Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

microsoft.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

201–210 of 784 posts

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#201

Post by mathattack »

rdl wrote: post #168
1337biz wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But what could be the future of MS look like a strategic perspective? I am pondering a bit about that. They are somewhat squeezed in between closed system and open source. How can they position themselves for a solid path for the future in that middle-ground.

A non-crappy enterprise mobile option alone (basically Blackberry 2013) would be a $100b business. Neither Android nor iOS is that out of the box, and the bolt-on ecosystem of crap doesn't turn either into as good a system as RIM was in its heyday. Look what phone DIRNSA uses today: a Blackberry. I'd sell non-core assets (Xbox, Bing, hotmail, consumer stuff in general, etc.), and focus on the core OS/mobile/Azure/Off…

It does seem like the market is waiting for someone to replace Blackberry.

I'm with you on splitting the enterprise cash cow from the rest of the business.

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#202

Post by niels_olson »

rdl wrote: post #168
1337biz wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But what could be the future of MS look like a strategic perspective? I am pondering a bit about that. They are somewhat squeezed in between closed system and open source. How can they position themselves for a solid path for the future in that middle-ground.

A non-crappy enterprise mobile option alone (basically Blackberry 2013) would be a $100b business. Neither Android nor iOS is that out of the box, and the bolt-on ecosystem of crap doesn't turn either into as good a system as RIM was in its heyday. Look what phone DIRNSA uses today: a Blackberry. I'd sell non-core assets (Xbox, Bing, hotmail, consumer stuff in general, etc.), and focus on the core OS/mobile/Azure/Off…

Flag staff in DoD use blackberry because their IT goons are scared shitless of telling their dyed-in-the-wool-msft-fan bosses that a UNIX-like operating system is good business.

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#203

Post by gnoway »

rdl wrote: post #72
kjhughes wrote: post #61

What were the key Ballmer era highlights? == Negatives == * Clashes with Gates during CEO transition of power: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121261241035146237.html * Developer relations / motivational speaking (thanks mathattack): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc * Employee retention (thanks JonnieCache, Ziomislaw): http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/microsoft-ceo-im-going... * Windows Phone: http://…

Positives: Only threw away 10-20b on pointless acquisitions (aQ, etc.). Successfully avoided buying Nokia, or pulling an HP/Compaq Fiorina fiasco, and didn't buy a big dying services organization to chase IBM. Also didn't do like HP's board with the lawsuits and revolving door CEOs and such. Avoided major criminal activity.

"Avoided being caught and held responsible for major criminal activity."

I suspect this is a more true statement.

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#204

Post by mathattack »

sixothree wrote: post #164
1337biz wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But what could be the future of MS look like a strategic perspective? I am pondering a bit about that. They are somewhat squeezed in between closed system and open source. How can they position themselves for a solid path for the future in that middle-ground.

"... its transformation to a devices and services ..." doesn't seem to mention software.

I was thinking similar. Balmer's goodbye note mentions an organization based on functions and engineering. But not customers. :-)

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#207

Post by simonh »

sampo wrote: post #87
leokun wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I don't think he'll be seen worse than the CEOs of AOL Time Warner, Enron, Worldcom, or Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, but sure you go on with your hyperbole. It's turning into a staple on HN. Really raising the bar there. Edit: parent comment used to say "worst CEO of modern history"

> parent comment used to say "worst CEO of modern history" What about Stephen Elop? "As of June 2013, Nokia's [...] stock value dropped by 85% since Elop's takeover." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Elop

That would have happened whoever they'd hired, their inertia towards inevitable doom was unstoppable. His failure was to not not see this and turn down the job.

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#208

Post by baggachipz »

rckrd wrote: post #60

It will be interesting to see if Microsoft follows a Yahoo like trajectory - and if Apple follows Microsoft's trajectory after a few years of Tim Cook.

I would bet on it. This seems to be the cycle of tech companies: Innovate when small, rake in profits for years, lag behind, and slowly die. What has Apple produced under Cook? A couple small improvements to current products, and nothing new or noteworthy. There may be a couple innovations still in their incubator from days past, but in 5-10 years people will be saying the same things about Apple.

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#209

Post by rdl »

weland wrote: post #182
1337biz wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But what could be the future of MS look like a strategic perspective? I am pondering a bit about that. They are somewhat squeezed in between closed system and open source. How can they position themselves for a solid path for the future in that middle-ground.

I'd second rdl's enterprise mobile option. MS have the right foothold there, and neither iOS nor Android are what big, slow business users expect.

Obviously they buy RIM "for the good of the users" as part of it.

Re: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to retire within 12 months

#210

Post by JonFish85 »

sker wrote: post #195
1337biz wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But what could be the future of MS look like a strategic perspective? I am pondering a bit about that. They are somewhat squeezed in between closed system and open source. How can they position themselves for a solid path for the future in that middle-ground.

I can't talk from a consumer perspective, but from a developer perspective, they need to open source everything .NET-related if they want to remain relevant. With Ballmer gone, if people like Hanselman and ScottGu gain more influence within the company, I'm sure we'll see great things being open sourced. It's hard to shift the company to open source with someone like Ballmer at the top, it would be like admitting def…

"they need to open source everything .NET-related if they want to remain relevant."

Huh? How do you figure?

Post reply on HN