“Sometimes — even in the most complex of organizations, which software behemoth Microsoft most certainly is — it does come down to a simple choice,” Kara Swisher reports for AllThingsD. “And, in the case of the seemingly sudden departure of Windows head Steve Sinofsky yesterday, several high-level sources at the company said that it came down to former CEO and co-founder Bill Gates’s backing of current CEO Steve Ballmer in the controversial decision to part ways with the powerful exec.”
Swisher reports, “While Gates — who is now chairman of Microsoft’s board –has had a longtime and very close relationship with Sinofsky, he supported the move by Ballmer to promote more integration of Microsoft’s other divisions and also involve other top executives more significantly than ever before in the planning and development of the next version of Windows. This more collegial cross-division effort was different than the closely held, command-and-control and even secretive method for which Sinofsky had been well known throughout the company. In fact, numerous sources said, it was an anathema to him.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Captain Ballmer. Forever rearranging the deck chairs.
Related article:
Windows head Steven Sinofsky out at Microsoft – November 12, 2012
Is Gates Still in charge?
Well, he is Chairman of the Board.
And a major stockholder.
Who do you think packs Balmer’s lunch every morning? And he puts a Ho-Ho in there for little Stevie too!
Good ol’ Billy Boy coming to the “rescue”!!!
MS is a joke.
How much for reprints?
Maybe Windows 8 is a good product afterall, and Ballmer & Gates had to get rid of Sinofsky to ensure MS maintain their (low) quality standards.
Does BSOD exist in Win8, or do you get a personal email of apology from Mr Ballmer instead?
May the sales person continue to lead M$!
Monkey boy has a leash? It must not be used very often…
Is it just me or does the first picture in the article look like something straight out of Mel Brook’s “Young Frankenstein”? Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle?
Microsoft: copying Apple again.
That’s exactly what I thought, as well.
SB: “Bill, back in college, boy, we had a helluva time.”
BG: “Yeah, we had some fun, didn’t we.”
SB: “Thank God for videotape and photographs so we can remember those good times, right?”
BG:”Yeah, videotape and photographs are…are you blackmailing me.”
SB: “No, no, I never used that word, I just mean that I have a lot of video and photographs of you doing stuff that, well, Melinda may frown upon, you know, we were just experimenting and all.”
BG: “How does CEO sound?”
SB: “Really, I am shocked and really happy you would make me CEO, wow, thanks.”
The Lost Interview of Steve Balmer.
Somehow I think this is closer to reality than fiction.
I’ve never seen those thoughts in screen play form.
Thanks.
Wait did the stock tank 20% with this news? Are the analysts predicting doom and gloom? ROFL
I thought Apple was the company with the ‘Reality Distortion Field.
Maybe we have something different here:
The Microsoft Stockholder Stupefaction Field
You gotta be damned ignorant to hang onto Microsoft stock and dump Apple stock. Don’t cha think? Or don’t cha? 😉
They keep firing the wrong guy. Keep an eye out for any exec throwing chairs and you’ve got your man. Then grab him roughly by the scruff of the neck and drop kick him out the nearest window. (Don’t worry he’ll blubber-bounce off the ground.)
Ballmer T. Clown doesn’t have a scruff to grab onto, roughly or otherwise. It’s all one wide bull neck from the chest up to the eyes. But I get your point and totally agree! 🙂
I still think of the troika “rats, ship, sinking” whenever someone leaves MS…
closely held, command-and-control and even secretive method for which Sinofsky blahblahblah
Windows 8 sucks. Heads roll. It’s that simple.
So Microsoft is copying Apple’s management moves now too?