This is in response to a post I came across on Linked-In where the question was posed, "Can someone define exactly what the meaning " We're a Microsoft Shop / House" really means in today's world & benefits of this given so much open source products available today ?"

One of the responses was: "It means bound to proprietary software, corporate dogma and being a marketing vehicle for Microsoft...."

That's one way to look at it for sure, but I'll also offer my 2 cents. It could also mean that they recognize the value of choosing a strategic partner and dedicating their resources to one platform, avoiding the "jack of all trades, master of none" syndrome.

I know several senior level architects that have taken a similar approach to the development platforms in which they invest. They chose to focus and specialize rather than attempt to provide broader and perhaps more flexible skills, and from what I have witnessed it pays off big-time. The value comes not from the high level architecture designs that they're able to form, but when the rubber meets the road in implementation, they have the deep-level knowledge and experience to build robust, reliable, and proven solutions, and have the ability solve that really, really odd behavior in the system that nobody else can seem to figure out.

The fact that a company chooses to be a "Microsoft shop", is simply just that...a choice. Is there a downside? Sure, you can't deny that you're limiting your options, but it's probably only a short-term loss. Microsoft (or Sun, IBM, etc.) will eventually always provide equivalent functionality to other popular or mainstream platforms, so you'll never really be far behind. However, if your company wishes to live on the bleeding edge of technology every waking minute of the day, then you've already chosen not to have a particular strategic platform. Again, that's a choice. Few companies can pull that off, but if yours is one of them, great. If not, making a strategic choice, forming strong partnerships, and being committed to a particular platform can yield great long-term results.

It's an interesting topic though, so what are your thoughts? Why not leave a comment or two?