Its key competitors in Windows Live software and services include Apple, Google and Yahoo!. Microsoft exploited the weaknesses of their operating system limitations to market its own product – Windows operating system, which revolutionized personal computers all over the world! Understand your competition with this accessible analysis template. Enter details on five competitors and rate the applicability of each factor to your business. Competitor analysis includes the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of business competitors and the strategies that the company may use to assure that it can manage to surpass the items that make their competitors more avaliable. Download Share. Competitor analysis. This SWOT analysis of Microsoft Corporation highlights the necessity of strategies geared toward further innovation and diversification of the computer hardware and software business. The classic example of Microsoft’s market positioning against its competitors, Apple and IBM, gives us a better picture on the benefits of competitor analysis. Microsoft can also extend its efforts to consider issues beyond the internal and external strategic factors in this SWOT analysis. Microsoft is an undisputed leader in global marketplace in cloud segment. Threats in the SWOT analysis of Microsoft. The company faces stiff competition in all its segments. More templates like this. A Five Forces analysis (Porter’s model) of Microsoft Corporation shows that competition is the external factor with the highest intensity in the computer technology industry environment. Microsoft SWOT analysis Strengths in Microsoft SWOT Analysis. The technology giant offers a wide range of cloud-based computing services that include Bing, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, Microsoft Office 365, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox Live, and Yammer. It portrays an essential appendage to conduct an industry analysis. Some competitors of Microsoft include Apple Inc. and Google, Nintendo, and Sony, all have competing operating systems with a great deal of marketing to accompany them. A competitor analysis focuses on each company against which firm directly competes. Competitor analysis begins with identifying present as well as potential competitors. 1. An industry analysis gives information regarding probable sources of competition (including all the possible strategic actions and reactions and effects on profitability for all the organizations competing in the industry). Excel. To maintain its market position as a major competitor, Microsoft must consider the issues outlined in this Five Forces analysis of the technology business. Understanding the actions of competitors clearly contributes to the firm’s ability to compete successfully with in the industry. Competition: The software market is highly competitive, which may impact the company’s performance.