kvmb Chapter 233 User Chat Room
Chapter 233 User Chat Room
At eight o'clock in the morning, ICQ's public chat room was in an uproar.
User "CoolGuy23": "Has anyone seen the news? Microsoft bought ICQ! Will it be integrated into Windows in the future?"
User "JennyNYC": "I hope it won't be too ugly. I like the current interface."
User "Techie101": "430 million! Microsoft is really rich, but what benefits do we users get? More stable servers?"
User "Skeptic42": "Benefits? Just wait and see. Microsoft will definitely cram a bunch of stuff in. They might even charge for it."
User "GamerDude": "I'll still use Star Language, at least it's connected to the game platform, making it easier to find teammates."
User "ICQ_Fan": "Star Language has only been around for a short time. ICQ is an old-timer. With Microsoft taking over, it will have more resources and develop faster."
User "PrivacyFirst": "What about our privacy? Will Microsoft scan our chat history? I'm a little worried."
User "Whatever_man": "Anyway, they're all free, so it doesn't matter which one I use. I'll just use whichever one is better."
The chat history scrolled by very quickly.
Some tech forums also started discussing it. On Slashdot (a tech news website), a post about the acquisition garnered over 300 comments in half an hour.
Opinions are polarized: some believe Microsoft will ruin ICQ's simplicity and independent spirit; others believe Microsoft's resources and engineering capabilities can make ICQ better. Many also mentioned StarTalk, arguing that the real competition is only just beginning.
There are also related discussions on the Starry Sky Games platform's user forum. Many Starry Sky users posted questions such as, "Will our Starry Sky account be affected if Microsoft buys ICQ?" and "Will the platform be suppressed by Microsoft?"
At 9:00 AM, the official Star Language account posted a brief announcement: "Congratulations to the ICQ team! Star Language will continue to focus on providing the best communication experience for Star Platform users and gamers. A series of new feature updates will be available soon, so please stay tuned."
Below the announcement, players replied:
"Support Star Language! Microsoft's stuff is too bloated."
"The key is to link Star Language with the gaming platform; it makes arranging games and challenges so convenient."
"I hope Xingyu keeps it simple and doesn't add a bunch of useless features like Microsoft did."
Nine o'clock in the morning, Silicon Valley, Lingyun's office.
The phone rang; it was Michael Dell from Dell.
"Lingyun, have you seen the news?" Michael's voice sounded calm.
"I see. Microsoft is really generous, 430 million! Tsk tsk tsk."
What do you think?
"Microsoft is in a hurry and is willing to spend a lot of money to make a move in the instant messaging field, so as not to be overtaken by StarCraft in this position."
A soft chuckle came from the other end of the phone: "Indeed. The shareholders will question this price, but the board values the strategic significance more; they can't allow you to build barriers in the instant messaging field as well."
"The barrier to entry for Star Language isn't just the software itself," Ling Yun said, "but the relationship chain with the game platform and the deep integration with the Starry Sky system. Integrating ICQ into Windows will take time, and cultural integration is a challenge."
“I know.” Michael paused for a moment. “I called to say that Dell will continue to support the Star Platform and Star Language. Our partnership will not change because of Microsoft’s acquisition. In fact, this has further solidified my judgment: the path you’ve taken has made Microsoft feel a real threat.”
"Thank you, Michael."
"However, you also need to be careful. Microsoft will be investing a lot of resources in promoting ICQ, and may put pressure on OEMs, such as us, to pre-install or promote ICQ. I will withstand the pressure, but other companies... such as HP and Compaq, may waver."
"clear."
"Keep in touch. If you need any help, just let me know."
"it is good."
Less than ten minutes after hanging up, Louis Platt from HP also called.
"Lingyun, regarding Microsoft's acquisition of ICQ..."
"Louis, just say it."
"HP and Microsoft have a long history of cooperation, and Windows is our main pre-installed system. Now that Microsoft is heavily promoting ICQ, it's hard for us to completely ignore it. Of course, HP and Star Technology also cooperate in the field of gaming hardware and servers, and we don't want to damage that relationship."
"you mean?"
"In the short term, we will not pre-install ICQ on consumer PCs to replace or exclude StarTalk. However, in the enterprise market, Microsoft may promote ICQ as an internal communication tool, and HP will need to cooperate. In addition, we may need to balance the allocation of future marketing resources."
"I understand," Ling Yun said. "Business cooperation prioritizes profit. I only hope that HP can maintain its current level of effort in promoting the Starry Sky system and the hardware that supports the Starry Sky platform."
"I can guarantee that. The Star System has a great reputation in the gaming and high-performance fields, and we share common interests."
"it is good."
The call has ended.
Ling Yun leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table. Dell's unwavering support was expected; after all, the collaboration between Alienware and Spark Hardware had brought in real money. HP's wavering was also normal; large companies always bet on multiple fronts.
The key is to prevent Microsoft from quickly crushing Xingyu through hardware pre-installation channels.
He pressed the intercom button: "Eric, come here."
Two minutes later, Eric walked in.
"Two things," Lingyun said. "First, accelerate the development of the next version of Xingyu. The focus is on improving audio and video call quality, optimizing group functions, and increasing the stability and speed of file transfer. We want to widen the gap with ICQ in terms of functionality and user experience."
"Understood. Timetable?"
"A beta version will be released within a month."
"It's a bit tight, but I can try," Eric noted.
"Second, prepare a Windows version of the Star Language standalone client."
Eric looked up: "Didn't we say before that we wouldn't release a Windows version for the time being, to avoid provoking Microsoft and to maintain the uniqueness of the StarCraft ecosystem?"
"The situation has changed now," Ling Yun said. "Microsoft has directly entered the fray, and we need to expand our battlefield. The Windows version of Star Language doesn't need to be deeply tied to the Star Platform, but it must have basic communication functions and be able to be linked to Star Platform accounts. The goal is to attract users who use Windows and play our games, as well as users who are unhappy with the possibility of Microsoft modifying ICQ."
"Understood. I'll arrange for the team to get started right away."
"In addition," Ling Yun added, "we are contacting id Software and Valve to explore the possibility of deeply integrating Astronomy into Quake and Half-Life. In-game communication is our biggest differentiating advantage."
Eric nodded and quickly left.