Five Companies That Came To Win This Week

Microsoft Shows Off Its Windows Phone 7 Baby

If you're of the mind that Windows Phone 7 is going to bomb and that the software giant is hopelessly far behind mobile stalwarts like Apple and Google, think again. This week's unveiling of Windows Phone 7 devices from HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell has people buzzing about Microsoft's prospects for a comeback.

Early reviews of Windows Phone 7 have been positive, and the complete break with the Windows Mobile past shows that Microsoft is genuinely starting over with a new strategy.

With Windows Phone 7, Microsoft is going after consumers and business users, uniting functions that each group will need on a single device. Deep integration with Microsoft Exchange and Sharepoint will help on the business side, while Xbox Live integration could be a game changer for consumers.

Microsoft also has the deep marketing pockets to spread awareness about Windows Phone 7, as well as the developer army to build compelling mobile apps.

IBM Marshals Forces For Major Cloud Offensive

It was a busy week on the cloud computing front for IBM. Big Blue updated its CloudBurst appliance line, which ties together hardware, storage, networking, virtualization and service management software to allow for the building of private clouds. It's a move aimed at keeping IBM up to speed with Oracle and HP, which both recently upgraded their cloud appliances.

IBM also launched new cloud computing platform for telcos, ISPs and communications service providers (CSPs) called the IBM Cloud Service Provider Platform, an ecosystem of service providers that will add value to IBM's cloud computing offerings. IBM is also preparing to launch a cloud computing-specific partner program early next year, although it's not sharing details yet.

IBM's cloud-crazed week is the latest sign that cloud computing competition is heating up, and that all the big players are watching each other's moves with hawk-like attention.

EMC Takes Fight To IBM, Oracle In Data Warehousing

EMC has been watching its competitors beef up their own data warehousing capabilities, and this week it responded by rolling out its Greenplum Data Computing Appliance, an offering that incorporates technology gained from its July acquisition of Greenplum on Dell hardware.

Data warehousing is hot right now because of its ability to harness the mountains of data companies are producing in a way that can be leveraged for business intelligence. It's a new competitive front for EMC, and it's one in which rivals like Oracle and IBM have already begun to stake their claims.

Apple Steals The Spotlight With OS X 10.7 Lion

Whether you love the company or can't stand its pompousness, there's no denying that Apple can attract attention with mystery better than any other company on the planet. We saw this phenomenon again this week when Apple sent out invites for an Oct. 20 Mac related event that shows a lion peeking through a crack in an Apple logo that's opening inward like a door.

If Lion is indeed the name Apple has chosen for its forthcoming OS 10.7, the company’s choice of such an iconic apex predator suggests this is the end of the product line, and time for a shift to the next level. Will this transition involve cloud computing? Apple's ongoing construction of a $1 billion data centers suggests this could be the case.

One thing's for sure: A Texas-size asteroid could crash into the Pacific Ocean Wednesday and that news would take a back seat to whatever Apple has on tap.

Google Mobile Ads Business To Hit $1 Billion This Year

Google reported a blowout third quarter this week with revenue jumping 22 percent year-over-year and earnings per share exceeding Wall Street analysts' forecast by nearly $1. Youtube is on pace to generate $2.5 billion in annual revenue, but perhaps the most promising sign for Google's future is that its mobile search and display revenue business is on track to hit $1 billion this year for the first time.

Investors welcomed the news like children who've been promised an extra sugary dessert, sending Google shares up 11 percent Friday to over $600 per share. If Google keeps this up, critics of its one-dimensional business model may have to find other flaws to draw attention to.