Wall Street. The European Union. IT shops the world over. And a whole raft of competitors, many of them more nimble. All these are gunning for Microsoft now, leading Bill Snyder to ask Can Ballmer pilot Microsoft in a changed tech world? “Despite successes with SharePoint 2007 as well as good reviews for the new Windows Server 2008, Microsoft has been increasingly embattled by open source alternatives such as Linux, and it faces a growing threat from Google in the on-demand delivery business,” Snyder writers. What’s a poor CEO to do? Snyder wonders. “Opening the APIs and opening up the wallet — if not for Yahoo, then for another major player — are smart moves. But the road to change is full of potholes — and other drivers and the highway patrol. Hang on tight.” Software Development