{"id":5728,"date":"2013-08-27T10:32:52","date_gmt":"2013-08-27T08:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.pricecheck.co.za\/?p=5728"},"modified":"2013-08-27T10:32:52","modified_gmt":"2013-08-27T08:32:52","slug":"bye-bye-steve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/blog\/bye-bye-steve\/","title":{"rendered":"Bye-bye Steve"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week Microsoft <\/a>CEO Steve Ballmer announced that he will be stepping down in 12 months. Was he pushed out or was it his decision to leave Microsoft? I doubt that the public will ever know the truth. Maybe the autobiography he is potentially writing will provide us with some more detail.<\/p>\n

When Ballmer took over from Bill Gates as CEO, Microsoft<\/a> was at the top of its game. Windows was making billions of dollars, partnerships with Intel were starting to return value and for all intensive purposes courts were where Microsoft was battling their competitors. Compare that to the current state in which Microsoft is in:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Its flagship software Windows 8<\/a> is not selling well. The operating system is not a reflection of the company\u2019s vision (it is supposed to be aimed at mobile devices).<\/li>\n
  2. Microsoft Surface<\/a> is such a disaster that Microsoft has had to mark it down and give it to universities. The idea was right but the execution was way off.<\/li>\n
  3. Windows Phone is at the moment literally only growing when installed on Nokia devices<\/a>. This specific product is the biggest failure under Ballmer\u2019s rein. Is this potentially where Ballmer\u2019s successor is going to be found?<\/li>\n
  4. The Xbox<\/a> has become a very big part of Microsoft\u2019s success. This is the one business that has grown under Ballmer\u2019s direction. Is it a case of a success prior to the Ballmer era?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If one looks at all of Ballmer\u2019s missteps then one wonders how he has survived this long. There are many CEO\u2019s that have been shown the door by doing the same as Ballmer..<\/p>\n

    What was the final straw for Ballmer? Two things come to mind \u2013 He lost a lot of key mobile staff to other businesses (Amazon, Apple and Samsung). Secondly, he was at the beginning of the biggest re-organisation in Microsoft history and I have a feeling that this was the biggest mistake he made. One other thing \u2013 name a Microsoft<\/a> acquisition that made an impact on their finances? (Maybe Yammer and Skype?)<\/p>\n

    Ballmer is one of the biggest shareholders of Microsoft<\/a> stock and is super wealthy. He will most probably never have to work again \u2013 he will most probably buy a sports team and potentially become an investor into technology businesses in Seattle.<\/p>\n

    Ballmer wont be missed \u2013\u00a0 he killed a business that has such great opportunity. Who takes over from him? Stephen Elop has been mentioned but the candidate most likely to take over from Ballmer is David Sacks (the founder of Yammer). Microsoft\u2019s next CEO will have plenty to do as Apple, Samsung, Google and Amazon have taken considerable market share away from Microsoft.<\/p>\n

    \"Ballmer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Last week Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that he will be stepping down in 12 months. Was he pushed out or was it his decision to leave Microsoft? I doubt that the public will ever know the truth. Maybe the autobiography he is potentially writing will provide us with some more detail. When Ballmer took<\/p>\n

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