Steve Ballmer

You could. We were encouraging you to buy Office.

But we also had this all-you-can-eat license. I can't remember what we called that. But basically then I think you counted the number of employees and you could use any of our software for anybody. So we just tried to go simpler and simpler and simpler in the administration. recurring revenue that didn't decline over time and sort of as much as you wanted to eat, the upgrades, everything.

But we also had this all-you-can-eat license. I can't remember what we called that. But basically then I think you counted the number of employees and you could use any of our software for anybody. So we just tried to go simpler and simpler and simpler in the administration. recurring revenue that didn't decline over time and sort of as much as you wanted to eat, the upgrades, everything.

We did want essentially what you have now, which is a recurring services business, but we didn't have the cloud. We weren't delivering things, but we're already on that path. I think we started the Energizer. You guys mentioned what we do with Energizer, which is where we wanted to run their IT department.

We did want essentially what you have now, which is a recurring services business, but we didn't have the cloud. We weren't delivering things, but we're already on that path. I think we started the Energizer. You guys mentioned what we do with Energizer, which is where we wanted to run their IT department.

They were a pilot customer for this concept, right?

They were a pilot customer for this concept, right?

They were the first customer. I talked them into it. And this is beyond the enterprise agreement. This is where we actually want to run their stuff because we did want to get to this recurring revenue thing.

They were the first customer. I talked them into it. And this is beyond the enterprise agreement. This is where we actually want to run their stuff because we did want to get to this recurring revenue thing.

When we created Office, Bill really drove that. And we're selling Excel, Word, PowerPoint. And then we put these things together. And people would complain. And we didn't always sell Office because people say, our users don't use Excel. So we don't want Excel included. Okay, we had a licensing option for you. But it became easier and easier.

When we created Office, Bill really drove that. And we're selling Excel, Word, PowerPoint. And then we put these things together. And people would complain. And we didn't always sell Office because people say, our users don't use Excel. So we don't want Excel included. Okay, we had a licensing option for you. But it became easier and easier.

People, then departments, departments always were in running IT at the time. Still now, I think.

People, then departments, departments always were in running IT at the time. Still now, I think.

So we did sell you things that you might not be using. But it also, if you're trying to, you know, the departments, we already got it all for you. You may want something different than this department, but we got it all for you. That was an attractive thing for people. And there's an insurance aspect that I learned that IT people really want. They want peace of mind.

So we did sell you things that you might not be using. But it also, if you're trying to, you know, the departments, we already got it all for you. You may want something different than this department, but we got it all for you. That was an attractive thing for people. And there's an insurance aspect that I learned that IT people really want. They want peace of mind.

That's part of what it means to be an enterprise. I want to make sure everything's secure. I want to make sure that everything is well managed. I want to make sure everything is well paid for. I want to make sure there's somebody to call if things go wrong. I want to make sure I bought everything. I don't want to look bad because either I paid too much or I have holes in what I bought for people.

That's part of what it means to be an enterprise. I want to make sure everything's secure. I want to make sure that everything is well managed. I want to make sure everything is well paid for. I want to make sure there's somebody to call if things go wrong. I want to make sure I bought everything. I don't want to look bad because either I paid too much or I have holes in what I bought for people.

So I view this, and I probably evolved my view to this over time. When you sell the enterprise, you have to provide peace of mind, which is kind of like an insurance policy. So buying more than you might be using or some users are using. It's an insurance policy.

So I view this, and I probably evolved my view to this over time. When you sell the enterprise, you have to provide peace of mind, which is kind of like an insurance policy. So buying more than you might be using or some users are using. It's an insurance policy.

But we weren't even mailing disks by then because we had the enterprise agreement in place.