Ask YC: Why hasn't Microsoft acquired Xobni already?

Re:Ask YC: Why hasn't Microsoft acquired Xobni already? by JaySearson on Tuesday February 19, 2008 @02:48AM (#118772)

Microsoft doesn't want to acquire Xobni because Xobni already works for Microsoft. If Xobni is independent, microsoft benefits, and Xobni takes all the risk and deals with all the cost. Besides, Xobni is developing in an area (desktop office applications) that microsoft has tidily wrapped up.

Microsoft is interested in acquiring companies in markets they don't have wrapped up-- like the internet. Xobni makes outlook better? Great. Except that it's not about Outlook. It's about Gmail.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask YC: Why hasn't Microsoft acquired Xobni already? by gscott on Tuesday February 19, 2008 @03:01AM (#118778)

The solution to that would be make a version for Gmail.

That would piss MS off, they might buy them just to kill the Gmail version.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask YC: Why hasn't Microsoft acquired Xobni already? by ntoshev on Tuesday February 19, 2008 @08:11AM (#118864)

If it is really successful on Gmail, Google would make their own version, and Microsoft would know that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask YC: Why hasn't Microsoft acquired Xobni already? by gscott on Tuesday February 19, 2008 @02:08PM (#119106)

I don't believe Google would. They make there money with ads, an add-on to there platform isn't going to make them any additional ad sales so there is no reason for them to do it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask YC: Why hasn't Microsoft acquired Xobni already? by nextmoveone on Tuesday February 19, 2008 @04:36PM (#119188)

My guess is that Google actually would, and probably is; in an attempt to have a more social aspect Google is probably working on features that make it gmail part of a grander scheme including YouTube/Orkut/Blogger/etc..

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask YC: Why hasn't Microsoft acquired Xobni already? by nextmoveone on Wednesday February 20, 2008 @09:08AM (#119675)

I seriously need to proof read my comments...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask YC: Why hasn't Microsoft acquired Xobni already? by fiaz on Tuesday February 19, 2008 @10:44AM (#118947)

Good point. I admire what Jobs has done with OSX in making it easy for developers to create first class software. Perhaps Xobni is exemplary of this model for Microsoft. An acquisition of Xobni might not benefit Microsoft as much as seeing Xobni flourish independently and be an example of grassroots development that is so prevalent in the OSX community.

If Microsoft has realized that they have cannibalized a large segment of developers (think plankton in an ecosystem analogy) then they might realize that it's better to have more diversity and encourage independent developers to create quality software such as Xobni.

[ Parent | on HN ]