Innovation vs. InnovaSHAM: Microsoft's Soft Soap

For the benefit of those of you who came in late, we will discuss Microsoft's habit of labeling things it neither did nor derived as "innovation", but to the rest of us is known as a marketing ploy and/or stealing ("innovaSHAM").

As an example, we offer two authentic innovations -- one derived from the other, yet both unique ideas:

  bar soap
  soft soap and dispenser

The soft soap inventor did not try to trick the public into thinking they invented soap, nor that bar soap is bad; they merely provided another convenient form of it.

Here are yet two more samples:

  dish washing liquid
  dish washer powder

These are related to the above innovations, yet they are themselves unique, helpful, simple, and cheap, and address the development of modern conveniences.

Now, let us examine how Microsoft -- as usual late on the scene -- would have "innovated" upon these products:

  True innovation           Microsoft innovaSHAM
  -------------------       --------------------
  bar soap                  colored bar soap
  soft soap/dispenser       bar soap and hammer

As you can see, Microsoft has no interest in product improvement. Instead, it merely concentrates on market share and leaches off the success of the originals, in some cases even dangerously.

Now let us watch as Microsoft innovates some more. Actually, at this point, Microsoft would be stagnant: Having invested so much money in maintaining their existing "innovations," and not being able to milk their sacred cow fast enough to quench their stockholders' thirst, Microsoft would have to resort to certain "actions":

  True innovation           Microsoft action
  -------------------       ------------------------
  dish washing liquid       FUD
  dish washer powder        Buy all washer companies

In the first case, Microsoft puts all effort into keeping its colored bar soaps alive through Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt tactics. Rest assured their "user studies" show that customers want only solid cleansers for their dishes, and their "research" claims that dish washing liquid will always be a niche market.

And the second case perfectly illustrates Microsoft's typical reaction when it finds itself asleep at the wheel: Purchase all competing products and slap their name on them to make it look like Microsoft is at the forefront of modern technology, then later force them to use Microsoft's outdated components. In this case, they will make their dish washers work only with colored bar soap, forcing the powders out of business due to attrition, yet they'll claim bar soap "won" the "competition" against powders on quality alone.

How can Microsoft get away with this? Because they have a huge marketing budget. All too many people can be convinced that a bar soap is better because it comes in different colors, and neglect to ask themselves why it should make any difference. And before it's too late, the monopoly has removed all other choices anyway.

So the next time you wash, ask yourself, "how can a company like Microsoft get my hands clean when its own business practices are so dirty?" Then you'll know the difference between real innovation and Microsoft innovaSHAM.

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