Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Makes a Cool Move into Crime Fighting

Over the past year, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been a journalist’s dream. The type of headlines that the company has spawned would have people reading newspapers again. The computer firm isn’t just the subject of interest for tech geeks anymore. Now, Microsoft is adding crime fighting to its skills, which is pretty cool. What does this new age of “cool” mean for Microsoft? It could put company back on top by popular demand.

Europol is quoted as saying Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) led a global effort to stop one of the world’s largest cybercrime rings, and succeeded on June 6 at muzzling the malevolent Citadel Botnets that a gang used to steal an estimated $500 million. That’s pretty cool, Microsoft — so cool, in fact, that it is making Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) look so last week.

What is cool?

We all know that functionality and looks play important roles in the success of computer companies, and that a good combination usually results in a product being dubbed “cool.” The iPhone is pretty cool. The iPad is also cool. Windows 8 is so not cool. But what is cool? A super cybercrime-fighting, bot-destroying Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Digital Crimes Unit (the last part is the actual name).  Now that is uber cool.

With Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) products being the toast of the town over the last several years, and both teenagers and adults at last agreeing on what cool is, could there be room for more coolness in the computer market? Well… in order for Microsoft to really win this popularity contest, it will have to come out with a mini tablet. It’s what all the cool computer companies are doing. The Microsoft Surface RT makes up about 1% of the $64-billion tablet market. The company is also the only major player in tablets that doesn’t have a mini version. The Fonz would be so unimpressed. Wait, is he still cool?