Steve Ballmer - List of top nine Microsoft growth picks

Steve Ballmer’s list of top nine Microsoft growth picks

February 15th, 2007, Posted at ZDNet Blogs by Mary Jo Foley

Summary:

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has recently come up with a list of the nine "opportunities" where he believes Microsoft can sustain a half billion or more in new margin growth over the next three years.

Ballmer's guaranteed nine growth spots:
1. Windows client revenues from OEMs (PC makers and system builders)
2. "Desktop value" revenues derived from corporations.
3. Server revenues — Windows Server, database, security products.
4. "Mature desktops" — i.e., add-on revenues in corporations where there's already some penetration of Windows and Office.

5. Emerging market savings — from initiatives such as anti-piracy crackdown campaigns/mechanisms
6. Advertising — especially via adCenter, Microsoft's online ad system.
7. Xbox, particularly Xbox Live.
8. Sales of Office to small businesses and consumers
9. Windows Mobile operating system sales to cell-phone and PDA makers

Ballmer also shared another list of six additional opportunities:
1. Savings from cutting piracy outside major corporations.
2. Office Live
3. Business services such as the Exchange/Office Communications Server hosting.
4. Zune MP3 player and attached hardware/software/services.
5. TV, particularly IPTV
6. Healthcare.

See the full blog entry at this ZD Net blog by Mary Jo