Speaking at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer claimed that the software company will acquire 20 companies a year for the next five years, in the range of $50 million to $1 billion.

Google has also acquired many technology companies over recent years — at least 10 companies in the past year, compared with Microsoft’s four. Yahoo has also acquired four. The stage seems set for an open season on new and exciting start-ups.

Unfortunately, Microsoft made a reputation during the 1990s for negotiating with start-up outfits only to pull back and launch its own competitor. Now, it’s said, with less time on its hands to keep abreast of nimble competitors like Google, developers may believe the software giant has changed its spots and needs them more than they need Microsoft.

We shall see.

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