The challenges of the future CEO of Microsoft

The announced departure of Steve Ballmer in the coming year is an admission of failure for Microsoft, which is struggling to gain a foothold in markets in recent years. Two of the pillars of the company are divisions Windows and company - Office-, which account for half of its revenue. Both should review in depth their products in a market which is more centered on the PC, where the company dominates, but on smartphone and tablet.

The major offensive launched in October 2012, with Windows 8 for PCs and Tablet and Windows Phone 8 on smartphones, did not the desired effect. The "unified" system should sign the relaunch of the PC market and the arrival of the Group on the two new fields, with the production - for the first time - stamped tablets Microsoft. Las, the price of new PC and shelves overall discouraged buyers, and Windows Phone 8 does not have sufficient applications or features quite unique to divert them from smartphones using Google's Android or iOS from Apple.

A DIFFICULT PROFESSIONAL MARKET

The new office system, to support a wide range of tablets, had to go out in two editions in the software bit compatible (Windows 8 and Windows RT), creating confusion among buyers. The decline in price of the Tablet Surface RT dug the profits of 900 million dollars in the fiscal quarter ending in March. These products have also helped dispose of historical partners, manufacturers, who consider range Surface like a unnecessary competition for a system that doesn't sell globally. Shareholders have complained, in mid-August, accusing the company of lying about the situation of these new products.

The picture is no more encouraging for the market of enterprises, including a large share use yet Windows XP, released in 2001 and whose support ends in 2014. The (...)

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Microsoft will change the pattern, Wall Street applauds

by Bill Rigby and Sinead Carew

SEATTLE/NEW YORK (Reuters) - the CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, announced Friday his next departure to retirement, putting an end to 13 years controversial at the head of the world's number one software, whose action earned more than 7% after this unexpected decision.

The management of Steve Ballmer, who had succeeded in 2000 Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, where he was a friend and confidant, has been questioned by investors as by specialists in the sector while the pioneer of PC operating systems covered distance by the new giants of mobile phones and the internet like Apple or Google.

Now 57 years old, Steve Ballmer has certainly tripled turnover and more than doubled profits already impressive Microsoft since his arrival at the head of the group but the share price has hardly budged over the last ten years and remains very far from the highest adjusted 59.97 dollars reached at the end of 1999, before the internet bubble burst.

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced a major reorganization and published results reflecting weaknesses in several of its activities, including shelves Surface, whose sales remain disappointing, and the Windows 8 operating system, which has received a lukewarm reception.

The announced departure of Steve Ballmer also comes shortly after taking a small stake in Microsoft by activist ValueAct Capital Management Investment Fund which demanded a change of strategy and a clear plan of succession at the head of the company.

No candidate is required to immediately to succeed Steve Ballmer at the head of a group that has had only two Directors-General in 38 years of history. Many promising executives have left the company or were pressed by Steve Ballmer, who had a time suggested that he intended to stay in office until 2017.

"NEW DIRECTION"

The reorganization announced last month aims to make Microsoft - which today is essentially a publisher of software - a company selling both products and services, a model that has made Apple's success.

But many observers believe that this plan comes too late, even if Microsoft has reaffirmed Friday the validity of this strategy.

"My initial project on the calendar would have been to retire at half-time of the process of transformation of our company in a company specialized in equipment and services," said Steve Ballmer in a statement. "We need a general manager who will be there in the long term for this new direction."

Although the management of Steve Ballmer has been criticized for some time, analysts have been surprised by his decision.

"Yes, it was a surprise particularly with regard to the proximity with the strategic transformation to equipment and services recently announced", said Sid Parakh, analyst at McAdam Wright Ragen.

The departure of Steve Ballmer intervene within twelve months, once that a special Committee of the Board of Directors will designate his successor.

This Committee, which will be led by John Thompson, the senior independent Director of the group, will include Bill Gates and other administrators. It will consider both external candidates and internal and will work in collaboration with the firm of headhunters Heidrick & Struggles International.

After opening in nearly 8.6% increase over the closing of Thursday, the Microsoft action won 7.38% at 34.78 dollars an hour from the close of Wall Street.

The group, there still like Apple, is under pressure to distribute to its shareholders a larger share of its cash, which currently stands at $ 77 billion.

"This could accelerate a distribution more favorable to shareholders of this war chest, which would promote the upgrading of the action to more appropriate levels", considers Todd Lowenstein of HighMark Capital Management Fund, which holds securities Microsoft.

Steve Ballmer himself owns a little less than 4% of the capital of the group according to Thomson Reuters data.

Wilfrid Exbrayat and Marc Joanny for French service, edited by Marc Angrand

Microsoft: The best and worst of Steve Ballmer in videos

High-tech - Bubbling Microsoftboss, who announced his departure to retire in the next 12 months, missed critical turns...

Hard to succeed Bill Gates. CEO of Microsoft since 2000, Steve Ballmer will pass the hand within a year. Its balance sheet is contrast: on one side, the annual profit of the company tripled over 10 years, from 20 to 60 billion dollars, thanks to a good performance on the business side. on the other, the share price of the action remained inert while those of Google and Apple were multiplied by 7 and 40. And if Microsoft is successful entering the entertainment with Xbox, he badly negotiated the public shift in computing (mobile, tactile and social). What does retain its 30 years at Microsoft? Selection in videos.

Windows 1.0

Ballmer was the yang to the yin of Bill Gates. Recruited in 1980 by Microsoft, he plays the brimming VRP of enthusiasm for selling Windows 1.0.

An unparalleled fan boy energy

Steve Ballmer was able to fire as a person, jumping and screaming "I love this company" if necessary. It is after this number it will be nicknamed "Monkey Boy".

A type that wets the Jersey

In the proper sense. Here, he woos Windows developers. Pity that he did not spend the same energy for Windows Phone, whose lack of apps remains the number one problem.

Windows XP refuses to die

The success of Windows XP has caused problems for Microsoft. After the flop of Vista, it was only in August 2012 Windows 7 surpassed XP OS PC market share to 42.5%.

The cord with the not completely cut off father

In this humorous clip, Steve Ballmer dances with Bill Gates while singing "What is love". If Ballmer became CEO of Microsoft in 2000, is that in 2007 that Bill Gates really hung up to devote himself to his Foundation.

Source From 20minutes.fr