RSSThe Buzz: Microsoft After BillG
By the Betanews Staff | Published June 16, 2006, 2:34 PM
On Thursday, Microsoft chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates made the surprise announcement that he was passing on the reins to Ray Ozzie in 2008. While Gates will stay on board as chairman, his new focus would be on philanthropic work.
We have gathered below snippets of Gates' and Ballmer's missives to their employees, as well as the reactions from many of the Web's opinion makers. Some say the writing was on the wall and that a change in the company was sorely needed. What do you think?
"For these last 31 years, I've had the best job in the world. I've worked with some of the brightest and most passionate people in the world. Together, we've built a great company whose products have empowered people around the world. We're only at the beginning of what software can do, and I'm excited about the impact that Microsoft can have."
- Bill Gates, in e-mail to Microsoft employees
"This is not a decision that either Bill or I take lightly. We have a solid transition plan, and Microsoft is well-positioned to make this transition given the depth of senior leaders we have, and our strong pipeline of products over the coming year ... Bill and I are confident this plan will ensure Microsoft's future and build from the steps we have already taken."
- Steve Ballmer, in separate e-mail to employees
"It's not unusual for a company with hands-on founder -- the kind of personality that can drive a small company to successfully grow -- to later become a deterrent rather than an asset. The micromanager that once benefited a company can hurt it as operations expand. Bill apparently didn't fall in to this trap. He was able to step back as Microsoft grew, taking on ever-distant but still highly-influential roles."
- Joe Wilcox, Microsoft Monitor
"Without its competitive, hard-core leader involved in daily decisions, will Microsoft still be the bold and brash company that forced competitors out of business; incurred the wrath of government investigators worldwide; and earned the nickname "The Evil Empire"? I say it won't...And the world in which Ozzie and Mundie -- alongside CEO Steve Ballmer – will lead also is a very different one from the one in which Microsoft has been competing for the past three decades. Commanding a monopoly over desktop operating systems just won't take you as far as it used to."
- Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft Watch
"I think the real question is, was "why did he stay so long?" as opposed to "why is he leaving now"? This is a move a long time coming and there's still two years more to transition. Overall, while it's likely to have impact it's not likely to be disruptive. Mr. Ozzie was clearly brought on board to take over this role and Mr. Mundie is the logical choice to lead the research and incubation efforts. While there's no doubt, he will be missed as an icon, Vista (and whatever's beyond) will ship and life will go on."
- Michael Gartenberg, Jupiter Research
"A lot has been said about Gates' moving on, and I guess it came as a surprise to many, because everyone thought Steve Ballmer was going to get the boot. In many ways Gates leaving is a good thing for Microsoft, because the company needs to learn without the nagging question: What will Bill say? Microsoft is battling on many fronts, and it is not easy for the company to win many of these skirmishes. It needs to get some new blood and new tactics."
- Om Malik, noted technology pundit
"While this is big news, I believe the handwriting was on the wall for Ozzie to someday step into this role. Gates' trust in Ozzie came through loud and clear from our brief discussion with him at this very important industry conference and I believe that Gates felt that with Ozzie in this role, he could finally move over to manage his Foundation which has clearly become a very important part of his life.
- Tim Bajarin, Creative Strategies
"A new cycle is well under way and power is shifting from software to web services as he concept of Web 2.0 becomes reality and Google has become the heir apparent for the next big wave. Unlike IBM, which remained focused on the past, Microsoft is attempting to embrace this new future by making some critical staff changes the most visible being putting Ray Ozzie, who is considered expert on the new model, in as Chief Architect for Microsoft while Bill Gates moves on to the next phase of his life."
- Rob Enderle, Enderle Group
"Bill would definitely not be doing this if he were not leaving the company in good hands...Bill had really handed off a lot of his responsibilities at early points, and I think he will spend the the next couple of years putting on the finishing touches."
- Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder
"I think Bill Gates' transition away from Microsoft is a really good thing for him as well as the world. Microsoft will lose some celebrity power both inside and outside the company, and will need to revamp marketing campaigns around the new executives. Microsoft employees can currently author ThinkWeek papers to propose new products and initiatives for consideration by executives. Historically Bill Gates has read these papers during a week-long retreat once a quarter to plan new business strategy. I expect Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie may share this internal thought leadership duty in the future. Bill Gates is a recognized name and face throughout the world and now those recognitions may be more evenly distributed."
- Niall Kennedy, Windows Live division employee
"Like many folks, I've admired Bill Gates since I was little. I grew up dreaming about being at Microsoft some day, and "working for Bill" is still one of the coolest things about being a Microsoft employee. We love Bill and wish he never left Microsoft. But it's a selfish thought given how much good the Gates Foundation can do for the world."
- Mel Sampat, Windows Mobile Program Manager
Mr. BillG is on the right path for Nobel Peace Prize, I think we have to just wait for few more years.
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I can only LMAO about such amounts of stupidities assembled on who-knows-how-many pages all over this planet.
Who really knows what's going on in the daily life of all those money shovellers than they themselves - let alone their minds and hearts? O yeah - not to forget that every single man, woman and even child on this planet exactly knows about all the economic, social, psychological and management isues of one of the biggest global players and is the one awaited for decades to judge on their decicisions . . .
Despite this huge lack of information everyone has his/her "opinion" about what the rich and famous do, and what they should do - and as such the illusion to have a relation with them.
What an award!
Why not ask Pooh the bear, instead? What does he think of B.G. leaving MS ? ? ?
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After all the hate and "evil" talk the world says about Bill and Microsoft. They all came back thanking him for changing the world. I guess it happens to all of us. I mean when someone past away you only remember the good things about that person and not the negative thoughts.
Bill Gate is a clearly an Icon to Microsoft, and seeing him leave will no doubt change the way people look at Microsoft. ( well for those that know Bill is not longer running it )
Good bye Gates, History will definitly have you for the keeping.
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I don't get why everyone is making a big deal out of this. I can see it when he leaves but that is over two years away. A lot can happen in two years. He could be assasinated tomorrow or have a heart attack or something. He could change his mind altogether before then as well. You know if Microsoft's stock took a nose dive he would loose his billions in a heart beat as most of it is still tied up in their stock. So imagine that, im sure we will see him loose it at some point, he doesn't like being the richest man in the world anyway, too much attention for his timid self.
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I doubt he care much about money and his rank. There are richer people than him. He is just a public figure. There are private individuals control more wealth than him. He has about 11% of MSFT, witht MSFT market capt at 250 billions, that mean he has about 25 billions in MSFT. Assume the worst situation, MSFT went to 0 tomorrow, he still left me over 30 billions. If he has 30 more years to live, he needs to spend 3mil a day to burn all 30 bil in the next 30 years. So do you think he give a #### about money?
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What do you mean there are richer people than him? Bill Gates is the richest man in the world...
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He is the richest on public domain. There are a lot of private sectors that doesn't require to report their wealth and earning to the public. What I am trying to say is, all public companies report their earning to the public, but do you know how much your local bakery make?
And if you understand how the US tax system works, and why people want to avoid it or even evading it, you will understand there are people have more money than Bill.
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He has changed the world through Microsoft, and will probably continue to do so in his philanthropic ventures. I wish him well!
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This whole "Bill is leaving" thing is smoke and mirrors to try to increase a stagnant stock.
Everyone retires eventually, why this is such big news is really well just plain stupid.
If the rest of the Sr. management at Microsoft left, now that would be news worthy.
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This whole "Bill is leaving" thing is smoke and mirrors to try to increase a stagnant stock.
Actually, it is probably to give stockholders time to adjust to the idea of him leaving, to prevent the massive panic short notice would cause sending us into another great depression. (I missed the first, I'd rather not see the next.)
I really don't see how it could help the stock.
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LOL Gates leaving causing a depression, that was great!
LOL
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He is the richest person on the planet. If any single person's actions could cause one, it would be him.
Bush is doing a pretty good job, but he has alot of help. :)
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ah sorry, thats crap, he announced it after the stock market closed.
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So, since I read about it Thursday evening the stock market must have taken the day off Friday huh?
I guess the world maybe forgot about the news after a good nights sleep perhaps?
:-P
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4.8% unemployment and the econ grew at over 4% last quarter... Id say Bush is doing a great job.
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Sure, Bush personally is responsible for that... Bush is just a figure head.
The only thing he did to try to reduce unemployment was to try to kick out the illegal immigrants causing Americans to get more jobs.. and that failed...
Don't give credit where credit isn't due....
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Don't be a fanatic '68 neo-communist, please.
What's with you left-wing guys ? You can't accept that the right wing ideas are better than yours and based on true freedom and capitalism instead of cheating ? Clinton created tons of fake jobs in the IT industry with the so-called "new economy", one of the biggest scam in history.
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You know how inaccurate unemployment figures are, don't you? My theory on the economy growing is because he's leaving office soon, and our economy is strongly based off investor confidence.
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"You can't accept that the right wing ideas are better than yours and based on true freedom and capitalism instead of cheating?"
Oh, excessive tax cuts for SUVs is a good idea? Oh, and "no child left behind" has worked out so well. "true freedom", hahahaha, your saying that in regards to this administration.
Oh, and just because someone thinks Bush is incompetent does not mean they are left wing, or commie.
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All my respect to Bill. What he did with a company is something nobody has ever done.
MS will change due to him leaving, that's for sure. Future will tell if that's a good thing or not...
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http://www.snowball.be
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MSFT is 30 years old, it's due to a change. Any company passing the 30 year mark is consider old, and change is probably the best thing could happen for them. I am looking forward for it.
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They are a big company now and it's about time that they get a chief software architect that has a real engineering degree from a university.
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Sad that it seems that you only care if someone has a degree. It should be more important whether or not someone can do the job. Pretty much anyone can get a degree. Whether or they not they can do the job is another matter. I hope you're not an employer. I certainly don't want you as a boss.
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And higher degrees don't mean all that much either, its EARNING the degree honestly that counts...and being able to apply what you've learned. I took grad classes as electives for my BS in CS and have much more of a grasp than former co-worker about to get their Masters in CS, who couldn't even accomplish the work her focus should have given her the ability to do. Why? Because she always searched for and found someone elses solution. I am not saying she copied their programs, she just didn't try to figure out how to solve the problems on her own.
Meanwhile, I have another coworker, he has no formal training; but can still code circles around me in some areas.
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Yes, that's right. I have seen many people getting higher degrees than me at university CS course and they can't code nor design anything properly, they rely on what others like me can do--although my lower scores might make you think otherwise if you judge me by just that.
And this happens everyday everytime everywhere.
Too many people getting hired not for their real skills but thanks to who-knows-who and just looking at the degrees and their scores.
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A degree just means you are reliable enough to show up and smart enough to pass tests. What is really important for a chief software architect in a company that produces a major application platform is the education you can get in a school with a good engineering tradition.
If Bill had a degree he could have learned valuable and important things we haven't seen from Microsoft in the past like meeting international standards, using and contributing back to the common body of scientific knowlege, and using math to make decisions.
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A degree just means you are reliable enough to show up and smart enough to pass tests.
Depends on whether your school/course grades based on showing up and rote memorization, or on ability to think and ability to think(not a typo).
If Bill had a degree he could have learned valuable and important things we haven't seen from Microsoft in the past like meeting international standards, using and contributing back to the common body of scientific knowlege, and using math to make decisions.
Sounds like you are trying to say MS would be open source. Why, whenever they "use the common body", they get called copycats. How would you not use math to make software; and while adhereing to international standards is good, there is nothing inherently flawed about not doing so. Especially when you consider those standards are revised so often you can barely call them standards.
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Inevitable, honorable, and at the right time. Microsoft is changing dramatically and will change critically in the next two years. I really think this is the beginning of a strategy shift at MS, it's not able to catch google in key markets and it needs those markets. I don't see Vista or Office whatever changing this.
Bill gates is a great dude and I have no malice towards him, just some of the practices of the company he works for.
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You welcome Microsoft trying to get it's foot into key markets, when it already has it's foot in other key markets?
Isn't that saying you welcome one company being in control of everything?
I have no malice toward any human. I will not stand by while greed and corruption continues to shape the foundation of this great nation.
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Greed and corruption why can't it be simply competition? Its greed because you aren't a part of it, and its corruption because your tiny a** company, or whatever culture you pretend to shape, isn't going to be anything more than a smudge on the windscreen.
you have no malice, yet your words are obviously inflamatory. Dude you should look up "contradiction".
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I don't know where you people are getting these whimsical ideas, but the company isn't going to change radically, just because Bill, WHO hasn't been the CEO for quite some time now.. decides he wants to spend more time with his family and his ideals have obviously changed.
I agree its inevitable, even honorable.. I just don't see it as dramatic and critical.
Its not the beginning, the end (except bill's era), or the signalling of a rise/fall of a monolith. It's just change.
Microsoft employs good people. There are some, just like every other company, that don't like to follow the herd. That's not an indication of Microsoft's downfall, as much as it is the ultimate make up America.
People don't listen, you read into stuff that simply isn't there, and then people b**** when someone else makes a few more dollars than you.
Well, that's that nature of a capitalist society. WE ARE greedy and jealous group. no one is ever happy.. unless they are b****ing, whining, pissing, and moaning about someone or something. Not enough wages, too high for food, this company sucks, that company is the devil..
Its a continuation of the same stuff. SSDD.
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If they are doing such a good job, why not? I am a big fan of competitions, but if one company able to provide me everything I want at a reasonable cost, then I will stick to that company. And don't give me this bullcrap that MS's products are garbage. If their products are garbage, why are so many people using it, and upgrade it to the lastest version as they were released.
This is a free country, and with affordable high speed, you can use many other alternate (software) that cost you little or nothing.
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"I will not stand by while greed and corruption continues to shape the foundation of this great nation."
Then WHAT are you going to do?
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blah blah blah, string pulling!
I recognize what's really going on, and if Mr. Gates is going to focus on philanthropic work, he's going to have to contact me eventually.
I'm excited about the impact that one human who speaks out against corporate greed and corruption can have!
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"I'm excited about the impact that one human who speaks out against corporate greed and corruption can have!"
Uh, what?
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*I recognize what's really going on, and if Mr. Gates is going to focus on philanthropic work, he's going to have to contact me eventually.*
Wow self centered, egotistical, maniac at work!
Yeah, Bill is going to call you.. Right.. Whatever!
Crack. Its not just for breakfast anymore.
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When Microsoft first started, I couldn't decide whether Bill Gates or Fozzy Bear should run the company. Guess it's time to give Fozzy Bear a chance, ably assisted by Animal
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