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Group 4 complete case study on microsoft g smith v patel_j vogelbacher
- 1. Microsoft Vinay Patel Gwen Smith Jamie Vogelbacher
- 2. Overview Company background Microsoft’s current issues Possible solutions Real World Case 3 Recommended solutions References
- 3. Company Background Microsoft Corporation is more than the largest software company in the world. It is a market leader in the computer industry expanding from the operating systems. . Led by Bill Gates, the world's wealthiest individual and most famous businessman Became known for their first MS-DOS operating system-latest one being Windows 7 Windows is one of the most used operating systems in the world
- 9. Microsoft’s current issues Windows Phone 7 Software update failures Technical glitches Smartphone’s affected Corrupted hardware drivers
- 10. Possible Solutions Internet Connection Smaller Updates Storage Space
- 15. References Nagy, A. (2011). Samsung Windows Phone 7 pre-nodo update issues continue? Retrieved March 14, 2011. http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/samsung-wp7-pre-nodo-update-issues-continue O’Brien, J., & Marakas, G. (2009). E-business Systems. Foundation of Information Systems in Business. 9th Edition (261 – 297). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Paul, I. (February 24, 2011). Windows Phone 7 glitch affects 1 in 10 upgrades, PCWorld. Retrieved March 12, 2011 from http://www.pcworld.com/article/220585/Windows_Phone_7_Glitch_Affects_1_in_10_Upgrades.html Reuters. (2010, October 11). Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/10/11/microsoft-windows-phone-coming-november/
- 16. References Spiegel, R. (2011, February 14). Retrieved March 15, 2011, from E-Commerce Times: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/71861.html?wlc=1300228530 Stroh, M. (2011). Windows Phone Blog: More answers about our first software update. Retrieved March 14, 2011. http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/windowsphone/archive/2011/02/23/more-answers-about-our-first-software-update.aspx Windows 7: What is Windows 7?. (2011). Retrieved March 14, 2011. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/what-is-windows-7.aspx Windows Phone 7 copy-and-paste patch delayed. (2011, March 11). InformationWeek Online.
- 17. References Windows Phone 7 update reportedly still causing problems for Samsung owners. (2011). Gearlog. http://www.gearlog.com/2011/03/windows_phone_7_update_reporte.php Ziegler, C. (2011). Microsoft details Windows Phone 7 update problem, “small number” of Samsungs affected. Retrieved March 14, 2011. http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/microsoft-details-windows-phone-7-update-problem-small-number
Editor's Notes
- Good evening fellow classmates, I’m Gwen Smith, this is Vinay Patel and Jamie Vogelbacher. We call ourselves the ‘Innovators’ and what we would like to present to you today is a case study we have diligently researched over the past few weeks dealing with Microsoft. Some of you may have already heard about the on-going issues in regards to the Microsoft Phone 7 experiencing update failures, so without further due, let’s go ahead and begin.
- Here is an overview of what we will be discussing in the next few slides. We will first begin by giving you insight on the background of Microsoft, then we will proceed to the current issues they are facing and some possible solutions we feel may help them overcome this bump in the road. We will also speak on the Real World Case that is located in our Management Information Systems book on page 165. We will briefly discuss the real world case that involves Microsoft and how that correlates with the issues they are currently facing. Lastly, we will turn our focus to our recommended solutions for Microsoft.
- Microsoft Corporation is more than the largest software company in the world: it is a cultural phenomenon. Microsoft is a market leader in the computer industry. Microsoft became known for their first MS-DOS operating system-the latest one being Windows 7. It has expanded from the operating systems to servers, online services, entertainment, cell phones, desktop programs and much more. The company's core business is based on developing, manufacturing, and licensing software products, including operating systems, server applications, business and consumer applications, and software development tools, as well as Internet software, technologies, and services. The company was started by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Led by Bill Gates, the world's wealthiest individual and most famous businessman, Microsoft has succeeded in placing at least one of its products on virtually every personal computer in the world, setting industry standards and defining markets in the process.Some examples of the popular items from Microsoft are Microsoft Office Suites, Xbox gaming system, Microsoft SQL Server, Windows Live, and the infamous Internet Explorer browser.
- Microsoft’s primary duty is to motivate and inspire their customers to use their software in hopes of finding creative solutions to business problems, develop breakthrough ideas, and stay connected to what’s important to them.They currently have five business divisions that they believe offer the greatest potential to serve their customers:Windows & Windows Live Division includes the Windows product family and is responsible for relationships with personal computer manufacturers as well as online software and services through Windows Live.Server and Tools are software server products, services and solutions, including: Windows Server operating system, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, Silverlight, System Center products, Forefront security products, Biz Talk Server, and Microsoft Consulting Services.Online Services Division consists of an online advertising platform with offerings for publishers and advertisers, and online information offerings such as Bing and the MSN portals and channels.Microsoft Business Division includes the Microsoft Office suites, desktop programs, servers, and services and solutions; Microsoft Dynamics; and Unified Communications business solutions.Entertainment and Devices Division consists of the Xbox video game system, including consoles and accessories, Xbox Live operations, Zune digital music and entertainment device; Media room, mobile and embedded device platforms, Surface computing platform, and Windows Automotive.They are committed long term to the mission of helping their customers realize their full potential. As they constantly update and improve products, they want to continually evolve their company to be in the best position to accelerate new technologies as they emerge and to better serve their customers.
- Looking at this timeline, we can see that Microsoft’s success comes from many projects they have ventured beginning at an early age. As we mentioned earlier, Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in the year of 1975. By 1979, Microsoft was awarded a contract to provide an Operating System for IBM.1983 was a great year for Microsoft because that is when they released Microsoft Word, which continues to be widely used for many businesses and end-users. Microsoft Word allows users to create professional documents while making it easier to organize files.In year 1990, Microsoft released Windows 3.0, making this the most widely used Windows operating system yet.Following only 3 years later, Microsoft released Windows NT allowing businesses to create a strategic platform that supports high-end engineering and scientific programs.1997 was the year that Microsoft invested $150 million into the Apple stock, which helped their market value rise more than five times that of Apple.Windows released Windows XP and they also launched the Xbox in the year of 2001. Windows XP became one of its best-selling products offered in 25 languages.In 2002, Microsoft announced Windows mobile offering mobile devices such as Pocket PCs and Smartphone’s. Microsoft designed Windows Mobile to help simplify life through powerful software on a variety of devices designed to meet individual needs.Leader Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft in 2008 to work full-time at the charitable organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—finding new vaccines and to micro-finance projects in the developing world.By 2010, Windows 7 was selling seven copies a second making it the fastest-selling operating system sold in history.
- In 2010 Microsoft came out with a smart phone operating system called Windows Phone 7. Shortly after, problems arose. Microsoft said a "technical issue" is to blame for the recent Windows Phone 7 software update problems that have bricked about 10 percent of devices trying to upgrade. The company stated that half of the complaints were due to poor internet connections and lack of space on the phone to conduct updates. The update snafu mostly appears to be affecting Samsung devices. Microsoft hasn't said what, specifically, caused the problems, but it has stopped upgrades to Samsung handsets as a precaution. A month after the problem was unveiled, Microsoft and Samsung stated that the matter had been fixed and users would be able to update their phones. However, when users tried to update their phones they proceeded to get error messages and some were forced to do a factory reset. After trying to do updates on Windows Phone 7, they found error code 800705B4, which research shows that this was related to drivers that were corrupt. Microsoft discovered that about half of the update woes were caused by either a bad Internet connection or not enough storage space on the user's PC hard drive for the upgrade to take place.The lack of Microsoft’s OS updates has unfortunately put Microsoft in a bad situation when it comes to competing against rivalries Android and iPhone. Microsoft hopes that Windows Phone 7 will allow the company to reverse its declining market-share in the mobile space, where it faces fierce competition from the likes of Google Android and the Apple iPhone.
- Microsoft noticed that most of the complaints came down to two reasons—a bad Internet connection or insufficient storage space. Microsoft has offered several solutions for those affected by the updates. What they are currently requesting is that:Users have enough space on their phone and computerEnsure that the phone battery is fully chargedMake sure their computer has reliable Internet connectionCheck for updates periodically if their phone settings are not automatically set to receive updates by defaultReboot the phone and remove some if not all applications to include all media and installed gamesIt is believed people need to check their internet connections before trying to complete an update. Users should place their phone in one location where they are aware of a successful connection. Moving the phone from place to place can cause the network issue. Also, users should make sure they have enough storage space on their smart phones before installing any updates. Sometimes users can lose track of the amount of space they have and download applications that cannot be handled by their phone. Another solution remains on the retail side. Microsoft can send out smaller updates that are much quicker to download and update. This way the user would not have to wait a long time while downloading and worry about losing connection. Having smaller updates not only helps with network connection but also with the storage space. Users will have less storage space limitation issues since the updates are minimized. Users would be able to download majority of the updates fully and would not have to wait half way to find out there is not enough space. If possible, Microsoft should be able to check to see if there is enough space available before fully downloading the update. From what we’ve gathered and experienced with our personal Smartphone’s, we strongly suggest that Microsoft allow its users to ‘pick’ what it is they want updated versus Microsoft simultaneously providing updates to all phones. For example, iPhone users are notified of new updates once they plug their phone into the PC and connect to iTunes. Apple alerts users of the features to be updated so that users know beforehand what they will be updating. It’s not a mandatory update; it’s at the users will. We believe it would be beneficial in both time and space on the Windows Phone 7 if Microsoft broke their updates into several sections allowing users to check or uncheck the features they wish to download.
- This slide focuses on the real world case study found in our textbook on page 165. It discusses Microsoft influencing several companies to use their software as a possible solution to better serve the company’s needs. Microsoft’s main focus has always been to provide end-users with software that goes inside a computer; however they have decided to take on another endeavor by going after different industries by accessing the business processes and writing software products to support them. The software company has been hiring doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in an effort to establish internal expertise about the medical industry’s IT needs. This idea had both pros and cons. Craig Feied, director of the Institute for Medical Informatics at MedStar Health stated, “The last thing we want is an over-engineered set of solutions built around yesterdays or today’s problems.”On the other hand, Microsoft’s SharePoint portal software, Project-management application, and Visio diagramming program has helped companies such as Cooper Tire’s by helping them save on spending $1.5 million on other software products.Microsoft also reoriented around vertical industries and identified the need to create so-called solution maps of software and solutions.Although their software has had advantages with some industries, there is a considerably share of disadvantages too. The pitfall of Microsoftserving to organizations outside of the technology world is that it is not always accepting and it does not necessarily promise success. We have gathered from this case study that Microsoft's jump on providing software solutions to certain sectors correlates to the recent issues with the Windows Phone 7. We believe it is related because Microsoft is going outside of their boundary and trying to provide solutions to something they were never a business for. They decided to branch out to the smart phone market in order to stay ahead of their competition. This came with problems as stated in the Windows Phone 7 update issue. Microsoft most likely had to learn about cell phones because the hardware that runs computer systems is unlike from cell phones. Not only did Microsoft build applications for smart phones, they built an entire operating system for them. We comprehend the measures Microsoft is going through to keep ahead of competition; however, they have to realize they either cannot branch out if they do not have the ability to or find and hire a knowledgeable staff to do it for them.
- As we mentioned in the previous slide, Microsoft has stepped into a boundary that they were never in a business for and you can clearly see from this comparison, Microsoft’s Window Phone 7 has a lot of catching up to do to keep up with its competitors.
- The recommended solutions we believe would boost the performance of Microsoft’s software would be for them tosend out smaller updates that are much quicker to download and update, perform thorough and intensive testing on their software prior to releasing it to the public, and lastly, conduct a test run on the storage space of the phone’s memory,Microsoft can send out smaller updates that are much quicker to download and update. Smaller updates can cut down the time needed to download, and customers do not have to worry about losing internet connection.Performing thorough and intensive testing on their software will allow Microsoft to identify any issues customers may come across with their phones when it’s time to be updated. Identifying these issues beforehand will not only boost their software performance but also give consumers the sense of confident in their products. At this moment, several consumers and customers are skeptical about purchasing a Windows Phone 7. One of the tests they should consider running are the updates; perform testing to see how long it takes for the user to download and what would be more beneficial to the customer. Plugging their phone into a PC or using a wireless connection. While they are running this test, it would be imperative that they do not repeat the same code as they have in the past with update failures. It would also be in their best interest to ensure that the updates they provide are compatible with all phones so if it takes for Microsoft to do a test run on all phones, that is what they should do to prevent any technical glitches.Having smaller updates not only helps with network connection but also with the storage space. Users will have less storage space limitation issues since the updates are minimized. Users would be able to download majority of the updates fully and would not have to wait half way to find out there is not enough space. The second solution we recommend for Microsoft is for them to conduct a test run on the phones storage space. Microsoft can prevent “limited storage space” issues by first running a check on the phone to see if there is enough space available. Microsoft can possibly send a small tool before the actual update to scan the phone’s memory space to see if there is enough free space available. The program should be able to calculate the total amount of space on the phone and match it with the update being sent. Then automatically the user can then be promoted to either remove data from the phone to install the updates or add more storage so the updates can be completed. If no action is taken, then the update should be cancelled automatically. We firmly believe that our recommended solutions could easily assist Microsoft in the ‘fixing’ of their update failures but until then, we wish them the best!