Microsoft Vs. IBM

While the Microsoft - Google interweb wars may put butts in the seats, the real action is on the second stage where Microsoft is shelling out $500 million to beat it chief rival, IBM.

That's right. IBM is Microsofts chief competition.

With the tagline; Microsoft: Software for the people-ready business, Microsoft's new "people-ready" push is the start of its sales and marketing campaign for the business versions of its forthcoming Windows and Office product line-up.

Speaking at the "ImpactPeople" business-user conference, CEO Steve Ballmer called out arch-nemisis IBM in a series of incindiary comments; "We're staking out a position quite different than our leading competitor. That's IBM. We are talking about making the people in the business more productive. IBM is talking about a project. We're talking about software….IBM increasingly is a services company. At the end of the day, we're a software company."

He then proceeded to throw down the gauntlet:

"There's a prevalent view that IBM is a technology company…And yet, I think in large measure, we're talking about apples and oranges."

This could be good.