Hasta La Gadget!

Joachim Kempin, former Microsoft executive, has penned a less-than-favorable book about the company and its current CEO, Steve Ballmer, who takes some flack from the author. According to Kempin, Ballmer ensures his position as top dog by bumping possible rivals out of the running. In order to pull out of its rut, says the author, Microsoft must make a change in management.

Kempin worked for Microsoft from 1983 until 2002 as a senior vice president, and according to Reuters, is the top-most former executive to publish such criticism of the company. The book in question is titled Resolve and Fortitude: Microsoft’s “secret power broker” breaks his silence,” and is set to hit shelves this coming Tuesday, January 22.

According to Kempin: “For Microsoft to really get back in the game seriously, you need a big change in management. As much as I respect Steve Ballmer, he may be part of that in the end.” And speaking directly of Ballmer’s destroy-potential-rivals attitude, he says, “When you work that directly with Ballmer and Ballmer believes ‘maybe this guy could someday take over from me’, my God, you will have less air to breathe, that’s what it comes down to.”

Several Microsoft executives have left the company over the years, including Steven Sinofsky and Richard Belluzzo. Kempin isn’t Ballmer’s only critic, with others having petitioned over the years for him to step-down from his position. Still, Kempin stresses that he doesn’t dislike Ballmer, stating specifically that he “respects [the] guy” and that he’s a good business man.

[via Reuters]

Former Microsoft executive’s upcoming book lambasts CEO Steve Ballmer is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’re learning that Microsoft will soon be losing another of its key players, as Research lead Craig Mundie has announced that he will retire from the company in 2014. Before he does that, though, he’ll be stepping down from his current position at Microsoft to become an adviser to CEO Steve Ballmer. Previously, he served as the boss of Microsoft’s R&D department and lead the charge for the company’s security program.

Mundie has held those positions since 2008, while he’s worked for Microsoft for the past 20 years. Now those duties will pass onto Eric Rudder as Mundie transitions into his advisory role. Mundie’s biography on Microsoft’s site has already been updated to reflect the change, saying that in his role as adviser to Ballmer, he’ll work on “on key strategic projects within the company, as well as with government and business leaders around the world on technology policy, regulation and standards.”

The Seattle Times says Mundie’s retirement paves the way for Microsoft to create teams that focus specifically on the mobile and Internet spaces. Not much surprise there, as we’ve seen the smartphone market explode while PC sales decline. Hearing that, it really isn’t any wonder that Microsoft wants to diversify its focus and put even more resources into mobile.

This isn’t the first high-profile Microsoft departure we’ve heard about this year. Last month, Windows boss Steven Sinofsky announced that he was leaving the company only a couple of weeks after the launch of Windows 8. Couple that with Mundie’s incoming departure, and there should certainly be some big changes at Microsoft. Stay tuned.

[via BBC]

Microsoft research lead Craig Mundie announces 2014 retirement is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It would appear that the Windows Phone universe is growing at a rate that’s at least a little pleasing to the head of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, as he speaks this week at a shareholder meeting. This meeting was held at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington, with the vast majority of its listeners and speakers signing in remotely – as is the common practice for these types of meetings, for those of you unfamiliar. Thus far the response to Steve Ballmer’s comment on Windows Phone selling “four times the rate” it was last year appears to be: without Y, we cannot have X.

This of course means that we don’t have a solid number for the sales of Windows Phone sales at any point other than the analysis that’s been provided by 3rd party companies. With Windows Phone sales safely rolled into a category with the Xbox, we’re not going to know how well the device and operating system combo has been selling at any point. But the percentages remain.

With Ballmer making it clear that Microsoft’s mobile OS is indeed moving on up, we can assume that they’re doing at least relatively well. At four times the sales they were at last year, we can also safely assume that Windows Phone 8 still isn’t getting anywhere near iOS or Android in any respect. That said, we’ve got reports of heavy sales of the Nokia Lumia 920 – selling out in Germany, of all places.

Ballmer also added that 1,500 PCs are now certified for Windows 8 – that’s encouraging for those banking on the next-generation operating system providing them another outlet for their app, as Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 go hand-in-hand with usability and aesthetic form without a doubt. Have a peek at our Microsoft portal right this minute to keep on following this story down the rabbit hole!

[via Microsoft]

Ballmer: Windows Phone sales “four times” greater than Autumn 2011 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

When it comes to talking about other companies, especially the ones that Microsoft directly competes with, company CEO Steve Ballmer isn’t afraid to slap them across the face with his criticizing words. Ballmer was asked about both Android and Apple last night during an interview with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, and he spoke his mind about the downfalls of each.

Ballmer called the rival Android platform “wild,” “uncontrolled,” and susceptible to malware, while he called Apple’s ecosystem “high priced” and “highly controlled” — one at each end of the spectrum it seems. Of course, Ballmer may be hinting that Microsoft is right in the middle where it should be compared to Google and Apple.

Ballmer also talked about Windows 8, the Surface tablet, and Windows Phone 8 during the interview, and he says that these products have been done right. He also mentions that, unlike Google and Apple, Microsoft is working extremely closely with developers. This obviously isn’t the first time that Ballmer has said stuff like this, but it’s always fun to hear every time.

We really like the company’s newest products, like the Surface and Windows Phone 8, but it seemed that during the interview, Ballmer was stumbling his way through when talking about consumer-level products, while discussing the enterprise landscape seemed easy for him and no sweat at all. Obviously, that’s what he knows best, but it seems he gets a little out of control when he discusses Microsoft on a consumer level.

[via TechCrunch]

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer talks Android and Apple is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is an able champion for his brand, but even he couldn’t muster up much enthusiasm over sales of his Surface RT tablet in a recent interview with a French newspaper. Unless something was seriously lost in translation, sales of Microsoft’s slate have been “modest” so far—but just you wait until its big brother gets here. More »