A new toy from Microsoft

Not related to the CRM industry, strictly speaking, the news released from Microsoft will no doubt have medium- and long-term implications everywhere. The announcement, which has multiplied like bunnies fed a diet of Viagra-supplemented carrots, stated that the software giant has confirmed that it is developing a new portable music player to directly compete with that long-time thorn in the side, the iPod.

Microsoft reportedly plans to ship the new device by the end of the year, surely in time for holiday shopping. The doodad will be christened the Zune, and Microsoft R&D is reportedly developing an entire line of portable entertainment software products under the Zune name. Naturally, analysts and experts have lined up one either side of the success question of Zune.

Apple clearly has a large lead with a share of more than half the global market for portable music players, and iTunes, Apple’s digital music store, has a 70 perecnt share of its market. Microsoft, however … well, they’re Microsoft, and they’re in almost every home that sports a PC. The Zune may include video and entertainment capabilities, wi-fi, social networking and / or video gaming. Some have said the move is a direct result of the Microsoft brain trust wishing to expand its firm’s reach as the market for its desktop software products becomes saturated.