如果你想象不到被微軟收購(gòu)之后,Tiktok會(huì)變成什么樣,沒(méi)關(guān)系,這確實(shí)很難想象。
老牌科技巨頭微軟的大部分收入來(lái)自于企業(yè)版Office和Azure云計(jì)算,而互聯(lián)網(wǎng)后起之秀字節(jié)跳動(dòng)旗下的TikTok里充滿(mǎn)了輕松、搞笑、魔性的短視頻。他倆的風(fēng)格真是不太搭。
盡管如此,微軟仍欲加速推進(jìn)關(guān)于收購(gòu)TikTok美國(guó)業(yè)務(wù)的談判,想在9月15日之前簽署協(xié)議。因?yàn)樘乩势毡硎?,他將?月15日關(guān)閉TikTok在美國(guó)的業(yè)務(wù)。他聲稱(chēng),這款應(yīng)用對(duì)國(guó)家安全構(gòu)成威脅。
那么,如果交易最終敲定,TikTok變成什么樣子呢?分析師紛紛表示,業(yè)務(wù)基本上還是會(huì)照常進(jìn)行,不過(guò)微軟最終可能會(huì)嘗試將這項(xiàng)服務(wù)與自己的一些商業(yè)產(chǎn)品捆綁在一起。
卡內(nèi)基梅隆大學(xué)數(shù)字媒體與營(yíng)銷(xiāo)學(xué)教授阿里?萊特曼(Ari Lightman)預(yù)測(cè),微軟不會(huì)立即在這項(xiàng)應(yīng)用上冠以自己公司的名稱(chēng)。因?yàn)閷?duì)于許多TikTok用戶(hù)來(lái)說(shuō),微軟并不是他們心目中的理想品牌。
他表示,如果微軟公司將TikTok冠以自己公司的名稱(chēng),“它將成為下一個(gè)必應(yīng)"。萊特曼認(rèn)為微軟的搜索引擎必應(yīng)和谷歌相比,差了一大截。他補(bǔ)充說(shuō),TikTok里全是關(guān)于貓的視頻和“人們掉進(jìn)泳池的視頻,這些都很娛樂(lè)化”,和商務(wù)不沾邊。
但是,萊特曼認(rèn)為,微軟可能會(huì)利用TikTok來(lái)推動(dòng)自己的產(chǎn)品開(kāi)發(fā)。微軟可以通過(guò)挖掘TikTok收集的數(shù)據(jù),比如人們更傾向于分享什么樣的內(nèi)容,以了解更多的消費(fèi)者行為——這是微軟一直以來(lái)比較薄弱的一個(gè)領(lǐng)域。
加拿大皇家銀行資本市場(chǎng)分析師亞歷克斯?祖金(Alex Zukin)補(bǔ)充稱(chēng),微軟可以將TikTok的部分內(nèi)容融入Office 365辦公軟件套裝中,包括團(tuán)隊(duì)即時(shí)通訊服務(wù),或許員工還可以拍攝短視頻信息發(fā)送給同事。
無(wú)論微軟對(duì)TikTok作何改動(dòng),后者都會(huì)是微軟用以吸引年輕用戶(hù)的利器。而年輕用戶(hù)數(shù)量缺乏也正是微軟目前面臨的一大問(wèn)題,祖金將其稱(chēng)之為微軟“存亡攸關(guān)的挑戰(zhàn)”。
相比之下,谷歌在年輕用戶(hù)中的“人緣”就好得多——其旗下的YouTube視頻網(wǎng)站、谷歌搜索引擎都深受年輕人歡迎,學(xué)校內(nèi)大量投放的谷歌筆記本電腦也讓學(xué)生們?cè)缭缡煜ち斯雀璁a(chǎn)品。祖金表示,正是谷歌對(duì)校園生活的全面滲透,讓很多年輕消費(fèi)者“完全沒(méi)接觸過(guò)微軟系列產(chǎn)品”,導(dǎo)致微軟年輕用戶(hù)群較小。
祖金認(rèn)為,微軟首席執(zhí)行官薩提亞·納德拉會(huì)像近年收購(gòu)領(lǐng)英、代碼托管平臺(tái)GitHub、電子游戲《我的世界》時(shí)一樣,在收購(gòu)TikTok后,放開(kāi)其美國(guó)相關(guān)服務(wù)的管理權(quán)。
然而,此次收購(gòu)也有潛在風(fēng)險(xiǎn),甚至可能重蹈通訊軟件Skype、游戲直播平臺(tái)Mixer的覆轍。彭博社2018年的一則報(bào)道指出,Skype原本深受歡迎,但被微軟收購(gòu)后,軟件設(shè)計(jì)有所調(diào)整,隨后人氣便急轉(zhuǎn)直下。Mixer也在2016年的收購(gòu)后一蹶不振,在今年初宣布關(guān)閉。
祖金和萊特曼都表示,TikTok未來(lái)可以與微軟的Xbox游戲服務(wù)相結(jié)合,讓短視頻分享與游戲視頻兩種市場(chǎng)融合發(fā)展。例如,用戶(hù)可在TikTok平臺(tái)分享游戲?qū)崨r視頻,點(diǎn)擊此視頻即可跳轉(zhuǎn)至在線游戲平臺(tái),直接開(kāi)始游戲。目前,微軟正在開(kāi)發(fā)此功能。
去年,納德拉曾暗示,微軟將以用戶(hù)和生活為核心,推進(jìn)下一步技術(shù)研發(fā)。在在接受《財(cái)富》雜志采訪時(shí),他表示:“我們的工作和生活效率能提高嗎?游戲娛樂(lè)能再度革新嗎?這些都是微軟長(zhǎng)期關(guān)注的問(wèn)題。”
而或許,TikTok就是這個(gè)問(wèn)題的答案。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:劉心辰、杜心邈
如果你想象不到被微軟收購(gòu)之后,Tiktok會(huì)變成什么樣,沒(méi)關(guān)系,這確實(shí)很難想象。
老牌科技巨頭微軟的大部分收入來(lái)自于企業(yè)版Office和Azure云計(jì)算,而互聯(lián)網(wǎng)后起之秀字節(jié)跳動(dòng)旗下的TikTok里充滿(mǎn)了輕松、搞笑、魔性的短視頻。他倆的風(fēng)格真是不太搭。
盡管如此,微軟仍欲加速推進(jìn)關(guān)于收購(gòu)TikTok美國(guó)業(yè)務(wù)的談判,想在9月15日之前簽署協(xié)議。因?yàn)樘乩势毡硎?,他將?月15日關(guān)閉TikTok在美國(guó)的業(yè)務(wù)。他聲稱(chēng),這款應(yīng)用對(duì)國(guó)家安全構(gòu)成威脅。
那么,如果交易最終敲定,TikTok變成什么樣子呢?分析師紛紛表示,業(yè)務(wù)基本上還是會(huì)照常進(jìn)行,不過(guò)微軟最終可能會(huì)嘗試將這項(xiàng)服務(wù)與自己的一些商業(yè)產(chǎn)品捆綁在一起。
卡內(nèi)基梅隆大學(xué)數(shù)字媒體與營(yíng)銷(xiāo)學(xué)教授阿里?萊特曼(Ari Lightman)預(yù)測(cè),微軟不會(huì)立即在這項(xiàng)應(yīng)用上冠以自己公司的名稱(chēng)。因?yàn)閷?duì)于許多TikTok用戶(hù)來(lái)說(shuō),微軟并不是他們心目中的理想品牌。
他表示,如果微軟公司將TikTok冠以自己公司的名稱(chēng),“它將成為下一個(gè)必應(yīng)"。萊特曼認(rèn)為微軟的搜索引擎必應(yīng)和谷歌相比,差了一大截。他補(bǔ)充說(shuō),TikTok里全是關(guān)于貓的視頻和“人們掉進(jìn)泳池的視頻,這些都很娛樂(lè)化”,和商務(wù)不沾邊。
但是,萊特曼認(rèn)為,微軟可能會(huì)利用TikTok來(lái)推動(dòng)自己的產(chǎn)品開(kāi)發(fā)。微軟可以通過(guò)挖掘TikTok收集的數(shù)據(jù),比如人們更傾向于分享什么樣的內(nèi)容,以了解更多的消費(fèi)者行為——這是微軟一直以來(lái)比較薄弱的一個(gè)領(lǐng)域。
加拿大皇家銀行資本市場(chǎng)分析師亞歷克斯?祖金(Alex Zukin)補(bǔ)充稱(chēng),微軟可以將TikTok的部分內(nèi)容融入Office 365辦公軟件套裝中,包括團(tuán)隊(duì)即時(shí)通訊服務(wù),或許員工還可以拍攝短視頻信息發(fā)送給同事。
無(wú)論微軟對(duì)TikTok作何改動(dòng),后者都會(huì)是微軟用以吸引年輕用戶(hù)的利器。而年輕用戶(hù)數(shù)量缺乏也正是微軟目前面臨的一大問(wèn)題,祖金將其稱(chēng)之為微軟“存亡攸關(guān)的挑戰(zhàn)”。
相比之下,谷歌在年輕用戶(hù)中的“人緣”就好得多——其旗下的YouTube視頻網(wǎng)站、谷歌搜索引擎都深受年輕人歡迎,學(xué)校內(nèi)大量投放的谷歌筆記本電腦也讓學(xué)生們?cè)缭缡煜ち斯雀璁a(chǎn)品。祖金表示,正是谷歌對(duì)校園生活的全面滲透,讓很多年輕消費(fèi)者“完全沒(méi)接觸過(guò)微軟系列產(chǎn)品”,導(dǎo)致微軟年輕用戶(hù)群較小。
祖金認(rèn)為,微軟首席執(zhí)行官薩提亞·納德拉會(huì)像近年收購(gòu)領(lǐng)英、代碼托管平臺(tái)GitHub、電子游戲《我的世界》時(shí)一樣,在收購(gòu)TikTok后,放開(kāi)其美國(guó)相關(guān)服務(wù)的管理權(quán)。
然而,此次收購(gòu)也有潛在風(fēng)險(xiǎn),甚至可能重蹈通訊軟件Skype、游戲直播平臺(tái)Mixer的覆轍。彭博社2018年的一則報(bào)道指出,Skype原本深受歡迎,但被微軟收購(gòu)后,軟件設(shè)計(jì)有所調(diào)整,隨后人氣便急轉(zhuǎn)直下。Mixer也在2016年的收購(gòu)后一蹶不振,在今年初宣布關(guān)閉。
祖金和萊特曼都表示,TikTok未來(lái)可以與微軟的Xbox游戲服務(wù)相結(jié)合,讓短視頻分享與游戲視頻兩種市場(chǎng)融合發(fā)展。例如,用戶(hù)可在TikTok平臺(tái)分享游戲?qū)崨r視頻,點(diǎn)擊此視頻即可跳轉(zhuǎn)至在線游戲平臺(tái),直接開(kāi)始游戲。目前,微軟正在開(kāi)發(fā)此功能。
去年,納德拉曾暗示,微軟將以用戶(hù)和生活為核心,推進(jìn)下一步技術(shù)研發(fā)。在在接受《財(cái)富》雜志采訪時(shí),他表示:“我們的工作和生活效率能提高嗎?游戲娛樂(lè)能再度革新嗎?這些都是微軟長(zhǎng)期關(guān)注的問(wèn)題?!?/p>
而或許,TikTok就是這個(gè)問(wèn)題的答案。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:劉心辰、杜心邈
If you’re scratching your head over the prospect of technology giant Microsoft buying the trendy video-sharing app TikTok, you aren’t alone.
After all, Microsoft makes most of its money from selling Office software and Azure cloud computing to business customers. Its enterprise products are far afield from an app known for short videos of people lip syncing and dancing.
Nevertheless, Microsoft is pushing to negotiate a deal for TikTok's U.S. operations before Sept. 15, the date when President Trump said he would ban TikTok in the U.S. He alleges that the app, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, is a national security threat.
So, if a sale is finalized, what would TikTok be like? The answer is mostly business as usual, according to analysts, who added that Microsoft may eventually try to tie the service into some of its business-oriented products.
For starters, Microsoft should resist immediately slapping its name on the service, explained Ari Lightman, a professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. For many TikTok users, Microsoft doesn't resonate at all as a desirable brand.
“I think if they brand it Microsoft, it will be the next Bing,” Lightman said, referring to Microsoft's search engine that significantly lags Google’s. TikTok is all about cat videos and “people falling into pools—it’s entertainment,” he added, and not particularly corporate.
Microsoft may use TikTok to give its own product development a lift, Lightman added. Microsoft could mine the data TikTok collects, like what kind of content people are more inclined to share, to learn more about consumer behavior—an area in which it's historically been weak.
Alex Zukin, an analyst for RBC Capital, added that Microsoft could weave parts of TikTok into its Office 365 suite of workplace software, including its Teams instant messaging service. Office workers would be able to create mini-video messages to send to colleagues, much like many of them do already do through a fast-rising workplace instant messaging service called Loom.
Whatever the case, TikTok could be a critical tool for Microsoft for making make sure that younger users are aware of its products—a challenge that Zukin described as Microsoft's “most existential threat.”
Younger users are already familiar with Google, not only through its popular YouTube video service and search engine, but also by using Google products like Chromebook laptop computers at school. Because of this early indoctrination, many younger consumers “never get into the Microsoft ecosystem,” Zukin said.
In general, he expects Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to leave TikTok’s U.S. service and leadership alone after an acquisition. It's a similar strategy the company took following other big acquisitions in recent years like LinkedIn, developer service GitHub, and video game Minecraft.
The danger for Microsoft is to repeat the mistake of Skype, a once popular online calling service that floundered after Microsoft acquired it in 2011 and then imposed design changes, as Bloomberg reported in 2018. Microsoft also struck out with video-game viewing service Mixer, which it acquired in 2016, but then pulled the plug on earlier this year.
Both Zukin and Lightman said that TikTok would benefit from Microsoft’s Xbox gaming business by merging two different consumer worlds—video sharing and video gaming. People could share TikTok videos of themselves playing video games while viewers click a button to automatically open the same game to play via a cloud gaming service, which Microsoft is already developing.
Last year, Nadella hinted at Microsoft making a bigger push into consumer technology, substituting in the word "life." In an interview with Fortune, he said: "Can we do more things around productivity across work and life? What can we do in gaming, obviously, which is entertainment? These are categories we’ve always been in.”
Perhaps TikTok is the answer.