Microsoft were dragged over hot coals for bundling Internet Explorer in their Windows suite of products. By doing this they supposedly stopped free competition for web browser companies like Netscape. Huge amount of bad publicity for Bill Gates and the team.
Google develop Google Chrome - a web browser which anyone can download for free! And they get high fives all round. Are they not stopping free competition by giving their product away?
There are a few business lessons to learn here :
Size and market presence may leave a sour taste in customer's mouths
People love an underdog! If you operate a small business, you are uniquely able to meet your customer's need in a very personal way. Provided your product is comparable quality and price, you should be able to target and pick off a big enough client base to keep your business profitable.
You may face your stiffest competition from someone who is not your competitor
The answering machine industry was rendered obsolete by mobile phones with answering services and fixed line operators now offering the same. Google are not in the web-browser business. Who is not in your market but may compete with you? Who could you compete with?
Perception is reality
Microsoft were perceived as being the "bad guy", so they got punished. What is the market perception of your company. How do you change that or preserve that.
