Microsoft initially planned to prevent other firms' security software from accessing the “kernel” of Vista, in effect the heart of the system. This could render rival products less effective. Although protecting the kernel from malicious code makes sense, some companies argued that it was yet another attempt by Microsoft to use its operating system as the ticket into another market, as it did with browsers and media players. After the European Union complained, Microsoft backed down and provided a form of access.

微软原先打算阻止其他公司的安全软件访问Vista的“内核”，以防它们对系统重要部分产生影响。这一做法会使竞争对手的产品效用降低。尽管保护内核不受恶意软件侵害是个好理由，一些公司仍表示抗议，他们认为这是微软利用其操作系统作为迈进新市场的敲门砖，就像它当初在浏览器和媒体播放器领域的所作所为一样。在欧盟抗议之后，微软做出了让步，提供了一个访问系统内核的方法。

Although Microsoft is defending itself against some of the biggest trends in computing, it will not be unseated anytime soon. Indeed, the company has often said its biggest competitor is itself: previous versions of its products worked well enough, so many customers would not bother to upgrade to newer ones.

即便微软在仍在对抗某些计算机领域的大趋势，它的地位很快就不再那么不可动摇了。事实上，这家公司总是说它最大的竞争对手是它自己：它此前发布的系统运行的表现很好，正因为如此很多消费者才会愿意升级到新系统。

This time Microsoft has put aside any complacency. In the past 18 months the company has reorganised its divisions and put managers from a commercial background in charge instead of their technical colleagues. This counts as a big shift in what was always an engineering culture.

这次微软把自鸣得意抛到了一边。在过去的18个月里它重组了各个部门，并且启用营销背景的经理替代他们技术背景的同事负责公司的运营。这一举措被认为是一改了微软的工程师文化。

Bill Gates, who as chief software architect was in large part responsible for the earlier, failed vision of Vista, has given up his role. His successor is Ray Ozzie, a relative outsider who joined when Microsoft bought his company in 2005. Mr Ozzie is trying to “webify” Microsoft's products. Greater discipline is expected too. Steve Ballmer, the chief executive, vows that there will be no more long delays between new product introductions.

比尔-盖茨（Bill Gates），作为公司首席软件架构师对Vista早期版本的失败负有重大责任，为此他交出了公司的管理权。他的继任者是雷-奥齐（Ray Ozzie），他在2005年微软收购他的公司之后加入，相对来说是个外来者。奥齐先生试图让微软的产品“触网”。公司还将推行更严格的纪律。公司总裁史蒂夫?鲍尔默（Steve Ballmer）发誓，以后新产品的推出再也不会推迟那么长时间了。

A little more open

迈向更开放的一小步

Microsoft is trying to turn threats into advantages. It has responded to the rise of open-source software with both accommodation and demonisation. Last year it struck a deal with an open-source software firm, Novell, to make both companies' products work smoothly together. Microsoft lets big customers inspect its code, but the firm also raises questions about whether open-source programs infringe others' intellectual property.

微软正试图将威胁转变成契机。它对开源软件的回应既有一定的接纳又不放松对其的妖魔化。去年它和一家开源软件公司Novell达成了一项协议，让两家公司的产品协同运行更加顺畅。微软允许大客户查看它的代码，同时它又对开源软件是否侵犯他人的知识产权提出质疑。

The company is moving into services with things like Office Live, a set of additional services to help small businesses set up websites, and Windows Live, which provides online features. Microsoft's Hotmail, for example, has recently been rebranded as Windows Live Mail.

这家公司正在像服务类的软件转变，比如Office Live，一款提供增值服务，帮助小公司建设办公网站的软件；还有Windows Live，它提供在线服务，微软的Hotmail最近就更名为Windows Live Mail。

Company executives point to Windows Update, which sends updates over the internet, to suggest it has long been in the online-services business. The majority of large businesses buy Windows and Office as multi-year subscriptions with access to all upgrades and support. So Microsoft is at least taking steps in this direction. In the area of online computer games, its Xbox Live service has more than 5m subscribers, suggesting that the company is capable of supplying innovative services.

微软的高管常用Windows Update作为例子来证明它早就是一家提供在线服务的公司，Windows Update为用户提供在线软件升级服务。大多数的大企业通过签订使用协议的方式购买Windows和Office若干年的使用以及相关的所有升级等服务。所以，至少微软已经在在线软件的方向上迈出了第一步。在线游戏领域，微软的Xbox Live服务有500万注册用户，这也证明微软在提供创意性服务上的能力。

Chris Capossela, who manages Microsoft's business-products group, believes the firm's “unique” strength is that it straddles both the consumer and business markets at a time when innovations often start at home rather than in the office. Most of the company's competitors, be they Google or Apple on the consumer side, or IBM and Oracle in business, concentrate on only one market.

负责管理微软商业产品业务的Chris Capossela认为，公司“独特”的能力在于，它能够在这个大多数创意都源于家用领域的时代，同时横跨消费和商业两大市场。而微软大多数的竞争对手都是专注于一个市场方向，如Google或苹果（Apple）面向消费市场，而IBM和Oracle则专攻商用领域。

Microsoft has been written off before, but always remained on an upward trajectory. Its persistence has eventually paid off in some new markets, such as SQL database software and server software, where it started from behind. Its software for mobile devices is also starting to gain traction. Still, in recent years its share price has been steady while the market grew (see chart).

微软以前也有过走下坡路被看跌的时候，但它总是可以起死回生。它的坚持总是能换来新的市场份额，比如在SQL数据库软件和服务器软件市场上，微软都是后发制人的。它的移动设备软件开发业务也开始走强。而且，这些年随着市场的成长它的股价也保持稳健。（见图）