in2ebook Chapter 333 Starry Year-End Party
Chapter 333 Starry Year-End Party
January 20, 1998, 9:00 AM.
Palo Alto, Star Technology office building.
The conference room was full. On either side of the long table, twelve people sat, each with a laptop, a cup of coffee, and a printed data report in front of them.
Ling Yun sat in the main seat, a report in front of him. He had just flown in from Jinan and was still jet-lagged when he came to Xingchen Technology for the year-end summary meeting.
Carly sat to his left, wearing a dark blue suit skirt and her hair neatly styled in a bun. In front of her was a thick stack of documents, the cover of which read "European Market Annual Summary".
David sat opposite me, a little thinner than the last time I saw him, but in good spirits. In front of him was a report on the Middle East market, and next to him were several Arabic magazines with the word "GG" printed on the cover in Xingyu (Astrology).
Eric sat next to David, with three laptops in front of them, each displaying various data charts and graphs. He was the technical lead, and he was the main presenter of the annual data report.
The door closed, and the meeting room fell silent.
Ling Yun looked around and said, "Let's begin."
Eric was the first to stand up. He walked to the projection screen and pressed a button on the remote. The first chart appeared on the screen, titled "StarCraft Operating System Global Market Share (1998)".
"Let me start with the operating system," Eric said steadily. "As of yesterday, the Star System has been installed on over 32 million units worldwide, with a market share of 31.7%."
Someone in the conference room took a soft breath.
Eric switched to the next chart. It was a bar chart with Microsoft Windows on the left, StarCraft OS on the right, and other operating systems in the middle.
"If we look at the existing market, Windows is still number one, with around 53%," Eric said. "But if we look at the new machines shipped this year, the pre-installation rate of the Starry Sky system is 47%, and Microsoft's is 42%. We have already surpassed them."
He paused, then added, "This is the first time."
There was a two-second silence in the meeting room, then someone started clapping. It started softly, then grew louder and louder.
After the applause stopped, Eric continued.
"Looking at specific regions, Starlight accounts for 28% of the North American market, 35% in Europe, 41% in the Middle East, and Asia..." He glanced at Lingyun, "In Asia, specifically the Chinese market, we account for less than 25%. But the growth rate is very fast, doubling every month."
He switched to the next chart.
"On the browser side, Starlight's data is better." Eric's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Global market share is 52.3%, exceeding 50% for the first time. Microsoft IE has 38%, and Netscape has fallen below 6%."
A line graph appears on the screen. The star's curve goes upward, while the IE's curve goes downward. After they intersect at a certain point, the difference becomes increasingly larger.
"The Starflow front-end framework and Starpackage management tool," Eric continued, switching between charts, "have usage rates of 67% and 71% respectively in the developer community. Both are number one."
He put down the remote control and turned to look at Ling Yun.
"Overall," he said, "this year has been a year of breakthroughs for StarCraft. The operating system has gained a foothold, the browser has become mainstream, and the development tool ecosystem has been established. Next year's focus will be on emerging markets."
Ling Yun nodded. "Thank you for your hard work," he said.
Eric returned to his seat.
Carly stood up.
"The European market." She walked to the projection screen, pressed the remote control, and said, "It started in June this year, and it's been six months now. The data center has been built and put into use in Lyon, with a local team of 57 people covering five countries: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain."
A map of Europe appeared on the screen, marked with small red dots.
"User data," Carly switched to the next slide, "6.8 million registered users in Europe, with 3.2 million monthly active users. The paying user rate is 4.2%, similar to the US market. The localized version supports five languages, and the feedback has been very good."
She paused.
"There are also problems. The EU's data protection directive is still under discussion, and future compliance costs will increase. In addition, local competitors have begun to imitate our features, but they haven't gained much traction yet."
She looked at Ling Yun.
"Next year's focus is on the Nordic and Eastern European markets. Countries like Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Poland, and the Czech Republic have rising internet penetration rates, representing the next wave of opportunities."
Ling Yun nodded.
Carly returned to her seat.
David stood up.
"The Middle East market." He walked to the screen, pressed the remote control, and said, "It will launch simultaneously with Europe in June. The data center will be built in Dubai, with a local team of 32 people, covering five markets: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Israel."
A map of the Middle East appears on the screen, with red dots concentrated in the Gulf region.
"User data," David switched to the next slide, "Total registered users: 4.2 million; monthly active users: 2.2 million. Paying user rate: 8.7%."
Someone in the conference room let out a soft "wow".
David smiled.
"Middle Eastern users have a high willingness to pay. Young people, especially in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are willing to spend money on virtual avatars and privileges. Yellow Diamond sales are 1.5 times that of the United States."
He switched to the next chart, a bar chart comparing the payment rates in different regions.
"The problem is localization," David continued. "The Arabic interface and content moderation require a lot of manpower. The religious and cultural requirements are very detailed, and problems can easily arise if you're not careful. We specifically set up a localization team of five people, all of whom are Arabs."
He looked at Ling Yun.
"Next year's focus is on Egypt and Türkiye. These two countries have large, young populations and are experiencing a surge in internet access."
Ling Yun nodded. "Everyone has worked hard this year."
"The operating system went from zero to 30%, the browser surpassed IE, and the development tool became number one." He turned around. "These achievements are all thanks to you."
He looked at Eric, at Carly, at David, and at everyone in the conference room.
"But next year might be even more difficult for us," he said. "Microsoft won't just watch us continue to expand; they'll retaliate, copy us, and smear us. Regulation in Europe will become increasingly stringent, and in the Middle East, geopolitics is a variable."
"But we've come this far. There's no turning back. We can only move forward."
Then Carly spoke up.
"Ms. Ling," she said, "what are your plans for next year?"
Ling Yun looked at her. "We'll discuss the specific plans at the board meeting later."
Eric raised his hand.
"Mr. Ling," he said, "there's something I'd like to ask you."
"explain."
"There are rumors circulating at Microsoft lately," Eric said, "that they might be releasing a new operating system version specifically targeting the weaknesses of the StarCraft system. The browser is also going to be heavily redesigned. Is that accurate?"
Ling Yun thought for a moment.
"That's accurate," he said. "They will release a beta version of Windows 2000 next March. Internet Explorer will be upgraded to version 5.0, with improved speed and added features."
The meeting room fell silent.
"But don't worry," Ling Yun continued. "Their structure means they can't outrun us. All we can do is run faster."
"That's all, meeting adjourned."