Link – Memo to Bill Gates
I’d guess IBM would buy ESRI before Microsoft would. I just don’t see how ESRI fits into their business model, but IBM seems like a great fit. Seriously though there are tons of other smaller companies that would fit better into Microsoft’s plans that ESRI and ones that are public and can be bought much easier than ESRI. I don’t think ESRI is too worried about the “mass market” especially if the software is given away. There is just no incentive to give up their independence for market-share.
Actually the more I write about this the crazier his post seems. Lets just leave it at “AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN”.