Avanade's CEO on Microsoft, open-source, ODF

17.07.2006

But don't some companies find the cost of Microsoft Office pricey and want a cheaper option? We just haven't seen tons of people sweating that stuff. Though I don't know if Microsoft's share, which is amazing, is defensible. It is fair to ask, though, whether most corporations take advantage of all of the features in Microsoft Office. We hear customers say, "We got Office five years ago; it's pretty cool. Now that there's another one, what in there do I really need?" I think Microsoft has to do a better job telling that story if they want customers to continue to refresh. It's not our job to tell that story, no.

Is Avanade planning to go public? No, we're not thinking of it. Being head of a public company is not super-fun these days. It's expensive, and in general, it makes companies become short-term-focused. Our structure allows us to think about next year, or in three years. And if we need capital, we can go to our parent companies.