“Over the course of Steve Ballmer’s tenure as Microsoft CEO, the company’s stock price has gone nowhere, its market share has plunged — but its headcount has more than trebled. And that’s before adding another 32,000 employees as part of the Nokia acquisition,” Felix Salmon writes for Reuters.
“This acquisition essentially forces Microsoft to double down on its strategy (which has signally failed to date) of competing head-to-head with Android and iOS,” Salmon writes. “Nokia is a failing company — if Microsoft hadn’t swept in to save it, it would probably have gone bust pretty quickly — and one of the reasons that it’s failing is that no one wants to buy a Windows phone.”
Salmon writes, “Microsoft is now simply too big to turn around. Elop saved Nokia in much the same way as John Thain saved Merrill Lynch, by selling a fundamentally worthless company to a much larger strategic buyer for billions of dollars. That strategy isn’t going to work for Microsoft. Probably, there is no strategy which would work out for Microsoft. The company’s heyday is far in the past, now; all that the new CEO can hope for is to maximize profits as it slowly, inexorably, declines.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Don’t anybody get queasy on us now.
Heads will roll. Bodies will get axed. Redmond cubicle dwellers will be terminated.
And, in less than a week, Apple will fire some more high caliber bullets into the Borg’s writhing carcass.
It won’t be pretty (depending on your definition of pretty; it may be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen), but this is what victory looks like – and we fully intend to luxuriate in it for as long as it
laststakes.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Tayster” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
All Microsoft employees should read Stephen Elop’s ‘Burning Platform’ memo right now – September 3, 2013
Microsoft shares drop on $7.2 billion Nokia phone deal – September 3, 2013
Buying Nokia does not help Microsoft become more like Apple – September 3, 2013
Beleaguered Nokia to sell handset business to Microsoft for $7.2 billion – September 3, 2013
Beleaguered Nokia reports lower-than-expected revenue, Needham downgrades – July 18, 2013
Microsoft and Nokia can’t hide from the very, very ugly truth: Windows Phone is failing miserably – July 18, 2013
Nokia’s Stephen Elop: The worst CEO of all time – June 28, 2013
“Beleaguered Microsoft’s heyday is far in the past, its future is slow, inexorable decline.”….in related news, Obama Messiah is still insane.
Insanity isn’t the main problem with Obama, it’s the incompetence of the ball-less wonder that makes the empty-suited manifestation of America’s white guilt such a rank failure.
If only we had a fine, noble and positive character such as yourself running the country.
I’ll take F10T12 running the country any day over your nagging PC drivel scolding folks freedom of speech you don’t agree with. Tough sh@t!
Regarding “botvijerk is still a jerk” he has more to say in one sentence than your characteristic prissy drivel. This is NOT a PC speech class! Got it?
Comment on the articles, NOT your differing idealistic definition of posters language and behavior. If that is too much for you to handle — take a hike, Seamus.
@GoeB
1. So you promote freedom of speech for botvijerk, but not for me. Nice.
2. You want me to comment on the articles? I’d be very happy if botvijerk confined himself to doing that. If he commented on the articles and stopped insulting people, I’d have no beef. I do NOT berate people for having opinions different from mine.
3. It’s not a matter of being PC. It’s a matter of asking botvijerk to stop being such a poisonous, nasty little fuck. E.g. (quoting botvijerk):
That’s fucking nuts.
fuck you
fuck you
once again, another jackass
fuck you
You are an idiot.
you are mentally ill.
..and you are a shill
that is because you are blind
“1. So you promote freedom of speech for botvijerk, but not for me. Nice.”
Hey clueless, where did I say you DO NOT have a right to comment? Got it?
“2. You want me to comment on the articles? I’d be very happy if botvijerk confined himself to doing that. If he commented on the articles and stopped insulting people, I’d have no beef.”
Personally, would be a positive change if you DID comment on articles and not berate opinions other than yours you disagree with. Got it?
“I do NOT berate people for having opinions different from mine.”
Really? Wow, what a whopper. You wrote:
“3. It’s not a matter of being PC. It’s a matter of asking botvijerk to stop being such a poisonous, nasty little fuck. E.g. (quoting botvijerk):
That’s fucking nuts.
fuck you
fuck you
once again, another jackass
fuck you
You are an idiot.
you are mentally ill.
..and you are a shill
that is because you are blind”
I rest my case. Your inconsistency and unfair playing field is there for all to read and you STILL don’t get it …
Name calling, wow, how mature you are.
…in related news, botvijerk is still a jerk — with nothing to say that matters.
enjoy WWIII, Seamus. You fucking idiot.
@botvijerk
One of the most famous speeches of all time was NOT, “I have a dream, you bunch of clusterfuck dipshits.” Hmmm. I wonder why not.
Are you capable of simply making a concrete point, supported by rational arguments? You might want to try it, sometime. Or, preferably, every time.
well, when a US cruise missile hits a Russian carrier, perhaps that point will be sufficient to penetrate your concrete skull, you clusterfuck dipshit.
And any of your worthless, sputtering drivel has anything to do with Microtanic, how?
If you want to rant about politics, please go to a political site & leave the rest of us alone.
@botoncandy
“worthless, sputtering drivel” — That’s a keeper!
@botvijerk
When you (we can only hope) leave here and go to sites where people WANT to discuss politics, let me give you a hint…
Do you actually care about persuading anyone about anything, or do you just want to vomit negativity?
People are persuaded to new points of view by logical ideas that are clearly, reasonable and respectfully articulated —- and when those ideas also show the listener that their self interest is best served by the new idea. NO-ONE – on any site – will ever be persuaded by the swearing and insulting you so frequently dirty your comments with. It doesn’t matter what validity may lie behind your juvenile, rage-aholic ravings.
I don’t think even the latest product will console you after an ICBM rains down on your vacuous ass. Impeach Obama Now, he is insane.
To quote the wise botoncandy…
“If you want to rant about politics, please go to a political site & leave the rest of us alone.”
This is true, related or not.
“…in related news, botvijerk is still a jerk — with nothing to say that matters.”
… in related news, Seamus is STILL shameless and has nothing to say that matters to tech articles.
“… in related news, Seamus is STILL shameless and has nothing to say that matters to tech articles.”
It’s quite fascinating that you are criticizing me for criticizing botvijerk, but you are NOT criticizing him for ongoing posts that:
– are nothing to do with the tech article
– are nothing but vitriol, name-calling and swearing
I do not disrespect people if they have opinions different from mine – unlike botvijerk. But for a few people who mostly just throw shit and poison, I’ll sometimes throw some back. Inevitably such people love to swear and name-call, but they are driven furious by receiving some. Hmmm.
It is not fascinating to me that you are a clueless PC leftover rouge.
What you consistently fail to understand is BV makes salient and succint points with colorful language. Big deal for you obviously, but not for the rest of us.
Respect whomever you believe in … but don’t trample on our freedom of speech and POV you disagree with!
Got it?
I think not …
Shooting somebody or throwing them in prison for expressing a point of view is “trampling on their freedom of speech”.
Telling somebody to fuck off for repeatedly telling people to fuck off is not trampling on anything. It is, in your own terms, exercising my freedom of speech.
“Shooting somebody or throwing them in prison for expressing a point of view is “trampling on their freedom of speech”.
Whoa! What planet do you live on?
I’ll take botvinnik comments over yours every time.
Puleeze!!! The best CEO Apple inc never had was the Great Steve Ballmer & now Apple inc is about to loose him, BUT!!! Thank the lucky stars that their is another worthy candidate for the ‘Best CEO Apple inc will never have’ and that is the one and only Steeeeve Elop Elop!!!!
Applelites all over the world would be mad not to support him by showing fear and trepidation at the possibility of his ascension to M$ top job! Imagine how Microsoft’s board would react to the cacophony of gnashing teeth and wailing laments of Applelites that all is lost should the venerable Steve Elop be appointed?
IF YOU ALL LOVE Apple inc. you should all email Steve Cook, oops! Tim Cook and ask him to make a better offer to Nokia with the sole purpose of keeping Stephen Elop from reverting back to Microsoft where he will be a thorn to Tim Cooks & All Appelites sides
Did you forget how to spell or is it that you’ve never known how?…. Never mind. Spelling is the least of your problems…
@botvijerk
74 votes, averaging “Poor”.
I guess your “insightful political wisdom” is neither wanted nor appreciated. How about taking the hint?
Shameless-
Ratings matter? Anyone can sit down and pimp ratings, means nothing.
Here is my hint for you — take a hike speech cop!
No one wants to buy Nokia phones because of the Windows Phone platform. That’s a relatively minor issue, compared to the decline in PC sales cause by Windows 8. Unless Microsoft changes course quickly, the decline will NOT be “slow.” Buying Nokia’s phone business was the opposite of what Microsoft needed to do; Microsoft is punching the accelerator, as it drives off the cliff.
Windows Phone may become more viable if there is a considerable increase in the number of cases of Android malware problems. RIM is going to implode quickly and its not impossible that Windows Phone could pick up steam under the right market conditions. That said, this is an expensive gamble and a distraction from the mess that Microsoft has to deal with regarding Windows 8.
Turning around a failure is a tall order. They better call it something other than a Windows Phone.
But as you said, under certain market conditions I guess anything is possible. Some of those conditions are beginning to show in the more mature markets as iPhone is gaining share in the US, UK and France. But MS might have to give their phones away for near zero profit for years (much like they did with Windows in the early years to get a foothold. But it’s going to take a great product to take share away from either Apple or Samsung.
Appointing Elop CEO will destroy MS.
Elop is the Dr Kevorkian of mobile. You only appoint him when you want to euthanize your chances in the market.
Looks like BlackBeery needs him.
I honestly blame Elops predecessors for what happened to Nokia. The place was a mess and about to go splat, he may have bought them some time.
Microsoft’s heyday was when they made DOS for the IBM PC. Ever since Windows 1.0, they have been falling downhill fast.
Microsoft didn’t “make” DOS for the PC, they bought/stole it for $75,000 from Seattle Computer Products (Tim Paterson), used it to jerry-rigg a clone of Digital’s CP/M, and renamed it MS-DOS.
Exactly. Heyday is when they bought QDOS and passed it on to IBM as the Operating system that MS supposedly had already available. Heyday is when Apple had that Numscull Scully allowing MS to license Apple crown jewels. Heyday is when Apple had idiots for Lawyers to even allow that to happen. Heyday is when MS copied Mac with Windows 95 UI and all and got away with it because that Numscull Scully and lawyers were running the show. After that it just riding the cash cow with the IT/CIO in business planted years ago to keep that money flowing.
I’m wondering how many graphics, video, and audio professionals will come back to the Mac after the next few years? Adobe actually made it easier for them to swap platforms with their cloud services….it’s just a matter of relearning some keyboard shortcuts.
The big 3D software makers are going to have to move more resources into the Mac platform too.
TL/DR: Apple needs to press hard on winning back the A/V traitors that went to Windows.
Apple is already doing that. Open GL 4 in Mavericks.
This was actually a cynical joke about M$. In my opinion, M$ never had a heyday. All their stuff since stealing QDOS were garbage to me. I had a Commodore 64 with GEOS at the time. The only good thing MS made was Xenix, and even then, that was made by someone else.
Dude! How could you forget Microsoft Bob?
A heavenly pillar of software goodness whose only problem was being 8 or 9 decades ahead of its time. I mean c’mon man, for as awesome as OSX (including Mavericks) is, it still chews B.T. Clown b@lls.
/Sarcasm 😉
You sir are correct everything M$ peddles was bought or stolen or a derivative of a bought or stolen product. Except maybe the M$ mouse, idk.
I think Clippy was original…
If MSFT is really interested in following the AAPL playbook then they should skip mobile and go directly to the Internet of things or milk the cash cow for all its worth and go for whatever the next big thing is. Not saying this is either Mr Softy’s or Nokia’s wheelhouse but that’s the only door that still open for them.
MDN : “… Apple will fire some more high caliber bullets into the Borg’s writhing carcass.”
Shouldn’t that be “photon torpedoes”? At least it would sound more destructive!
Ok MDN, you have kicked Dell when it was declining and now MicroSoft. Dell is still twitching and is not quiet died and MicroSoft is weak and shows strong signs of going the way of Dell, but they still have billions on hand and can go a long way with it.
I am like everyone else here and can not wait for the giant MS to finally fall to the ground and die, but they are still alive for now. Keep the death watch on Dell and MS. Standing by for more reports of their demise.
And if that isn’t enough, read this on LinkedIn!
“Nokia can’t save Microsoft – Only its geniuses can!”
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130903003514-8451-why-the-microsoft-empire-needs-to-be-dismantled?trk=tod-home-art-list-large_0
Microsoft by its very name would indicate it is not nor ever has been viril. It is amazing with that name that any of its employees were ever able to even have progenitors!
Vooza.com is going to have fun with this, I’m sure.
I know no one could be more excited to witness MSFTs final chapter than you MDN, but watch your puffy language. A carcass, by definition cant be “writhing”.
That said windows software is and will be used by millions around the world. More than MSFTs death I expect it to be a harmless boring company that will manage what’s left of its empire knowing that its customer base will be dwindling over a looong period of time, much like a big utility or a cable company.
It can if it’s full of maggots.
The roadmap is clear once Elop replaces Ballmer: “Elop saved Microsoft in much the same way as John Thain saved Merrill Lynch, by selling a fundamentally worthless company to a much larger strategic buyer for billions of dollars.” I wonder if Office would be worth a couple $billion to Apple just to kill it.
So – Mocrosoft & Nokoa. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Luxuriate. Yeah, I like that strategy. I like it a lot.
If Microsoft wants to stay relevant they need focus on their strengths: their server products and office. Give up the desktop and mobile but make sure a full version of office is written for the mobile platforms businesses use, namely IOS.
It’s not a Stretch to imagine Elop succeeding Ballmer, commissioning him with a similar mission he had at Nokia: paring down the body count at Microsoft to make it a leaner company. This would entail a lot of what MDN has said – essentially purging the company of a lot of employees. To paraphrase what Steve Jobs once said, Microsoft will then go through a tumultuous time, and either they will survive, or they won’t. I’m foreseeing them becoming a Patent Holding company by the end of this decade. And that means there won’t be a Windows 9.