Microsoft Executive Claims Cyber Crime Caused Windows Smartphones to Fall Behind

It seems that there are a few people out there being mean to Microsoft. So mean, in fact, that they weren’t able to stay competitive in the smartphone market despite having tonnes of money, lots of developers and a considerable existing code-base to draw from. According to Microsoft Development Director Craig Mundie, “meddling cyber criminals” caused the company to “shift a huge amount of our focus to security engineering.” Of course, it isn’t because Windows is inherently vulnerable and filled with security flaws; according to Mundie, “Microsoft was basically the only company that had enough volume for it to be a target.”

Mundie also goes on to state that Microsoft “already built the same kinds of products that made Apple famous but that it didn’t devote enough resources to them.” Even pretending that statement is true shows the admission of a rather substantial flaw in the management and leadership departments at Microsoft (just for starters).

As if Mundie is looking for some kind of credit, he describes how Microsoft had products like an MP3 player and touch-screen device long before Apple did (but they were so consumed by other things they just couldn’t “give enough reinforcement to those products at the time.” Unfortunately in business there are few kudos available for ‘coulda-woulda-shouldas’.

When will companies start innovating and creating instead of making excuses? Why pay any attention to criticisms from competitors like Microsoft when they have no product to rival that which they speak about? Why would it matter what Microsoft did years ago? If Microsoft wants to regain their former-glory (and relevancy) they need to stop whining and start moving forward (if it isn’t already too late).

[via bgr]

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