Microsoft hasn"t had the best year when it comes to being classed as innovative. Earlier in the year, the former CEO of Google Eric Schmidt, snubbed Microsoft as not being innovative enough to be classed as being in the big four. In a statistics report published by Forbes, it further hints to the fact that Microsoft is not excelling as much as its competitors in the computer industry.
Below are the 10 most innovative companies that Forbes has identified, with Microsoft added to the bottom:
| Rank | Company | 5-Year Avg. Sales Growth | 5-Year Avg. Net Income Growth | Enterprise Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salesforce.com | 39.5% | 78.7% | 20.7 |
| 2 | Amazon.com | 32.0% | 37.6% | 92.7 |
| 3 | Intuitive Surgical | 43.4% | 36.4% | 13.4 |
| 4 | Tencent Holdings | 69.0% | 75.4% | 46.5 |
| 5 | Apple | 35.1% | 60.7% | 303.4 |
| 6 | Hindustan Unilever | 10.0% | 4.0% | 15.5 |
| 7 | 35.0% | 37.1% | 138.1 | |
| 8 | Natura Cosméticos | 17.0% | 13.5% | 10.2 |
| 9 | Bharat Heavy Electricals | 27.2% | 25.0% | 19.5 |
| 10 | Monsanto | 13.4% | 44.7% | 41.3 |
| 86 | Microsoft | 9.7% | 8.3% | 186 |
As seen from the table, while Microsoft has a significant value price, the growth of the company is relatively minimal compared to competitors. Some have speculated that the slower growth is due to Microsoft"s success and dependence on its traditional products such as Windows and Office, as well as the Xbox. It is worthy to note that while the report by Forbes takes into account business success, it does not consider the innovative ideas that corporations may produce but otherwise choose not to implement.
The news hasn"t been great for Microsoft this week, after it was announced that the Windows Mobile/Phone platforms had fallen in market share from March to June. A lot will be riding on the Mango update in order to increase customers and deliver a greater presence in the smartphone market. The Redmond based company also has high hopes for the success of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system that will be compatible on both PCs and tablets.