Agnostic to what’s in the box

1999-05-10

An agnostic is a person who does not know if a god or gods exist. Hence, as Microsoft continues its march into the hinterlands of consumer devices, it has a battle on its hands. Microsoft’s recent alliance with AT&T signals its “bullishness” (a word which the company is very attached to) about its entry into the internet set top box market. As discussed in Friday’s analysis, its rationale is to put Windows CE onto 5 million of these devices. The fray is already joined by Sun with Java and Symbian with EPOC – AT&T’s position is now unclear. What a battle there will be. But it will pass largely unnoticed by the mass market.

Microsoft’s Windows 95 announcement was a marketing coup which has never been bettered, winning the hearts and minds of millions of PC users. Can you imagine being able to announce a new mobile phone or laser printer in such a way? No. Device technologies don’t lend themselves to such stunts, as their users are largely oblivious to what goes on inside them. Internet set top boxes will enable access to the web without needing consumers to back one technology or another. In any case, it is likely that the choice of set top boxes will largely be decided by the service providers - the ISPs, media companies and cable companies. This is a fact already being exploited by Microsoft, for example through their Telewest alliance announced today. Indeed, as discussed today in “IT infrastructure for free”, the chances are the boxes will be given away or incorporated in other devices such as the TV set. IT vendors may have god-like status in technological circles, but in the greater, unknowing world they are less likely to be recognised as such. Microsoft’s battle is not so much against the other giants in the industry, but it is a fight for brand recognition in a mass market of disinterested consumers.

(First published 10 May 1999)