IT managers believe
Bill Gates has made software cheaper through pioneering
mass market computing.
But they are concerned Microsoft could lose focus from their
core product set without him.
IT directors and business leaders, speaking in the week that
Gates leaves Microsoft, said Redmond's chairman had been
instrumental in ensuring the spread of IT throughout business.
"Without doubt the world is a different and, in my opinion,
better place because of what Bill and Microsoft have done to craft
a life where technology is so pervasive and indispensable," said
government CIO John Suffolk.
"'Microsoft
under Gates' leadership has transformed the way people work and
boosted office productivity unimaginably," said Charles Lowe,
interim IT director of Aston Martin Lagonda.
Ronan Miles, chairman of the UK Oracle User Group, said, "Gates'
major contribution to corporate IT has been to give a huge
population access to IT. This has allowed massive uptake of IT in
business."
Peter Scargill, IT director at the Federation of Small
Businesses, said Bill Gates had made it possible for millions of
small businesses to compete with larger rivals.
"The Microsoft Windows operating system has been the single
unifying force in business computing. It is the Microsoft operating
system that has allowed us to collaborate as businesses," he
said.
In particular, the integration of
Microsoft Exchange with e-mail and phones in managing contacts
gives small businesses features that were previously the preserve
of larger companies, he said.
Stephen Boulten, head of IT at Leek United Building Society,
said that Gates had helped businesses improve their
productivity.
"Microsoft has provided the tools that allow me to produce
quality work and improve the efficiency of my work through
applications such as Visio and MS Office."
But some of the strategies that Gates has overseen have been
less than successful, said Ray Titcombe, chairman of the IBM
Computer User Association.
Microsoft's strategy to "empower users through software" may
have had the opposite effect on workers, he said.
"We now have highly paid professionals in most organisations
spending a large proportion of their time designing Excel
spreadsheets and Access databases that arguably would be better
designed and developed within IT."
Stephen Boulten, head of IT at
Leek United Building Society, said there was a danger that
Microsoft would spread itself too thinly.
There was a danger of Microsoft trying to enter every market
space that generates an income at the expense of delivering what
their customers need, he said. "The company needs to focus on their
core product set," Boulten said.
IT directors and user organisations said they wanted Microsoft
to continue developing affordable software tools to help them do
their jobs easier.
John Suffolk, government CIO said, "The challenge going forward
for Microsoft, and the IT industry generally, is growing the
capability of business leaders to fully exploit what has been
created and banish from all boardrooms the ability for leaders to
say 'I do not understand technology'. Those that do not understand
technology do not understand life."
UK Oracle User Group's Miles, said, "Microsoft has been a key
driver in de-skilling technology and we need more of this."
But the way its software is licensed is still too complex,
according to IBM Computer User Association's Titcombe.
Charles Lowe, interim IT director at Aston Martin says Microsoft
must strive for better integration. "What I would like to see from
Microsoft in future is more and better integration of systems both
within the Microsoft product range as well as with the rest of the
IT world," he said.
Scargill at the Federation of Small Businesses, said he would
like to see Microsoft focus on improving the reliability of its
products rather than releasing new versions of its operating
system.
"There are a lot of companies that have not moved to Vista. I
think Microsoft would do themselves a lot of favours if they
focused on reliability and maintenance of their operating system
rather than new features."
Regarding Ray Ozzie, Gates' successor, Tracy Andrew, head of
information and security at Berkshire NHS shared service, said, "If
possible, make the system more open architecture, make more of the
code available for others to produce packages to use Windows - you
have the dominiant position, why not now work with others rather
than exclude them?"
What has Bill Gates done for you ?
Have your say >>
Related links:
Goodbye, Bill Gates: Essential Guide and Video
Round-up>>
Bill Gates: looking back on the road ahead>>