A lot has been said about the enterprise focused approach Microsoft has taken these last couple of years, but CEO Satya Nadella insists that the company is still well and truly in the consumer market.
Only, its end user approach is completely different from its rivals.
Rivals like Apple and Google.
Basically, the technology Redmond is building these days is supposed to let consumers create, while Microsoft competitors are delivering products to consumers that are directly addressing their needs. There is a fine line, according to Nadella.
In an interview, the Microsoft CEO detailed this new strategy:
“Whenever we have done things that come naturally to us we’ve been successful. Even if it’s a consumer product it is a tool. I fell in love with Microsoft technology because of what it created. In a way, I don’t want to take away from whatever success Apple or Google are having.
We are very different companies. We are not some middleman in the marketplace. We are a tool creator, we are not a luxury good manufacturer. That’s not who we are. We are about creating technologies so that others can build.”
While true, there statement is partially true, in that Microsoft does create premium, luxury hardware.
The most powerful Surface Book 2 can be had upwards of $3,000, while a fully loaded Surface Studio currently sets buyers back $4,199. So, in a way, Redmond is in the luxury market, even if it is just a small selection of the markets Microsoft currently operates in.
Good approach overall, though.
