Tag Archives: SteveBallmer

Mattrick’s exit from Microsoft reportedly due to impending executive shuffle

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Microsoft

So what's next for Microsoft after the sudden departure of former Xbox chief Don Mattrick to lead Zynga? The move is reportedly related to an executive restructuring that will be announced soon, directed by CEO Steve Ballmer as part of a shift in strategy towards devices and services. Bloomberg sources suggest detailed plans of at least one possible version of the future, putting current Windows leader Julie Larson-Green at the head of hardware engineering for the company. That shift would also give Windows Phone corporate VP Terry Myerson more control over the Windows OS across platforms, and Skype president Tony Bates the lead in acquisitions and developer relations.

The report claims Mattrick was a contender for the hardware post before he left, while an earlier Fast Company article tied his exit directly to not receiving an expanded role once all the new seats are filled. The Wall Street Journal has its own speculation over who may take over all things Xbox -- Marc Whitten,Yusuf Mehdi and Nancy Whitten are all name dropped -- but if the rumors are true we could find out who is leading this new direction for Microsoft as soon as next week.

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Source: Bloomberg, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal

ATD: Gates, Ballmer and Sean Parker join Zuckerberg’s FWD.us lobby group

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ATD: Gates, Ballmer and Sean Parker join Zuckerberg's FWD.us lobby group

Mark Zuckerberg showed he's more than just a social butterfly earlier this month, forming the tech-focused political lobby group FWD.us alongside some other big names in the industry. Now, according to AllThingsD, a few more heavy-hitters have signed up to offer their expertise, including Sean Parker (Napster co-founder) and Microsoft's Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and Brad Smith. Not a bad crew to have on your side when technology issues are up for discussion, especially Ballmer -- he's notoriously good at getting his point across.

Update: This post has been corrected to reflect that the Brad Smith involved is General Counsel and EVP at Microsoft, and not Intuit CEO Brad Smith.

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Via: The Verge

Source: AllThingsD

CE-Oh no he didn’t!: Steve Ballmer calls Dropbox ‘a fine little startup’

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CEOh no he didn't! Steve Ballmer calls Dropbox 'a fine little startup'

Microsoft is no stranger to industry flak, but it's always better to give than to receive, right? Steve Ballmer thinks so, and in a recent Bloomberg interview, he took a second away from talking up the new Office 2013 to smite Dropbox, saying that the 100 million users it boasts "sounds like a pretty small number to me." He recovered slightly by adding "I'm not beating on Dropbox," only to follow it with the finishing blow: "They're a fine little startup and that's great." We doubt anyone else would call Dropbox a startup at this point, but Microsoft's chief can't be seen complimenting a SkyDrive rival now, can he? After having to defend the user stats for Redmond's Yammer, he was also quizzed on the undying native Office for iPad rumor, to which he had "nothing to say," apart from "we'll see what we see in the future." If these snippets aren't quite enough, then head to the source link for the full interview. Ballmer may be a little less shouty these days, but it's good to know he's still capable of delivering the odd high-caliber burn.

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Via: The Verge

Source: Bloomberg

Microsoft selling four times as many Windows Phones as a year ago, won’t say what that means

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Microsoft selling four times as many Windows Phones as last year, won't say what that means

It's no secret that Windows Phone sales have been in the doldrums for much of the platform's existence. If we believe Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer's talk at the annual company shareholder meeting, however, the mobile OS has turned a corner. He tells investors that Windows Phone sales are about four times what they were at the same point last year, and that demand has been strong enough for initial sellouts in "many countries;" that may be an allusion to reported Lumia 920 shortages in Germany and Nokia's native Finland, among other regions. Ballmer is quick to point to more competitive hardware as triggering the sales spike. The news is certainly positive on the whole, although we'd warn that Microsoft is pulling an Amazon -- that is, declining to offer the shipment numbers that would give its grandiose claims some context. It's easy to tout record growth when you're starting from a small point, so we'll refrain from calling Windows Phone the Comeback Kid until market share estimates show otherwise.

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Source: Bloomberg

Ballmer says Surface RT sales off to ‘modest’ start (update: Microsoft clarifies)

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Microsoft CEO Ballmer braces shareholders for a 'fundamental shift,' more of its own devices in the future

Microsoft's been holding Surface for Windows RT sales figures close to its chest so far, but CEO Steve Ballmer has allowed in an interview with Le Parisien that the much ballyhooed tablet is off to a "modest" start. The bombastic exec gave that appraisal while touting the imminent arrival of the tab's higher-powered sibling, Surface for Windows 8 Pro, though he didn't elaborate further. After all the cake it's no doubt lavished marketing the slate, we'll have to see if the software giant finds the hardware game tough to swallow.

Update: Microsoft says Le Parisien missed the true emphasis of Ballmer's quote in a summary of its online article (which appeared prior to the full interview), and gave us the following statement:

When asked about Surface, Steve's use of the term "modest" was in relation to the company's approach in ramping up supply and distribution of Surface with Windows RT, which has only been available via our online store and certain Microsoft retail stores in the U.S. While our approach has been modest, Steve notes the reception to the device has been "fantastic" which is why he also stated that "soon, it will be available in more countries and in more stores."

Of course, until we see some hard figures, we'll have to take Redmond's word for that sunny assessment of the Surface RT's fortunes to date. And of course, when we have further details of a more widespread rollout, you'll be the first to know.

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Ballmer says Surface RT sales off to 'modest' start (update: Microsoft clarifies) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Nov 2012 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ballmer: Windows Phone 8 ‘still small’, but will ‘really ramp quickly’

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Ballmer Windows Phone 8 'still small', expects it will 'really ramp quickly'

Following its launch event in San Francisco and the appearance of its first devices last week, the folks behind Windows Phone 8 is hoping for big things in the future. Microsoft's chief exec Steve Ballmer said that its work with Nokia, HTC and Samsung offered them the chance to create a "really strong third participant in the smartphone market." He admitted that they weren't there quite yet and told the audience at a Windows 8 launch event in Israel that Microsoft's mobile OS was "still relatively small", but that he expects "the volumes on Windows Phone to really ramp quickly." The company will be lavishing more on marketing and advertising around Windows 8, Window Phone 8 and Surface than it has on anything previous -- which sounds good, as its new mobile OS might need the help.

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Ballmer: Windows Phone 8 'still small', but will 'really ramp quickly' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 06:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft posts Build 2012 session videos for eager Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 coders

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Steve Ballmer at Build 2012 with giant display

Not every developer had the luxury of putting a flight to Redmond on the corporate tab so that they could attend Microsoft's Build 2012 conference in person. Much to their delight, they won't have to. The company has posted streaming video for every session addressing Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and beyond, ranging from the two keynotes through to nuts-and-bolts framework talks. Be warned: most programmers will want to know Visual Studio and similar tools like the back of their hand before tackling some of these sessions. If they emerge unscathed, though, they'll be well-equipped to live in Microsoft's Windows Store world.

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Microsoft posts Build 2012 session videos for eager Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 coders originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Nov 2012 03:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Ballmer returns triumphantly to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, now with less Crazy Eddie (video)

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Steve Ballmer makes his triumphant return to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, this time with less Crazy Eddie video

The last time we saw Steve Ballmer star in a commercial for Microsoft, he was extolling the virtues of a 286-based PC running the glory that was Windows 1.0 -- in 1986. You can imagine the surprise we got 26 years later when Microsoft premiered an ad featuring the now-CEO during its Windows Phone 8 event. If you were expecting that same kind of unbridled enthusiasm Crazy Eddie once used to hawk underpriced TVs, you may be either pleased or disappointed. It's a very level-headed and well-spoken Ballmer this time around, with the executive calmly highlighting the advice he gets through his HTC Windows Phone 8X from people like his wife and a certain Billy G. Besides evoking nostalgia, the pitch is an illustration of what Windows Phone's live tiles can do as well as a reflection of Microsoft coming full circle -- as it was two decades ago, Redmond is fighting for market attention at a time when new interface concepts are challenging its main business. We're just glad there's fewer plaid business suits in 2012.

Continue reading Steve Ballmer returns triumphantly to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, now with less Crazy Eddie (video)

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Steve Ballmer returns triumphantly to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, now with less Crazy Eddie (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Gates already has a Surface and you don’t (video)

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Bill Gates already has a Surface and you don't video

Being the founder of Microsoft certainly has its advantages, as well as its downsides. Case in point: the video interview Microsoft released this morning, starring none other than Bill Gates himself talking about the world of Windows 8. On the positive side, Gates reveals he's already got his own soon-to-be-released Microsoft Surface RT -- he calls it "an unbelievably great product," unsurprisingly -- with a black keyboard. On the less than positive side, despite being out of the CEO seat at the company, Gates still has to do interviews like the one found after the break. You'd think he could just get Ballmer to put on his old Crazy Eddie's impersonation! We've dropped that notorious video after the break as well, for comparison sake.

Continue reading Bill Gates already has a Surface and you don't (video)

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Bill Gates already has a Surface and you don't (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft CEO Ballmer braces us for a ‘fundamental shift’ in strategy with more Microsoft-designed devices

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Microsoft CEO Ballmer braces shareholders for a 'fundamental shift,' more of its own devices in the future

Microsoft's Surface tablets could already be considered warning shots across the bow, signalling that a change in strategy was underway. For anyone who was in doubt, however, CEO Steve Ballmer has clearly spelled out in a shareholder letter that Microsoft now sees its own devices as crucial to the company as anything else. There's a "fundamental shift" in how the Redmond-based crew works, he says, and investors should expect that Microsoft will periodically make "specific devices for specific purposes" (like Surface or the Xbox) that show off services in the best light possible. Ballmer adds that plans in the long run focus on new device types and learning interfaces. The message is ostensibly a rosy one for the company's future, but there's also a subtext for hardware makers that have complained about competing against their OS partner: get used to it. Ballmer sees Microsoft-designed hardware like Surface as complementary to what third parties do, and his company isn't about to reverse course anytime soon.

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Microsoft CEO Ballmer braces us for a 'fundamental shift' in strategy with more Microsoft-designed devices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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