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Microsoft Reorganization - Ballmerized

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G

GoofsterStud

Member
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer appears to be planning a major reorganization. The apparent objective is to help the company move toward becoming a "devices and services company" as presented in the company's annual shareholder letter last October.

But, the question for investors is whether this is a crafty move that will help Microsoft launch renewed profitable growth, or is it leadership further confusing customers and analysts while leaving Microsoft languishing in stalled markets? After all, the shares are up some 31% the last 6 months and it is a good time to decide if an investor should buy, hold or sell.
Click to expand...

Source vccircle.com
Also on bloomberg.com, businessinsider.com, etc

This kind of thing has been appearing on multiple tech sites. If the structuring it in process, it could explain the cancelled X1 interviews. I still think Ballmer is out of touch with the modern consumer.
 
T

Talon

Member
Microsoft is notorious for the left hand not talking to the right hand. Maybe this reorganization will finally address that.
 
J

Juice

Member
Since just about everyone views Ballmer as the problem, this reorg is likely to fix everything.
 
F

Fatalah

Member
1122_j_allard.jpg


I respect Ballmer a great deal, but having a guy like J. Allard running the company would be all sorts of amazing.
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
Fatalah said:
1122_j_allard.jpg


I respect Ballmer a great deal, but having a guy like J. Allard running the company would be all sorts of amazing.
Click to expand...

Goddam he looks badass. Best transformation ever. Would be amazing if they brought him back to lead. But maybe he is super wealthy and rather enjoys life.
 
J

jstripes

Banned
Fatalah said:
1122_j_allard.jpg


I respect Ballmer a great deal, but having a guy like J. Allard running the company would be all sorts of amazing.
Click to expand...

Ya, having a "cool guy", with one successful device under his belt, in charge will really help with stuff like enterprise and datacentres, which is their bread and butter...

Microsoft is several different companies badly trying to function as one.
 
F

Fatalah

Member
jstripes said:
Microsoft is several different companies badly trying to function as one.
Click to expand...

That's actually a great point. So the different divisions in Microsoft could be run like States, and Ballmer could be the federal government driving them towards a common goal.
 
W

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
Talon said:
Microsoft is notorious for the left hand not talking to the right hand. Maybe this reorganization will finally address that.
Click to expand...
It seems like one of the reasons Sinofsky was let go. He didn't play well with others and Ballmer wanted each group working together.
 
T

Talon

Member
Windu said:
It seems like one of the reasons Sinofsky was let go. He didn't play well with others and Ballmer wanted each group working together.
Click to expand...
Which makes reading his "Learn by Shipping" blog so odd. I enjoy reading it, personally.
 
M

mre

Golden Domers are chickenshit!!
Talon said:
Microsoft is notorious for the left hand not talking to the right hand. Maybe this reorganization will finally address that.
Click to expand...

Does anybody know if they still do that stupid system of evaluation (I think they called it stack ranking?) where 1/3 of their employees in each department/division were always given a failing review no matter how well they were actually performing?

Because if they still have that practice, no amount of reorg will help.
 
B

Bombadil

Banned
I feel somewhat sorry for CEOs of publicly traded corporations. Everything they do is scrutinized heavily by day traders. As the article says, MS's stocks are up. But that's not enough for investors, I guess.
 
D

demosthenes

Member
From gaming and our resident MS insider:

crazy buttocks on a train said:
ucan remo.ve RUMUR frmo hte thread tittle TEAMMOD. esram yieldls. are "troubling"toput it lightly.

truthfact.


btw youiw lil not njhear abouthing about tech atMS E3 presentation. tech tarbaby (notracistst!) IS TSTICKIER THAN YOU WIL EVER KNOW. I LOOK FORWARF TO READING THE BOOK BY VENTUREBEAT.

theyMSrushed. --caughtoutbysonychangs. leadershitfailure.p.
Click to expand...
 
O

Opiate

Member
As is identified in this article, MS' primary problem isn't profitability, but its position in the market, invested heavily in stalled markets.

The PC desktop market is obviously stalled (and even contracting). The "hardcore" gaming market that Halo so successfully marketed to 10 years ago is no longer seen as a growth market, which is why the XBone is so desperately trying to break that mold. Server technologies are still doing well for Microsoft, but again don't represent a growth market.

Virtually all the major growth markets of the last decade -- first search, then mobile devices, then social networking -- have been captured by other companies. Google, Apple, Samsung, Facebook.
 
M

MrHicks

Banned
ballmer is a billionaire
why doesn't he just retire and enjoy life?

i don't get these ultra rich people still working
say you have 2 billion NOW...and in the next 20 years another 2 billion
wtf does money matter at that point anymore with such wealth
you already have enough wealth for a 1000 lifetimes
 
K

~Kinggi~

Banned
MrHicks said:
ballmer is a billionaire
why doesn't he just retire and enjoy life?

i don't get these ultra rich people still working
say you have 2 billion NOW...and in the next 20 years another 2 billion
wtf does money matter at that point anymore with such wealth
you already have enough wealth for a 1000 lifetimes
Click to expand...

A lot of the ultra rich are workaholics. They are driven in some crazy ways. A lot of people like to bash them for having too much money (which i agree they are obscenely paid) but many of the ones that achieved wealth through work deserve their position at least.
 
B

Bombadil

Banned
~Kinggi~ said:
A lot of the ultra rich are workaholics. They are driven in some crazy ways. A lot of people like to bash them for having too much money (which i agree they are obscenely paid) but many of the ones that achieved wealth through work deserve their position at least.
Click to expand...

He will regret it. He should retire from MS and join in the philanthropic effort.
 
F

freenudemacusers

Member
MrHicks said:
ballmer is a billionaire
why doesn't he just retire and enjoy life?

i don't get these ultra rich people still working
say you have 2 billion NOW...and in the next 20 years another 2 billion
wtf does money matter at that point anymore with such wealth
you already have enough wealth for a 1000 lifetimes
Click to expand...
ballmer has a legacy to fix.
 
K

~Kinggi~

Banned
Bombadil said:
He will regret it. He should retire from MS and join in the philanthropic effort.
Click to expand...

True. Many of these people would probably lead better lives if they changed their profession but kept working. Bill decided to do charity. Now everyone loves Bill. Probably a good way to go out.
 
W

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
MrHicks said:
ballmer is a billionaire
why doesn't he just retire and enjoy life?

i don't get these ultra rich people still working
say you have 2 billion NOW...and in the next 20 years another 2 billion
wtf does money matter at that point anymore with such wealth
you already have enough wealth for a 1000 lifetimes
Click to expand...
he seems like one of those guys that lives to work.
 
I

IceCold

Member
MrHicks said:
ballmer is a billionaire
why doesn't he just retire and enjoy life?

i don't get these ultra rich people still working
say you have 2 billion NOW...and in the next 20 years another 2 billion
wtf does money matter at that point anymore with such wealth
you already have enough wealth for a 1000 lifetimes
Click to expand...

Greed and they live to work.
 
V

Vicetrailia

Member
MrHicks said:
ballmer is a billionaire
why doesn't he just retire and enjoy life?

i don't get these ultra rich people still working
say you have 2 billion NOW...and in the next 20 years another 2 billion
wtf does money matter at that point anymore with such wealth
you already have enough wealth for a 1000 lifetimes
Click to expand...

I think by now, working IS his entire life. Maybe he should start his own company, i'm sure he's had ideas. Plus I think that he still has a lot to prove, maybe that what keeps him there.
 
1

140.85

Cognitive Dissonance, Distilled
They cut his hair, took him to Urban Outfittters and then did a photo shoot with him awkwardly posing on a skateboard. SEE KIDS, IM HIP TOO
 
C

Can Crusher

Banned
So what's the thinking here? Completely divide MS in two branches?

I don't even get it. But if Ballmer is responsible then it will probably be some lame short term profit move.
 
W

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
Can Crusher said:
So what's the thinking here? Completely divide MS in two branches?

I don't even get it. But if Ballmer is responsible then it will probably be some lame short term profit move.
Click to expand...
rumors are it would be something like 4 divisions. Devices, app and services, some kind of OS divisions and I forget what the other one is, probably enterprise related.
 
T

Talon

Member
Fun fact, Ballmer was a brilliant mathematician. He was taking graduate classes as a sophomore at Harvard and was a favorite of the math department.
 
V

Valnen

Member
MrHicks said:
ballmer is a billionaire
why doesn't he just retire and enjoy life?

i don't get these ultra rich people still working
say you have 2 billion NOW...and in the next 20 years another 2 billion
wtf does money matter at that point anymore with such wealth
you already have enough wealth for a 1000 lifetimes
Click to expand...

Having a passion for your career will make you want to stick around.
 
E

ElectricBlue187

Member
Talon said:
Fun fact, Ballmer was a brilliant mathematician. He was taking graduate classes as a sophomore at Harvard and was a favorite of the math department.
Click to expand...

Shame that instead of applying his brilliance in mathematics he instead chose management and financial wankery like most of the brilliant minds in this country. No money in mathematics I guess.
 
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