IT Managers: Microsoft Financial Woes Least of Our Concerns

After announcing layoffs and poor earnings for Q2 2009 last week, Microsoft has to worry more about how it is perceived by Wall Street, competitors, shareholders and the press. But what about the people in the trenches? What do IT managers think about Microsoft's economic woes?

While the media and Wall Street may be painting a "sky is falling" picture for Microsoft, IT managers interviewed for this story are mostly taking last week's news in stride, chalking it up to another company making necessary cuts in a bad economy.

Many IT pros are still wary about upgrading to Vista and Windows 7 and some are considering switching to cheaper OS alternatives such as Linux, but Microsoft's financial setbacks are not the reason.

Stephen Laughlin, Director of IT at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, says his confidence in Microsoft has not been swayed by the recent round of layoffs.

Yet Laughlin, who runs an XP shop and is dubious about Vista, is still critical of Microsoft, saying that regardless of its low quarterly revenues the software giant needs to listen to customers more than it has in the past.

About Windows Vista, he says: "Microsoft did not speak to IT managers and users about what they wanted and what they needed. It seems to have its own ideas of how to move forward with its products instead of seeking what its customers want."

Another IT manager, Monte Hale, IT Director at architecture firm Forma Design, has elected to skip an upgrade from XP to Windows Vista and wait for Windows 7, though he won't be an early adopter and will move as part of a hardware upgrade cycle.

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