Microsoft Corporation's Hostile Take Over of Red Hat Linux

4242 Words9 Pages

Microsoft Corporation's Hostile Take Over of Red Hat Linux

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary 3

II. Current Marketing Situation 4

Industry Structure 4

Product/Product Line and Market position. 6

Major Customers and Market Segments Served. 6

Other Products/Product Lines. 7

III Opportunity and Issue Analysis 9

SWOT Analysis. 9

Competitors and Their Strengths and Weaknesses. 11

IV. Objectives 13

Sales Objectives 13

Profit Objectives 13

Customer Objectives 14

V. Marketing Strategy 14

Product Strategy 14

Pricing Strategy 14

Distribution Strategy 15

VI Promotional Strategy Action Programs 15

VII. Profit and Loss Statement 16

VIII Controls 16

IX. Conclusion 17

X. Bibliography: 18

I. Executive Summary

Microsoft, the leading manufacturer of personal computer software with its windows based operating systems and application software, has decided to expand its influence beyond windows into the Linux freeware operating system world. The means for entry into this rapidly growing segment of the server operating system market is through a takeover of the Red Hat Linux Company. Currently Microsoft Corporation now owns 51% of the stock for Red Hat Linux. This expansion directly into the Linux arena will provide Microsoft with the ability to attack competitors in the network server market with the Windows NT and Windows 2000 operating systems on one flank and with the extremely stable Linux operating system on the other flank. Microsoft expects to use this one-two punch to significantly gain market share in the server market and to shape the future of business LANs, WANs and the internet. Additionally, Microsoft expects to gain a controlling market share of the Linux office application suite wit...

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...group.com/itw/…=45!xrn_15_0_A55660337?sw_aep=unlv_main

Corporate Profile: Organizational Structure Overview. (11 March, 2000). Microsoft Corporation Website, http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/cpOrg.htm

Sun Microsystems web site. (11 March, 00). SunStore. Sunw.com. [Online] Available: http://store.sun.com/webconfig/BuildConfig.jhtml;$sessionid$1B5SMZQAAALCTAMTA5JCQCT5AAAACJ1K

Jaffe, Sam. (March 6, 2000). Will Linux Investors Be Left Out in the Cold? Business Week.

Clark, Lindsay. (August 26, 1999). Struggling with a potential eclips by Linux, Computer Weekly. [Online] Available: http://web2.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/…=45!xrn_15_0_A55660337?sw_aep=unlv_main

Red Hat to Acquire E-Commerce Software Provider Hell's Kitchen Systems, Inc. (January 5, 2000). Rhat.com [Online] Available: http://www.redhat.com/about/2000/press_HKS.html

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