Question

Please provide a timeline for Microsoft for a market development strategy

Short Term Timeline
1-4 months
4-8 months
8-10 months
10-12 months
Long Term Timeline
1-2 years
2-3 years
3-5 years

Answer 1

MRKET DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY of Microsoft

1. For One to Four months : After established the microsoft in 1977. The basic programs was being used in many computers in 1977. In just 1-4 months it Introduced a Version of FORTRAN language for Microcomputers.

2. For 4-8 months: In 1978 , Microsoft introduced COBOL , by which Microsoft emerged as a Market Leader in microcomputers with selling exceeding $1million and earned from selling BASIC program with $2.5 millions.

3.For 8- 10 months: Early months of microsoft, all product development activities were done at one sites. They work on development schedules, mainly product status report .Each software product has project status report.had a standard format and become the communication channel.

4. For 10- 12 month: Program review Meeting for each project every three months or so.The project team sent one or two representative from each functional area, like prorram management, software development, software testing, product development etc.

For long Term Strategy:

1-2 years: Gates Convinced IBM to use a new operating system for its new product . IBM agreed and Microsoft bought Q- DOS, for quick and Dirty operating System from seattle prgramer and renamed it as Microsoft disk operating System(MS DOS).by 1981 IBM finally accept the MS DOS and makes it official operating system of PC. Microsoft had retained the licensing rights for the system to make the software and By 1983 500000 copies of MS DOS has been sold of which IBM bought 400000.

2-3 years: Microsoft developed the trial and error method for the otimum organisational structure for product development. it created the END USER GROUP to develop applicaion program. over these years it overcome the problem of lack of focus in product and relatively poor mechanism for quality and project Management.

3- 5 years: in 1984 it , seperate the software and testing froups from the development teamsit emphasis on the R&D activities for the constant improvement. Huge profit from the selling of BASICS, MS DOS, Windows earned enough revenue, which ploughed back into R & D .