Building on my post about Amazon's Web Services Platform, this post from Peter Rip caught my attention. Peter suggests that Microsoft's MSN, a distant third in consumer usage, could leap frog the competition by playing to Microsoft's strength: it's developer network:

Microsoft's core business remains (1) enterprise-focused and (2) developer-centered. Thus far this sensibility has hampered Microsoft's ability to build a compelling end-user franchise, as least measured by YHOO and GOOG standards. So why not invert their consumer model and move to an API-centric strategy? And what if the APIs were free and unlimited?

MSN has a web services stack largely equivalent to GOOG and YHOO - mapping, instant messaging, search, etc. Why not center the value proposition to attract developers rather than end users? Make the APIs for all of MSN services unlimited and free. That will attract developers from Google Maps and Yahoo search in droves. Have MSN take the lead in the next generation of the Web by turning MSN into a developer-friendly platform. Build the Web around Microsoft APIs, just like the desktop is built Microsoft APIs. So far this sounds like Naval's idea - eviscerate YHOO and GOOG by enabling developers without benefit to MSFT.

(Via User Driven)