Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/01/napster_blames_microsoft/
Struggling music subscription service Napster is blaming Microsoft for its problems.
Napster chairman and chief executive Chris Gorog said: "There is no question that their execution has been less than brilliant over the last 12 months. Our business does rely on Microsoft's digital rights management software and our business model relies on Microsoft's ecosystem of device manufacturers."
He said Microsoft had a complex task dealing with various devices and services, in comparison with Apple's focus on one device and one service. Gorog was speaking (http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=ousiv&storyID=2006-03-01T025759Z_01_N28388431_RTRIDST_0_BUSINESSPRO-SUMMIT-NAPSTER-DC.XML) at a Reuters event in New York.
But he remains confident that Napster has made the right strategic decision and that non-iPod players will start to gain market share - he believes the market will look very different in one or two years.
He said: "Ultimately, the consumer electronics giants...are all going to come to this Windows Media party. This is really going to be the ubiquitous format."
Gorog again dismissed rumours that Napster is up for sale. ®
AOL flogs MusicNow to Napster for $15m (13 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/13/aol_napster_deal/
Stoic Napster troubled by Grecian formula (19 July 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/19/stoic_napster_fall_emusic_rise/
Napster sets music 'free' with five-song barrier (2 May 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/02/napster_barrier/
Napster subscribers up, losses down (7 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/07/napster_q4_forecast/
Olive works 400GB into Opus digital music centre (1 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/01/olive_unveils_400gb_opus/
Amazon tuning in to music downloads, says paper (16 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/16/amazon_music_downloads/
Ad happy Napster turns Q3 profit to loss (9 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/09/napster_q3_loss/
Time Warner embraces P2P (30 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/30/timewarner_moves_p2p/
Napster claims 100 per cent year-on-year subscriber growth (18 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/18/napster_subscriber_figures/
Napster rejects restructure reports (16 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/16/napster_denies_layoffs/
Apple's iTunes 'owns' UK digital music market (18 November 2005)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2005/11/18/uk_music_market_survey/