Selling software has its upsides -- and downsides.
Look no further than Microsoft
An article in the current issue of Forbes points out the downside, calling it the Netflix
So chip designer Intel
This means that the business models for hardware and software must be fundamentally different. In hardware, you can always hope to invent your way out of any jam and keep the growth engines running. In software, you need to get an early lead and then hang on for dear life while the competition tries to catch up to your methods.
Netflix itself has proven to be remarkably good at doing exactly that, beating back all comers for years on the strength of a business and software framework that is incredibly tough to improve upon. You could argue that Microsoft is another example of this principle, though the Apple
And then you have the likes of IBM
Where do you see the greatest opportunities in technology investments -- software, hardware, or somewhere in between? Let us know in the comments below.