Microsoft's Runner-Up Prize? Multitrillions in Value.
The software giant’s secondary positions in the hottest technology markets enable it to rake in profit and expand through M&A while avoiding scrutiny.
Microsoft is too big to fly under the radar forever, but its secondary status provides some cover.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/BloombergSometimes being the runner-up isn’t so bad. Just ask Microsoft Corp.
Roughly two decades ago, the world’s biggest software maker was in the government’s antitrust crosshairs for its business practices surrounding its operating system monopoly. Things are different now. While the PC software market is still very large, it’s not where the action is. And for many of the hottest growth areas in technology, Microsoft now finds itself in secondary positions. But that may be the ideal spot to thrive in the current environment.