It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad IT Industry

Do you think the old Chinese proverb (or curse, depending on your perspective), “May you live in interesting times,” was meant for the computer industry in year 2013? After all, Nostradamus predicted World War II and 9/11 way back in the 1500s, and George Orwell wrote“1984” about 40 years earlier and one can argue it should really have been titled, “2013.”

What is going on in the IT industry today reads like a supermarket tabloid. Let’s face it. It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad industry right now.

Let’s recap. There are many calling for the return of Bill Gates to Microsoft, believing Steve Ballmer has lost his vision and his edge. I got news for you: Ballmer was the sales engine that was Microsoft in the 1980s and 1990s. Microsoft wouldn’t be where it is today without Ballmer. Sure, Gates is a developmental and marketing genius, but he could not have built that empire without Ballmer and the channel.

To be fair, there is still much uncertainty surrounding the adoption of Windows 8 and ramifications associated with its Surface surplus, but Microsoft isn’t going away anytime soon and Ballmer is still one of the most dynamic leaders in all of business. People need to calm down. Microsoft still has the support of the channel. Bringing Gates back would be like Mike Tyson returning to the ring just to bite the ear off his opponent when he was up against the ropes.

Oh wait, that really happened.

We also have the Dell drama playing in blow-by-blow detail like the OJ Simpson white Bronco car chase. Is there really a chance that Michael Dell will not own or run Dell Computer anymore? It’s mind-blowing to think that one of the sharpest business minds in the industry has gotten himself in such a situation.

There actually may be a special shareholder vote today, which has the potential to deliver a sharp blow to Michael Dell and Silver Lake and give billionaire nuisance Carl Icahn the upper hand in the bidding war. Maybe he change the name to Ichan Computers? It is crazy that it has gone this far.

And finally, to cap off the craziness, I just saw the trailer of the new Steve Jobs movie, “Jobs,” starring Ashton Kutcher. Really? Ashton Kutcher? This is the same guy that was a Calvin Klein model, starred in, “That ’70s Show” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?”.  That is like Anthony Michael Hall playing Bill Gates in a made-for-TV movie.

Oh wait, that really happened too.

Well, for solution providers, this is all entertaining and will make good jokes at cocktail parties but doesn’t really amount to a hill of beans. They are focused on Big Data solutions, storage and security; cloud computing and hosting advancements; mobile integration and enterprise software. So grab some popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy the show.

Knock ’em alive!