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Startups told to be wary of Microsoft

On the same day Steve Ballmer talked up Microsoft’s upcoming $500 million marketing campaign around Windows Vista and business software products, a group of entrepreneurs met in Bellevue to discuss ways they can build businesses around Vista.

One opportunity is for compelling products that run on Microsoft’s software stack and may be sold by the company’s sales force, attendees at The Indus Entrepreneurs forum learned Thursday.

Another opportunity is for applications that show off platform capabilities, or fill gaps in Microsoft’s offering.

Yet startups must still be wary of Microsoft, which may go after big opportunities that emerge on its platform, warned Bill Baxter, who co-founded Bsquare, left the company in 2004, and recently started a digital music business called Snaptune.

"They have to expand into new software markets" to meet their growth targets, he said. "You have to think about whether that is one Microsoft ultimately wants to own."

By Compiled by Times technology Staff

Full Story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002876278_btdownload20.html

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