In June, Microsoft officially announced the Surface tablet to the world. At the time of the reveal, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that its many Windows hardware partners were made aware of the Surface tablet beforehand but didn't say what their reaction was to Microsoft entering the PC hardware market on their own.
This week, in an annual filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Microsoft went over a number of the possible risk factors that it sees could affect the company in the future. On page 14 of the filing, Microsoft states:
... our Surface devices will compete with products made by our OEM partners, which may affect their commitment to our platform.
This filing is pretty much standard legal stuff for Microsoft to say when it sends its annual report to the SEC. The 10-K form also goes over a number of other possible risks to the company; this includes the launch of Windows 8 in late October. In the filing, Microsoft states:
Its success depends on a number of factors including the extent to which customers embrace its new user interface and functionality, successfully coordinating with our OEM partners in releasing a variety of hardware devices that take advantage of its features, and attracting developers at scale to ensure a competitive array of quality applications. We expect to incur substantial marketing costs in launching Window 8 and associated services and devices, which may reduce our operating margins.
Microsoft also says that cyber attacks on its products and services could affect the company, along with other issues. In short, Microsoft is making sure all its "i"s are dotted and all its "t"s are crossed.
Via: NYT
Source: SEC Form 10-K filing
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