I stumbled across this video on YouTube this evening, and after seeing the title I thought ‘oh this might be good for a laugh’. This video looks to have been shot at the time Apple launched the iPhone back in 2007.

In the clip Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer, literally laughs off the threat of the new Apple device stating that there is no way they feel threatened by “the most expensive mobile phone on the marketplace”, now at the time this may have been a real thought for those guys at Microsoft, Apple had never been in the Mobile phone market before what signs were there to say they would be successful?

Well…weren’t Microsoft in for a suprise! I think that Microsoft were under the misbelieve that because they developed Windows Mobile they were somehow the market leaders and that nobody was going to knock them off their perch. I’m almost certain that Steve Ballmer wouldn’t be the one laughing now! Steve Jobs and the team at Apple would be sitting pretty now with their ‘revolutionary’ product. Even though the iPhone was seemingly expensive at the time the 1st Gen still sold like hotcakes, only to be severely outdone by the 3G, and again by the 3GS!!!

Its so apparent when we see behaviour like this from CEO’s and managers that they just do not understand the real threats that their companies and products are exposed to, even if you are the market leader it doesn’t mean you’re invincible. Businesses operating in these times need to be constantly evaluating what their competition are doing and attempting to stay a step ahead. I feel pretty confident in saying that I really don’t think Windows Mobile has a leg to stand on, and without knowing the real figures – I would hazard a guess that there is probably as many if not more iPhones out there as compared to Windows Mobile.

It is so comical to watch things like this and think how embarrassing it must be for the company to look back on. It’s this shallow minded perception of the marketplace that Microsoft exists in that makes me think that one day when they least suspect it they will be knocked out of the number one spot by a competitor in the market!!