三大战略收购有望助微软再度颠覆科技行业

    据W3Techs称，全球超过80%的网站都使用PHP语言编写（一种HTML内嵌式的语言——译注）（也有测算称，这个比例只有50%）。随着市场开始向移动平台转移，加上Drupal、Magento和WordPress等热门应用快速赢得市场，对PHP的应用还在加速。与Linux类似，它也是下一代基于云的网络和移动应用领域的主要开发工具。微软应该认识到，它必须成为PHP领域的主导者，同时收购这个市场的领军企业Zend公司。并不是因为Zend是本公司的投资对象我才这么说，而是因为我深信，收购Zend可以让微软重新焕发对开发者的影响力。这么做也可以让微软为它的云服务增加更多功能，同时针对使用PHP的用户进行优化。拥有这一实力，同时成为Linux领域的领军企业，将有助于微软成为更有竞争力的云服务供应商。通过为开发者传统的.NET和PHP领域同时确立坚实的价值创造战略，微软将能涉足绝大多数网络和移动开发领域，同时向市场明确传达这个信息，下一代应用应基于微软Azure平台开发。

    第三个建议收购对象是Double Robotics公司。这家公司主要生产远程控制机器人移动电话会议系统。一台平板电脑就是机器人的“头”，它能显示与会者的头像。无论用户置身何处，这套系统都能让他们真切地现身办公室与同事沟通，仿佛本人就在现场。今后Skype很可能将四面楚歌，一旦类似Double这样的创新产品助力微软维持市场份额并增加营收，它就会败走麦城。这款产品热销还有助于微软平板电脑打开销路。而对Skype来说，继续支持iPad，将其作为Double Robotics的备选将至关重要。

    开展这三项收购就能向投资者表明，微软首席执行官萨蒂亚•纳德拉有意通过收购最优质企业革新公司的运营方式，为所有平台提供最佳的云服务，提高微软智能手机和平板电脑的竞争力，在服务器操作系统领域扩大份额，同时成为电话会议领域的创新企业。从这个角度看，Facebook公司的市值、资金和现金流就都不及微软了。然而马克•扎克伯格在充分认识到WhatsApp能有助于进一步巩固Facebook公司在社交领域的统治地位后，却能斥资160亿美元收购该公司。收购上述三家企业应该用不了160亿美元，但却能为微软带来更大的影响力。这类令人振奋又与主业密切相关的收购不仅能让微软营收增长，还有望推动它的股价快速上涨。（财富中文网）

    本文迈克•科瓦提勒茨是风投公司Azure Capital Partners的创始一般合伙人。他的主攻方向是软件及相关基础设施技术。本文转自他的博客SoundbytesII。

    译者：清远

    According to W3Techs, PHP is being used by over 80% of all websites (other estimates have it as low as 50%). PHP's growth continues to accelerate on the backs of the shift to mobile and the rapidly expanding footprint of popular apps like Drupal, Magento and WordPress. Like Linux, it is a dominant tool for the next generation of cloud-based web and mobile applications. Microsoft should recognize the need to be the major player in PHP and acquire the market leader, Zend. I'm not necessarily saying this because Zend is in my firm's portfolio, but rather because I believe the ownership of Zend would re-ignite Microsoft's sway with developers. It also would better enable Microsoft to add features to its cloud offering that would optimize for those choosing to use PHP. This, along with a strong Linux position, would help Microsoft compete more favorably as a cloud provider. By having robust developer value creation strategies for both their traditional .NET base and PHP, Microsoft would be addressing the vast majority of web and mobile development and send a clear signal to the market that the next generation of applications should be built on Microsoft Azure.

    The third suggested acquisition is a company called Double Robotics. Double offers a remotely controlled, robotic mobile teleconferencing system. A tablet is placed as the head of the robot and it displays the image of the person telecommuting. From anywhere in the world, it allows a user to have a physical presence in the office and speak to co-workers as if he or she were present. Skype is likely to come under attack from a variety of sources and getting out in front with a next generation product like Double would help Microsoft maintain share and increase revenue. Strong sales of this product could help increase Microsoft tablet sales. It would be important for Skype to continue to support the iPad as an option for the Double robot.

    These three acquisitions, taken together, would show investors that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is changing the way the company operates by acquiring best of breed companies that position it to offer premier cloud services across all platforms, make its smart phones and tablets more competitive, increase its footprint in the server OS and be the innovator in teleconferencing. Putting this in perspective, Facebook has a lower market cap, less funds and weaker cash flow than Microsoft. Yet Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent $16 billion on WhatsApp fully recognizing the additional customer dominance in social that this provides. The cost of these three companies should be less than $16 billion and yet could have an even larger impact for Microsoft. Such exciting and relevant acquisitions by Microsoft would also likely payback not only in revenue growth but immediately in stock price.

    Mike Kwatinetz is a founding general partner at Azure Capital Partners, where he specializes in software and related infrastructure technologies. This post is from his blog, SoundbytesII.