So the question that keeps getting asked across the blogosphere is why oh why is Microsoft spending nearly 500 million bucks to clean up Vista’s image in a multichannel ad campaign. After a year and a half Windows adoption rates are mind numbingly low! The fact is that no ad campaign can overcome a bad product. It’s actually becoming painful to watch, even for me. Even worse, a recent article details a finding by HP indicating that Microsloth is counting sales of XP based machines as Vista sales. That’s an astounding manipulation but not unexpected from the likes of Redmond.
In another article featured in Computerworld today Forrester research found that Windows Vista has seen incredibly poor adoption rates in it’s core business verticals. Only 8.8% of Enterprise based PC’s were running Vista. Those PC’s, for the most part, were upgraded from even older versions of Windoze, such as Windows 2000 or ‘98.
“Vista is ‘new Coke,’” Thomas Mendel of Forrester wrote, comparing Microsoft’s flagship operating system to the ill-fated soft drink. Enterprises still on the fence about Vista would be wise, he said, to “consider following the lead of Microsoft’s important partner Intel and re-evaluating the case of Vista.”
Mendel’s comments undercut the momentum for Vista claimed by Microsoft, which says it has sold 180 million licenses for its 18-month-old operating system to PC makers and end users.
They really should focus their efforts on building a better product instead of spending a bundle goldplating a turd.
dmihalovic @ August 1, 2008
Good happy morning. Today Rosetta finally announced their acquisition of Brulant, an Ohio based Interactive firm. This is a significant announcement:
“Significantly expanding its industry presence, interactive agency Rosetta Marketing today is expected to announce the acquisition of companion agency Brulant.
“We are creating one of the nation’s biggest interactive agencies which will allow us to grow current relationships and build new ones quite dramatically,” said Chris Kuenne, Rosetta’s founder, chairman and CEO. “The interactive marketing landscape is rapidly shifting from mass to personalized targeting and from fuzzy equity measures to precisely measured, managed and optimized customer relationship economics.” Founded in 1998, Rosetta’s client list includes Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, Allergan, Shire, HSBC and Microsoft. The firm’s 2007 revenue totaled $50 million. The company’s combined revenues are expected to total $130 million this year, according to Kuenne. In addition, Brulant adds 370 employees to Rosetta’s existing stable of some 230 employees. “We were determined to be one of the top interactive agencies in the U.S.,” said Len Pagon, Brulant’s founder and CEO. “Combining our technology-infused solutions with Rosetta’s personality-based segmentation and personalized marketing expertise ensures that will happen.” Clients of the Cleveland-based Brulant include Borders, Coach, Nationwide, Citizens Bank, National City Bank, Marriott and Scholastic, among others. Rosetta and Brulant are expected to consolidate under the Rosetta brand after a short transition period. Pagon will remain vice chairman of growth initiatives for Rosetta. The acquisition will add offices in Cleveland, Chicago, and Boston to Rosetta’s current locations in Princeton, N.J., New York and Denver”
As a member of the Rosetta team I personally am happy that the increased technical capabilities are being added to our core marketing bench strength. As the two firms grow more closely together we should see some significant industry impact.
I will follow up with a little more color on the acquisition in a follow-up post!
dmihalovic @ July 24, 2008
We’ve been off an on for a couple of months. We’ll be kicking into high gear again shortly.
dmihalovic @ July 23, 2008
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dmihalovic @ July 5, 2008
