Chapter 293: Misjudgment

"So, that Dongling Gao Ke wants to join forces with Microsoft to promote the USB alliance?"

Bill Gates supported his face with his hand and asked Walter on the other end of the cross-ocean phone.

In the office, there were also Microsoft Vice President Ballmer, Public Relations Department head Grant, Hardware Department head Panos, and others who were summoned.

These people, except for Ballmer, were mostly Bill Gates' confidants. For a giant company of Microsoft's scale, there are different factions internally. Just like Bill Gates and Ballmer at this moment, the two looked intimate. The two joined forces back then and drove Microsoft's other founder, Paul Allen, away together. Since then, Microsoft has entered the era of Bill Gates.

As the Microsoft emperor, Bill Gates has absolute influence, but this does not mean that there are no other factions within Microsoft.

Ballmer, who was sitting opposite Bill Gates, also had a group of supporters behind him, as well as personnel from Wall Street institutions in Microsoft. After all, Microsoft's cake is so big, who doesn't want a bigger piece of it.

"Yes, the Shenzhou USB drive is absolutely an epoch-making product. If Microsoft can get the North American agency rights for the Shenzhou USB drive, it will absolutely be able to obtain huge revenue!

In addition, the founder of Dongling Gao Ke, Li Dongling, promised that if the two sides reach a cooperation, he is willing to recommend President Gates to serve as the first president of the USB alliance!"

When hearing this last sentence from Walter, a glimmer of light appeared in Bill Gates' eyes, but he didn't show it.

"Guys, what do you think of this?" After hanging up the phone, Bill Gates asked the group of people in front of him.

"This is just a small trick. Dongling Gao Ke wants to use Microsoft's influence to promote that USB alliance!"

Ballmer laughed and said. This kind of means, in his eyes, is not a high move at all, and can be seen at a glance. When Microsoft started, it also borrowed the momentum of IBM. In the end, it didn't affect the two sides turning against each other!

"Dongling Gao Ke needs Microsoft. If it could promote a set of USB interface standards by itself, it wouldn't have to come to Microsoft. Now it depends on whether Microsoft wants to help. The decision-making power is in our... in your hands, Gates."

When Ballmer spoke, he looked at Bill Gates. He knew this partner who had been watching for more than ten years too well. At this time, it depends on whether Bill Gates is still thinking about the previous grudge with Dongling Gao Ke. He can be sure that Bill Gates definitely hasn't forgotten the lawsuit that made him lose face back then.

Bill Gates didn't express his position directly, but asked Panos, "What do you think of the Shenzhou USB drive? Is there any chance that it will completely replace floppy disks, recorders, optical discs, and other products as Walter said?!"

Panos is the successor of Spencer, the former Microsoft hardware department manager. After Spencer was swept out of the house, he took over the mess.

Compared with his predecessor, Panos is more pragmatic. In the past few years, he hasn't done anything earth-shattering, but he silently eliminated the negative public opinion and influence that previously shrouded the Microsoft hardware department.

Moreover, he re-established cooperation with computer companies like HP, Dell, Compaq, and even IBM. Microsoft's independent mouse brand shipment volume is leading in North America, and Logitech can't sell as well as Microsoft mice in the North American market.

"If it is indeed as Walter said, then the Shenzhou USB drive replacing floppy disks and optical discs and recorders is only a matter of time!"

"However," Panos's face was as calm as water, "if the USB standard is really promoted according to the standard of the Shenzhou USB drive, then in the future, it may allow the Silver Sable mouse, as well as other computer peripheral products under Dongling Gao Ke, to get orders from major global computer manufacturers, and even become the world's largest computer peripheral equipment exporter!"

What is a standard? Whoever masters the standard masters the opportunity, and finally occupies the entire industry. This is not empty talk.

Bill Gates laughed when he heard this, "If Microsoft is also a founder of the USB alliance, Microsoft and Dongling Gao Ke stand on the same starting line, can the Microsoft hardware department defeat Dongling Gao Ke?"

Being asked this by Bill Gates, the expression on Panos's face couldn't hold up. Sitting as the manager of the Microsoft hardware department, can he say that he can't beat Silver Sable under Dongling Gao Ke?!

If you are afraid before fighting, then he, the Microsoft hardware department manager, doesn't have to do it, and just roll up his bedding and leave.

"The Silver Sable mouse occupies the advantage of registering patents first. In fact, the product is not much ahead of Microsoft and Logitech's products in technology. The Microsoft hardware department can develop products that surpass the Silver Sable mouse technology!" Panos gritted his teeth and said. At this time, even if it doesn't work, he has to say it works.

"Then agree to Dongling Gao Ke!"

Bill Gates said with shining eyes, "Microsoft and Dongling Gao Ke jointly promote the USB alliance standard. For Microsoft, this is also an opportunity, an opportunity to expand Microsoft's influence to the hardware industry."

Microsoft's entry into the computer hardware industry has always been hindered. If it can promote the USB alliance standard, it is equivalent to Microsoft burying a nail in the hardware industry!

Boiling a frog in warm water, as long as there are a few more such standards, Microsoft's influence in the hardware industry will become larger and larger. It will not be so easy for those computer manufacturers to drive Microsoft away again. The operating system plus hardware standards are enough for Microsoft to firmly control the entire computer industry.

Of course, if he becomes the first president of the USB alliance, it would be even better for Bill Gates, which can increase his influence and reputation, and let computer users all over the world know the contribution he made to the computer industry!

Seeing Bill Gates express his position, Ballmer, Panos, Grant, and others all nodded in agreement. Forming a USB alliance is not a big deal for Microsoft. Things decided by Bill Gates don't need them to oppose.

"Mainland Dongling Gao Ke company reached a flash memory technology agreement with Japan's Toshiba. Dongling Gao Ke paid a patent fee as high as 8.9 million US dollars per year to get a five-year flash memory technology authorization from Toshiba. This is the most expensive authorization fee paid by a mainland tech company for a single technology to date!"

A piece of news first spread from Singapore media, then was reprinted by Hong Kong media, then entered Guangdong Province, and then was reported by domestic TV stations, newspapers, radio stations, and other news media.

As soon as this news came out, it caused an uproar. Spending nearly 9 million US dollars a year, nearly 70 or 80 million yuan in sky-high prices, just to buy a technology authorization, this is almost a fantasy news in the country.

Previously, many media had reported that Dongling Gao Ke had invested heavily in technology and R&D, but because Dongling Gao Ke is not a listed company and has not announced specific R&D expenses, this news made the entire domestic tech industry vibrate, allowing the outside world to see for the first time how much Dongling Gao Ke can burn money!

Spending such a large sum of money just to get a technology authorization, whether it can be earned back is hard to say, naturally leading to various discussions.

But for the overwhelming public opinion from the outside world, Dongling Gao Ke did not respond, nor did it make a statement about what it wanted to do with this technology.

In fact, when Dongling Gao Ke first approached Toshiba and expressed that it wanted to get the flash memory patent authorization, Toshiba opened its mouth like a lion, and the conditions were very harsh, constantly inquiring about what products Dongling Gao Ke wanted to use flash memory technology to develop, and even wanted to directly draw a percentage from products using Toshiba flash memory!

Dongling Gao Ke and Toshiba argued for a long time, and even prepared to give up Toshiba and try their luck with Samsung and American manufacturers.

It is true that Toshiba's flash memory technology is the most advanced, but Samsung and many American manufacturers also have it. Toshiba had authorized flash memory technology to many manufacturers before, and the price was not particularly expensive. But the Dongling Gao Ke that came from the mainland was opened like a lion.

Finally, when Dongling Gao Ke was about to give up, Toshiba loosened up, but also put forward harsh requirements, requiring Dongling Gao Ke to pay a patent fee of nearly 10 million US dollars to Toshiba every year before it was willing to give the flash memory patent to Dongling Gao Ke.

Toshiba felt that with such a high authorization fee, no matter what storage products Dongling Gao Ke developed, it would probably not be able to take much advantage in the end. This wave of Toshiba should not lose!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 294 =====