Web 2.0 could erode Microsoft's dominance

Businesses are failing to recognise the disadvantages of Microsoft products

Problems with Microsoft business implementations are being overlooked

Microsoft's dominance is leading businesses to overlook problems with its products, says analyst Gartner.

But the growth of Web 2.0 technologies will challenge the company's position, says the report published last week.

Microsoft software is not always the best but firms are swayed by a combination of integration, ease-of-use and aggressive sales and marketing.

Reliance on Microsoft limits firms' flexibility, and also creates dependencies on the supplier's other products, says Gartner.

But the advent of quick-to-market Web 2.0 systems will erode the Redmond-based supplier's dominance and turn it into a follower rather than a leader.

'As enterprises move to standardise on a single workflow platform, Microsoft will be challenged to displace key infrastructure vendors such as SAP and Oracle,' says the report.