The three phases of Steve Ballmer's tenure at Microsoft

There's more than one way to look at how Microsoft's CEO has ruled the roost over the past few years.


by Mary Jo Foley
July 3, 2012 12:26 PM PDT



It's almost time for those of us in the U.S. to disappear for a holiday and indulge in some tofu pups. Or other Fourth of Julyish foods of one's choosing.In that spirit, I'm going to do you a favor. Don't waste a lot of time on the "Microsoft Downfall" story in the August issue of Vanity Fair. I don't say this because I am critical of negative Microsoft stories. I've written a few of those myself over the years, weeks, and months.

Read more.. The three phases of Steve Ballmer's tenure at Microsoft | Microsoft - CNET News
 
I've read a bit on Vanity Fair's article about Microsoft, and it sounds abhorrent.

On one side, you have a company that has managed to stay plenty profitable for a decade then on the other side, you have a company that isn't investing on innovating products to make them mainstream. Like the HP tablet from the early 2000s, there wasn't a market for it or a place at the time, but if it was invested in and MADE mainstream we'd be in a totally different conversation right now. Their business plan sets them up for that, see what works and get into that market. It's almost predatory actually, but it worked. Things are different and doing what WORKED, doesn't work now.

Having said that, I see some promise though with Windows 8, Windows Phone, Bing, and Xbox. One of the suggestions to fix Microsoft is to break up the company. I don't know if that means actual different companies or divide them, but I bet it's to divide. That's what they're doing. The past couple years, Microsoft has been silently consolidating their entertainment division of games and media into the Xbox brand. Games for Windows are found there, music, video, ect. Then there's Windows 8. That is making the push for tablet devices and building the Windows products in that division to work harmoniously while integrating Xbox entertainment. Then there's Bing, their search engine that is losing them money. It didn't have a place before and wasn't even the DEFAULT for Internet Explorer, but now that's being integrated into Xbox, is integrated in Windows Phone, and is now FINALLY the default home page for Internet Explorer 10. And lastly and importantly, there's Windows Phone. It's an interesting device that keeps in line with Microsoft's believing in "two devices, not more." That is the platform that converges and mobilizes a lot of the different brands on the go. It's built from Windows RT code, has built in mobile Office, has Xbox entertainment built in, has Bing as default, and most importantly, it's what sparked the change. The Windows Phone team risked a lot bringing Windows Phone, either they continue building Windows Mobile and fail, or rebuild the product and fail. Losing the fear of risk to innovate a product probably inspired Windows 8. Microsoft knows it's a risk, but that ALLOWS comes with innovation.

I read an article a long while ago dealing with metro design. It was about this booklet about metro design that was distributed to every team in Microsoft and in it's first page,"What you hold in your hands is a new beginning. Think of it as a design revolution at Microsoft. These are our principles and our assets, together in one place for the first time." It's starting to fall into place why Microsoft is pushing the metro design, because of the Windows Phone 7, it's HOW they are making the company work again. It's simplifying down the essentials of Microsoft, consolidating products into the different divisions, and have the brands work together because they're built together and designed together obviously in the metro form. A decade of lost innovation and markets is a tough poop. A decade of failed and potentially flailing products sucks. But to a new decade of a fully united, harmonious ecosystem where Microsoft products go hand in hand with each other is good poop. Enough said. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
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