“It hasn’t been a good month for Microsoft’s Google-fighters. So bad that one left abruptly last week, and another decided this week to switch teams,” Owen Thomas reports for Business 2.0.
“Vic Gundotra, a general manager for platform evangelism at Microsoft and a 15-year employee, has agreed to join Google after first spending a year working on charitable endeavors, Business 2.0 has learned,” Thomas reports. “‘Mr. Gundotra has resigned from Microsoft (Charts) and entered into an agreement with Google,’ Google spokesman Steve Langdon wrote in an emailed statement. ‘He will not be a Google employee for one year and intends to spend that time on philanthropic pursuits. We are uncertain what precise role he will play when he begins working for Google, but he has a broad range of skills and experience which we believe will be valuable to Google.'”
“Microsoft spokesman Tom Pilla confirmed Gundotra’s departure and says that the executive has a noncompete agreement with Microsoft preventing him from working for a competitor for one year after leaving the company,” Thomas reports.
“Gundotra had been charged with getting developers to write programs that build on top of Microsoft’s desktop software and online services. Most recently he had been working out a strategy to compete with the draw of Google’s newer, Web-based software applications,” Thomas reports. “His departure comes shortly after the abrupt departure of Martin Taylor, a corporate vice president charged countering Google by marketing Microsoft’s Windows Live and MSN services.”
“Among the ex-Microsoft executives and top technical talent now at Google are former Microsoft China head Kai-Fu Lee; Mark Lucovsky, a top engineer whose departure upset Ballmer so much that the CEO allegedly threw a chair across an office; and Adam Bosworth, a former general manager and software expert,” Thomas reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Turd Ferguson” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Towels or no towels, like rats from a sinking ship, off the smart ones swim. We can think of worse jobs than being a platform evangelist for Windows… strike that, no we can’t. Today Ballmer’s bald dome could actually turn beet red and then just pop right off like a dandelion. Failing that, at the very least Redmond’s Office Depot is going to be quite happy. Karma can be one serious bitch. Go, Karma!
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Hey everyone, a free round of chairs on me!
Micro$oft sells more since Apple makes Mac’s that can also run Micro$oft Windhose ! The M$-ship may have some dangerous holes but it still is mighty … we like it or not.
someone that bald obviously did some seriously bad shit in a previous life.
maybe google has better towels?
Hey Macromancer-I thought you were so turned off by the ads on MDN that you weren’t coming back…
so if these top guys are leaving Microsoft for Google, does that mean Google will now producing shit software?
I wonder how MS shareholders feel about this.
Harry,
What happens when someone really uses both a Mac and Windows? They almost always prefer the Mac. Most people have been brainwashed into thinking they need Windows. When they find out that they really don’t, Microsoft is done. Why buy anything, but a Mac, since only Macs can run all apps?
Watch and learn. Apple has won already – just relatively few know it, yet.
Or he’s becoming a spy for Microsoft…?
That dandelion line….pretty funny…made me laugh
*tumbleweed blows across M$ campus*
Ballmer sits in the corner alone with his unfinished Vista, sweating through his shirt…
<s>strikethrough text is my fave!</s>
Of course, striking through (or is it strikethroughing?) the text above makes the satement seem sarcastic. Which it isn’t. Ironic, no?
harumph. no strikethrough!
*walks off with huge snot bubble dancing on tip of lip*
Steve Ballmer should be promoted to “chairman”
Thank you, I’ll be here all night.
“We can think of worse jobs than being a platform evangelist for Windows… strike that, no we can’t.”
Sewer Worker? Toll Booth Attendant? Crime Scene Cleaner? Slaughterhouse supervisor? President? Biohazard Removal Technician? Chinese Factory Worker?
Hmmm. Yep. You’re right!
“Hey Macromancer-I thought you were so turned off by the ads on MDN that you weren’t coming back…”
You must have me confused with all the other people whining on this website, because I’ve never once said I had an issue with the ads. In fact, I don’t know what people are complaining about.
If you are going to single out a person like that, best to make sure you have the right guy.
I wish people would lay of Mr. Ballmer with their snide comments. I have met him an find him to be an unselfish, caring, and personable fellow. He deserves our respect for all he has accomplished in his distiguished carrer with Microsoft.
Oh, and I have some ‘land’ in Florida for sale…..
Well, it WAS a secret.
Ballmer’s actually a great guy. When he’s asleep.
Buster – trade you the “land” for a “bridge” I own in NY.
Peace.
Alternative headlines:
When good chairs get tossed
Baldy McSweatstaine eyes the furniture
Ballmer Boy vs Lazy Boy
so if these top guys are leaving Microsoft for Google, does that mean Google will now producing shit software?
I think these are proud people leaving Microsoft. During the past 5 years, or so, they have learned that previous successes had more to do with Microsoft’s anti-trust violations, than with the quality of their work.
Stripped of its ability to abuse the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, Microsoft products have been exposed as third rate software. Without Microsoft’s abuse of its monopoly status, its products would have failed miserably.
Gates’ departure as Chief Software Architect should have come as no surprise. It probably came 7 years too late to stem the tide away from Microsoft.
The departure of so many high ranking employees, strongly suggests that the problems at Microsoft run very, very deep. Microsoft’s only hope to remain at the top, is to “retire” the top 100 execs (starting with Ballmer), and the entire Board of Directors.
A new outside Board of Directors, not beholding to Bill Gates, should preside over a true restructuring of Microsoft, and not just another round of musical chairs. Microsoft could acheive this, and remain profitable, by reducing head count (especially in management) by 20%. Its goal should be 3M-like, relatively small, but highly focused work groups, charged with results, and uninterfered with by upper management.
Good to see, but this comment:
“Failing that, at the very least Redmond’s Office Depot is going to be quite happy.”
I don’t find much humor in that statement. I
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don’t wish MS employees any ill will. A lot of these folks are trying to feed thier familys just like the rest of us. I wish them all the luck that I would have bestowed upon myself.
With that said, down with MS!
Static –
game over – YOU WIN!
BTW, I got kinda stupid with the carriage return on previou post.
Vista is an iceberg; and the U.S.S Microsoft just hit it.
I love how everyone that leaves MS needs to do charitable work right away, as if to scrape the taint from their soul. Pretty telling. Interesting too, that so many are leaving MS to go to Google, where their corporate motto is, “Don’t Be Evil”. I guess Microsoft’s corporate motto must be, “Where Do You Want To Be Evil Today?”.
What is a worse job than a Microsoft evangelist? A food reviewer for an audience of dung beetles. But, I admit, it’s a close call.
It is said that Rats always leave a sinking ship…
BTW, I got kinda stupid with the carriage return on previou post.
And, dammit, sombody get mi some WhiteOut for me screeene…
“Platform Evangelist”? No wonder Microsucks is a sinking ship.
“We can think of worse jobs than being a platform evangelist for Windows… strike that, no we can’t.”
How about Towel Boy for Ballmer?
My take on the fact that several key employees are leaving is that once Bill announced his decreased role, many of these high level employees see the writing on the wall with the exit of the most sane portion of thier leadership.
What would you do if you had to work closely with Ballmer without Bill’s calming influence. I also think the bureaucratic mess will only get worse as the vacuum of leadership creates opportunities for power-hungry and manipulative people to position themselves for more power.
Anyway, I expect the ones leaving are probably the most intelligent and self-directed of the bunch, focused on taking an opportunity to again dosomething productive with their lives in an environment that cherishes that attitude.
Thorin,
MDN wrote: “Failing that, at the very least Redmond’s Office Depot is going to be quite happy.”
You replied: “I don’t find much humor in that statement.”
I think you missed the intent. I believe MDN meant that M$ would have to be buying new chairs today because Ballmer threw them and broke so many.
That’s the way I read it, at least.
Oh man! I guess you are right. Stupid me, I thought that it meant that MS employees would be taking crappy jobs at (name of crappy chain here) from layoffs. I am making a real ass of myself today, and I promise to stop.
Don’t worry about it, Thorin. We all have bad days here on MDN, except Ampar of course….
Charlie Brown and I take offense to the bald comments made here on MDN. We baldies can’t be held accountable for people like Steve Ballmer and Dr. Evil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_famous_bald_people
“Today Ballmer’s bald dome…”, “someone that bald obviously did some seriously bad shit in a previous life.”, “Baldy McSweatstaine eyes the furniture”
That image of the unfrozen caveman M$ CEO scares and frightens me. MDN – please cease and desist on the Ballmer photos.
Is MDN now an internet gossip spreading service? It must’ve escaped me exactly how this ditty is related to Macintosh News. The annoying ads on this site are bad enough, now we have to put up with this crap that has nothing whatsoever to do with Macintosh News? Why don’t you guys start posting stuff about Jessica and Nick too?
Someone please hand Ballmer a towel.
Has 5 minutes already gone by since the last MDN posting of a non-flattering Ballmer picture? Time for some new stock footage, boys.
Do you think Ballmer sucks on towels in his office like Jerry Tarkanian?
Executives, Executives, Executives, Executives!
The Ballmer Gates soldiers are moving out.
Then Microsoft will become a smarter place.
Niether Gates nor Ballmer are good managers.
Don´t you wish the MDN guy would run his photo…bet its very similar to Ballmer.
the executive has a noncompete agreement with Microsoft preventing him from working for a competitor for one year after leaving the company
For a true student of Vista, a year is as a day.
Let us meditate on that.
Deeeveelllopers….
Deeeveelllopers…
Deeeveelllopers…
Ohhhmmm….
Howz that drinking song go?
96 Microsoft chairs in the hall,
96 Microsoft chairs.
You take one down,
You throw it around,
96 Microsoft chairs in the hall.
95 Microsoft chairs…….
(MW = “going”
Now THAT’s funny I don’t care who you are…
“Don’t worry about it, Thorin. We all have bad days here on MDN, except Ampar of course….”
I guess there’s getting “steved” and then there’s getting “steved.”
I wonder which is more humiliating? More painful?
“Gundotra had been [B]charged[/B] with getting developers to write programs that build on top of Microsoft’s desktop software and online services.”
Charged? Yeap, I’d call that a crime.
Another one bites the dust! I can’t wait for my turn!