No Coincidences

By James Gaskin, NetworkWorld.com, 06/13/06

Do you believe in coincidences? I don't. Another example of why I don't is Microsoft's recent press release announcing their Small Business Accounting software will, in the 2007 version, support eBay and PayPal integration. Why did that announcement bother me? Because it appeared during Intuit's QuickBook Enterprise User Conference.

Two things marked this as typical Microsoft machinations. First, they announced it during their competitor's show (although QuickBooks leads the market by far). Second, they announced a product they don't have, and won't for maybe another year. When it does arrive, it will be their first attempt to provide that feature, so some roughness is to be expected.

Reactions at the QuickBooks meeting were universally dismissive. Perhaps the fact that QuickBooks integrated with PayPal and eBay over two years ago lessened the QuickBooks executive's terror at Microsoft entering the market. These are the executives who make Quicken, the personal finance manager that obliterates Microsoft Money in the market, remember.

I relay that story because of the recent announcement that eBay, PayPal cater to developers with new tools. So many tiny businesses become small and then medium businesses through the access to customers provided by eBay that such developer help is late in coming. If you don't use eBay to find new customers or dump old inventory, you should reconsider.

In another example of enterprise vendors courting small businesses, read
Nortel pitches to small business. Voice over IP (Internet phones) products leads the Nortel product pitch, and Nortel has considerable experience in VoIP for large companies. What makes this announcement noteworthy is Nortel's company size targets: up to 250 employees. Many enterprise vendors call "small" business any companies with up to 500 employees. Nortel appears to understand that "small" and "mini-enterprise" aren't synonymous.

While I reserve most of my scorn for the BSA (Bully Software Alliance), let us not forget their "me-to" business extortionists at the SIIA (Software and Information Industry Association). They have many more members than the BSA, but seem to be less aggressive than their bullying counterparts. However, they also offer up to $200,000 to employees willing to snitch on their company (and perhaps destroy evidence to ensure their reward?). There's no honor in these two, but many consider them thieves.

This blackmail is global, says Reader Rob from Australia. The Australian arm of the BSA started offering "dob on the boss" rewards ten years ago, and the amount is up to $200,000 just like in the US. I have to admit the "dob on the boss" slogan sounds more clever than "reward the rat." However, a company accused by the BSA faces financial ruin because of lost paperwork, whether in the US or Australia.

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