Microsoft names Satya Nadella to replace Steve Ballmer

[sparkeh]

BBC News - Microsoft names Satya Nadella to replace Steve Ballmer

 

And Bill Gates to get 'hands on' again...?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/03/gates_to_work_on_products_at_microsoft/

Edited February 4, 2014 by sparkeh

[Vasriel]

Quoted from the BBC article:

 

"However, some critics have pointed out that Mr Nadella has had no experience of running a company, let alone one as big as Microsoft."

 

Wonder if this is a good choice or not

[Oaktech]

I wonder if it is indicative of the direction they intend to move in, that the guy they chose to replace Ballmer has been head of cloud and enterprise?

[SovietRussia]

Cloud and Server have been one of the arms of Microsoft that actually work. Good choice I think

[sparkeh]

Cloud and Server have been one of the arms of Microsoft that actually work. Good choice I think

Yeah it could be, though it seems as if Bill's move into this new role is to help ease him into the job. I kinda think MS need to look to the future rather than be stuck in the past so not sure if his presence will help.

[penfold_99]

Quoted from the BBC article:

 

"However, some critics have pointed out that Mr Nadella has had no experience of running a company, let alone one as big as Microsoft."

 

Wonder if this is a good choice or not

 

The CEO doesn't physically run the company other people do that.

 

He just need to make the correct strategy decisions. With the last guy it was sales lead product, now it looks like product leads sales.

[psydii]

Yeah it could be, though it seems as if Bill's move into this new role is to help ease him into the job. I kinda think MS need to look to the future rather than be stuck in the past so not sure if his presence will help.

 

Hmm. for the defence:

When Bill was last involved:

Win32

NTKernel

Tablets (shame the hardware wasn't up to it, and the UI sucked)

Home automation (same as tablets)

IE3 (in case people have forgotten how crash prone and slow the competition was at the time)

Investment in the Apple platform.

Office

Exchange

Sharepoint (well the foundations at any rate)

 

The new guy has overseen the delivery of :

The 2012r2/2013 server suite(SQL exchange, lync, sharepoint , the hybrid cloud, the foundations of office365)

Hyper-V

Azure

 

I think that MS is in safe hands.

[sparkeh]

Hmm. for the defence:

When Bill was last involved:

Win32

NTKernel

Tablets (shame the hardware wasn't up to it, and the UI sucked)

Home automation (same as tablets)

IE3 (in case people have forgotten how crash prone and slow the competition was at the time)

Investment in the Apple platform.

Office

Exchange

Sharepoint (well the foundations at any rate)

 

The new guy has overseen the delivery of :

The 2012r2/2013 server suite(SQL exchange, lync, sharepoint , the hybrid cloud, the foundations of office365)

Hyper-V

Azure

 

I think that MS is in safe hands.

Oh I agree that MS under BG's reign gave us some good things. However that was all achieved when the world was a very different place. BG is still part of the Old Guard who consistently demonstrated that they were unable to keep up with the changes that resulted in today's marketplace. They should have been at the front of smartphones, tablets, web services etc but that was all gobbled up by the likes of Google and Apple while they clung to their old models that had served them well in the past.

[localzuk]

Its interesting that they've gone for another internal person - not surprised that their shares have dropped a bit. The company needs invigorating from outside its stable of happy workers.

 

We'll see how it goes!

 

Oh I agree that MS under BG's reign gave us some good things. However that was all achieved when the world was a very different place. BG is still part of the Old Guard who consistently demonstrated that they were unable to keep up with the changes that resulted in today's marketplace. They should have been at the front of smartphones, tablets, web services etc but that was all gobbled up by the likes of Google and Apple while they clung to their old models that had served them well in the past.

 

Don't buy into the media hype about tablets and web services. Microsoft are still growing their 'traditional' business, using their old models. Their main source of income is enterprise licensing for their server platform and software.

 

Just because new markets appear doesn't mean the old markets disappear. Don't equate a change in physical PC sales with a drop in OS license sales by MS.

Edited February 5, 2014 by localzuk

[tmcd35]

Mmm, with both Bill Gates (taking a more active role) and Steve Ballmer still on the board - Is it a surprise they couldn't find anyone else willing to take on the role?

[Dos_Box]

Quoted from the BBC article:

 

"However, some critics have pointed out that Mr Nadella has had no experience of running a company, let alone one as big as Microsoft."

 

Wonder if this is a good choice or not

 

As the article is The Register Points out, they had offered the post to several people outside of Microsoft and were turned down each time.

My own opinion is that either those people didn't have the skills or knowledge to do the job and sensibly declined, or knew that of they failed it would ruin their reputations. Look what happened when Apple got rid of the 'old guard'. Many of these tech companies are still related by Joe Public to their founders and suddenly having 'strangers' running the show may upset the apple cart. Maybe Bills part-time return would be to do some hand holding and make the new CEO more acceptable?

[SYNACK]

Gates was actually way better practicality wise, he sent emails ripping the rev teams new ones about massive updates that required restarts and a lot of the needless complications of certain things. On the other hand Ballmer has almost gone the other way killing all the decent slipstreaming and installation options just so they can sell more magic snake oil. They need a tech person in charge who actually thinks about the experience of both usage and install so they don't keep alienating the techs as well as the customers just to push their latest, previously unnecessary bauble or cloud candy floss.

 

This was the dude who wanted to sell Xbox so I'm not to sure about how long term his vision actually is.