Microsoft hardens approach to OEM, B2B channel

Microsoft plans to focus more on OEMs and the B2B channel with the release of this year's range of new and refreshed peripherals.

Kimberley Francis, group manager of national sales and marketing for PC platforms in Microsoft Australia's home and entertainment division, said the vendor planned to ramp up its focus on non-retail channels and OEMs. 'The [new peripherals] are a great add-on for a system builder,' she said.

She said Microsoft hadn't ignored OEMs and B2B but saw a bigger opportunity for itself with the release of refreshed and new hardware, which included wireless optical mice and keyboards which the company claims have world-first features. The company also planned to add broadband networking products to its Australian offering in 2004.

'The story's so strong now,' Francis said.

Cynthia Kouvatas, home and entertainment division product marketing manager at Microsoft Australia, said GFK Inform figures showed Microsoft peripherals were doing well in Australia against competing models from traditional hardware vendors such as Logitech.

'Microsoft is sitting on 55 to 60 percent for mouse share in the year to date [2003],' she said. 'The nearest competitor is sitting on 25 to 30 percent for the same time frame.'

A major improvement, Kouvatas and Francis said, was Microsoft's 're-invention of the wheel'. New mice and some of the new keyboards have a wheel that enables horizontal scrolling as well as vertical scrolling - a feature invented by Microsoft and not available as yet from other vendors.

Kouvatas said also that peripherals' battery life was consistently a real concern for customers. Thus, some of the new wireless mice had extended battery life up to six months, due to a redesign of the optical chip. '[Other models] last an average user two to three months or a super user, six to eight weeks,' she said.

Kouvatas said another new strategy for the wireless mice and keyboards was to increase the number of different communication codes used in the devices from 1000 to 65,000. With more codes, there was less chance devices would 'meet' another with the same code in the same office. 'That's going to really reduce the number of incidents of ... interference from nearby devices,' she said.

Also, a signal wizard had been installed that would appear when possible interference was detected, suggesting possible cause for aberrant mouse or keyboard behaviour and possible remedies, she said.

Kouvatas said one of the new wireless mice and the top-of-the-range wireless keyboard had a new ergonomic design with optional fake leather trim the same as that used on BMW steering wheels. Another mouse came in a silver-grey hue with tiny blue moons on the cover. However, lovers of day-glo or especially garish designs and colours may have to wait a year or two, she said.

'We wanted more comfortable, appealing designs. We looked at research from quite a few different countries where Microsoft operates,' Kouvatas said.

Around 20 peripherals are available in the range, which includes a basic optical mouse and wheel mouse as well as new wireless and Bluetooth devices and refreshed designs.