Microsoft Revenue Strategy

Discussions explain Microsoft's seemingly unprofitable decisions in hardware or consumer products as strategic moves to maximize revenue from Windows licenses, Office subscriptions, and enterprise contracts by increasing platform adoption and lock-in.

➡️ Stable 0.6x Startups & Business
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20
Years Active
5
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#4037
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Activity Over Time

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Keywords

MS UX IBM BigCos BS BlackBerry TikTok MBA ICE OS microsoft ms windows pizza software money make money services business market

Sample Comments

HelixEndeavor Sep 4, 2021 View on HN

Yes, because otherwise, Microsoft just wouldn't be making any money.

trafficlight Nov 16, 2011 View on HN

Why would Microsoft even bother?

prirun Sep 1, 2023 View on HN

The goal for MS is as it has always been: to have everyone's computer running MS Windows. Or more recently, for everyone to require a subscription to MS Office365 or whatever it's called. Any product they produce that isn't a market leader, they will make as widely available as possible until it is a market leader. At that point, they will constrict it to whatever environment is most profitable for them. They have repeated this behavior since the 80's. If you don't

not trying to insult you or anything but microsoft probably doesn't really care. make most of their money from contracts with companies with thousands of people.

kube-system Apr 29, 2022 View on HN

MS isn't a serious hardware company. They're a software and services company, and they make money when people use their software. Putting software on more devices is in their interest.

jdsully Apr 9, 2019 View on HN

Why would Microsoft ever give up? They make billions off of Windows.

pbronez Jun 8, 2022 View on HN

Fascinating. Source? I would have thought Microsoft would want to get Windows on as many machines as possible.

chrischen Aug 13, 2009 View on HN

Yea microsoft is just trying to maintain their image of being cheap.

coliveira Jan 3, 2026 View on HN

People don't understand that this is MS culture. It doesn't mater the CEO. They'll always move to lock customers into the useless products they create.

simonebrunozzi Jan 20, 2016 View on HN

Title should change to: "Microsoft is donating several Billion dollars worth of lock-in into their proprietary technologies".