell’s official customer services blog coupled social media site IdeaStorm also helped lesser the impact.
In conclusion, we learned the power of internet and more importantly, never take customers inputs lightly. It is very difficult to rebuild a reputation but destroying it is extremely simple. Word of mouth is a very power tool or element in a business and one would want it to go the negative way as shown in Dell Hell.
Prior to the Dell Hell saga, Dell was expanding aggressively and was involved in cost cutting through outsourcing various stages of its value chain at the expense of customer satisfaction. The entire underlying issue was therefore the failure of Dell’s customer support services and its inferior product quality as shown below:
1. Speed --> The response time in answering customers issues and delivery of products was extremely slow and inefficient
2. Off-shoring --> Customers were encountering languages difficulty towards the technical support services relocation to India and other countries from US and UK
3. Blunders --> Incorrect delivery details and loss of items
4. Technical Incompetence --> Dell’s technical support team were not proficient in solving technical issues
5. Inferior products --> Due to cost cutting, products were outsourced without sufficient quality control which led to defected goods
All these issues could have been easily resolved if Dell had placed more emphasis in customer support services and had enforced quality control on its products. To be more specific, Dell could have expanded the capacity of its customer services support to decrease the response time and demand standards from the distribution companies which Dell had outsourced to if not seek for liquidated damages if these companies were unable to uphold the standards. Furthermore, Dell could have provided language training for its customer services officers who were not proficient in English. Dell should also had recruited better engineers and provide training to ensure technical competency of its technical support team. All this can be solved by investing the right amount of money. Clearly, the management do not see these issues as their main priorities. They were just focusing on cutting cost and couldn’t care less about the rest. This might also be one of the main reasons why Michael Dell was asked to resume CEO role after being out of the company for 2 years.
Now, moving into what happened after the introduction of Dell Hell, we identify some outstanding issues or concerns which blew up the situation and led to the downfall of Dell.
1. Not tracking and responding to critical issues not only on the blogs but on the internet
2. Not being honest in admitting their faults --> pushing the blames to others (eg. It was the distributors’ fault in delivering the product slow or to the wrong address)
3. Misconception of the sellers being in control rather than the buyers --> not putting sufficient emphasis in listening to the customers
4. Not having sufficient channels for customers to voice their concerns
5. Inactive in engaging its customers to find out their problems
Thus, we see that if Dell had been more honest, admitted its mistakes, and resolved the issues promptly as in response to Jeff Javis’s blog. But before solving the issues, Dell should first find means to track customers concerns efficiently, and the most effective and efficient manner is to provide more channels for customers to voice their concerns. In the model context, we see companies using various online platforms such as Facebook, Skype, Blogs etc in communicating with their customers in receiving feedbacks.
On the positive note, Dell did tried to tackle the about issues by taking the initiative of investing $150m in their customer service operations in improving it. Furthermore, the launch of Dell’s official customer services blog coupled social media site IdeaStorm also helped lesser the impact.
In conclusion, we learned the power of internet and more importantly, never take customers inputs lightly. It is very difficult to rebuild a reputation but destroying it is extremely simple. Word of mouth is a very power tool or element in a business and one would want it to go the negative way as shown in Dell Hell.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Facebook | The Winner of Social Networks
FACEBOOK is a social networking website founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his college friends in February 2004. The real customers of Facebook are enterprises who advertise on Facebook. Thus the more users there are (currently Facebook has about 500million and an estimate of 630million users by 2011), the more amount of traffic and useful information the site generate, and the more valuable will Facebook be.
Here we will be analyzing two key subjects related to Facebook and how they would possibly evolve in the near future.
TOP ON THE LIST – PRIVACY & SECURITY
Since launched, Facebook has been subjected to mostly privacy and security issues until this very day with the most recent case related to the launch of “Instant Personalization”.
More importantly, in trying to achieve their business model, Facebook tries to “open up” so as to attract more companies into the Facebook advertising world. On the other side, Facebook users are complaining about the issue of privacy. The outcome of dissatisfied users might lead to the following outcomes; (1) Reduction in the sharing of data and interaction (2) Falsification of data (3) Reduction in the clicking of Ads (4) ABANDON FACEBOOK
Hopefully Zuckerberg is not really in a denial as mentioned by him in a recent press. Facebook should really look into this privacy issue, maybe making it easy for people to opt out of unwanted applications, before more Google employees deactivating their Facebook accounts.
SECOND ON THE LIST – SOCIAL NETWORKING PLATFORM TO CONQUERING THE WEB?
Facebook is definitely the most successful and popular social networks in this era. The introduction of “Open Graph” which consists of the following three products, social plugins, open graph protocol and open graph API, allowed us not just to connect to friends on Facebook, but to numerous things all over the web.
Zuckerberg explained on the Facebook Blog: “we are making it so all websites can work together to build a more comprehensive map of connections and create better, more social experiences for everyone. We have redesigned Facebook Platform to offer a simple set of tools that sites around the web can use to personalize experiences and build out the graph of connections people are making.”
It is evident that Facebook is moving towards web domination and these new features had already created privacy concerns from the public. From my opinion, it is a huge gamble; a make it or break it situation. Zuckerberg is definitely pushing the traditional social network to new heights but whether it will be successful really depends on the receptiveness of the consumers. On the other hand, Facebook should also look into its potential competitor, Google perhaps, and consider possible actions and reactions when expanding its boundaries.
CONCLUSION
We would be seeing more bold initiatives coming in the near future if the current introduction of “Open Graph” turns out to receptive from the users. If all is smooth for the next 2 years, Facebook should be capable of creating a semantic web in a longer run.
Here we will be analyzing two key subjects related to Facebook and how they would possibly evolve in the near future.
TOP ON THE LIST – PRIVACY & SECURITY
Since launched, Facebook has been subjected to mostly privacy and security issues until this very day with the most recent case related to the launch of “Instant Personalization”.
More importantly, in trying to achieve their business model, Facebook tries to “open up” so as to attract more companies into the Facebook advertising world. On the other side, Facebook users are complaining about the issue of privacy. The outcome of dissatisfied users might lead to the following outcomes; (1) Reduction in the sharing of data and interaction (2) Falsification of data (3) Reduction in the clicking of Ads (4) ABANDON FACEBOOK
Hopefully Zuckerberg is not really in a denial as mentioned by him in a recent press. Facebook should really look into this privacy issue, maybe making it easy for people to opt out of unwanted applications, before more Google employees deactivating their Facebook accounts.
SECOND ON THE LIST – SOCIAL NETWORKING PLATFORM TO CONQUERING THE WEB?
Facebook is definitely the most successful and popular social networks in this era. The introduction of “Open Graph” which consists of the following three products, social plugins, open graph protocol and open graph API, allowed us not just to connect to friends on Facebook, but to numerous things all over the web.
Zuckerberg explained on the Facebook Blog: “we are making it so all websites can work together to build a more comprehensive map of connections and create better, more social experiences for everyone. We have redesigned Facebook Platform to offer a simple set of tools that sites around the web can use to personalize experiences and build out the graph of connections people are making.”
It is evident that Facebook is moving towards web domination and these new features had already created privacy concerns from the public. From my opinion, it is a huge gamble; a make it or break it situation. Zuckerberg is definitely pushing the traditional social network to new heights but whether it will be successful really depends on the receptiveness of the consumers. On the other hand, Facebook should also look into its potential competitor, Google perhaps, and consider possible actions and reactions when expanding its boundaries.
CONCLUSION
We would be seeing more bold initiatives coming in the near future if the current introduction of “Open Graph” turns out to receptive from the users. If all is smooth for the next 2 years, Facebook should be capable of creating a semantic web in a longer run.
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Future of Information Systems | Perspective from a Vice President in Microsoft
While speaking to a Vice President of Microsoft in Brussels recently, it was evident that Cloud Computing is the direction for Microsoft in the future. Without going into the details of SaaS, PaaS, IaaS and HaaS, cloud technology simply is a technology that was long introduced during the formation of gmail, ymail etc. Cloud today and in the future is to have a data base center where enterprises and individuals are able scale up or scale up operations on the computers so as to have the flexibility and efficiency of not owing softwares on computers and hardwares such as large data centers.
Microsoft, who is currently market leader in cloud computing, see cloud technology as the solution to Europe's aging population, as cloud targeting at enterprises would effectively reduce capital expenditure and operating cost as well as decrease employment, and this effectively reduce the impact of the aging population.
Currently, Microsoft has 2 data centers supporting the Europe and 5 data centers for US for cloud technology. Furthermore, Microsoft demonstrated the flexilibility of cloud with open source application through the integration Linux and Microsoft OS for one of events organized by IonEARTH, a global race positioning company. Companies like Domingo Pizza and Starbucks, also purchased "on-demand" services from Microsoft during certain unique peak periods. In essence, Microsoft is selling the 'time' required to used their specific services as such data space, bandwidth, application linkages etc. and companies are able to customize what they require.
The main issues which are hindering the advancement of cloud is security and legal. This explains why Microsoft's clients at the moment comes from the manufacturing companies and Small-Medium Enterprise (SMEs)where information is less sensitive. Microsoft's aim to move into the Banking and Financial Institutes and eventually to the government organizations where secrecy is of utmost importance. Currently Google, AOL, Amazon are Microsoft's main competitors in cloud technology and it will be interesting who would emerged as the market leader in time to come.
Microsoft, who is currently market leader in cloud computing, see cloud technology as the solution to Europe's aging population, as cloud targeting at enterprises would effectively reduce capital expenditure and operating cost as well as decrease employment, and this effectively reduce the impact of the aging population.
Currently, Microsoft has 2 data centers supporting the Europe and 5 data centers for US for cloud technology. Furthermore, Microsoft demonstrated the flexilibility of cloud with open source application through the integration Linux and Microsoft OS for one of events organized by IonEARTH, a global race positioning company. Companies like Domingo Pizza and Starbucks, also purchased "on-demand" services from Microsoft during certain unique peak periods. In essence, Microsoft is selling the 'time' required to used their specific services as such data space, bandwidth, application linkages etc. and companies are able to customize what they require.
The main issues which are hindering the advancement of cloud is security and legal. This explains why Microsoft's clients at the moment comes from the manufacturing companies and Small-Medium Enterprise (SMEs)where information is less sensitive. Microsoft's aim to move into the Banking and Financial Institutes and eventually to the government organizations where secrecy is of utmost importance. Currently Google, AOL, Amazon are Microsoft's main competitors in cloud technology and it will be interesting who would emerged as the market leader in time to come.
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