Microsoft has a new mission statement as the tech giant prepares for the release of Windows 10 and the start of a new fiscal year, CEO Satya Nadella announced to employees in an internal email this week.
“Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. I’m proud to share that this is our new official mission statement,” wrote Nadella (pictured) in the email obtained by GeekWire. “This mission is ambitious and at the core of what our customers deeply care about. We have unique capability in harmonizing the needs of both individuals and organizations.”
The statement reflects recent moves by the company to appeal to both consumers and corporate customers as the longtime maker of PC software and operating systems adapts to a more cloud- and mobile-centric technology landscape.
The email comes after Nadella announced changes to Microsoft’s leadership on June 17—which saw the departure from the company of former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop—and a year after Microsoft started laying off 18,000 workers, or 14 percent of its workforce at the time.
More shakeups may be on the horizon, Nadella suggested.
“I believe that culture is not static,” he wrote. “We will need to innovate in new areas, execute against our plans, make some tough choices in areas where things are not working and solve hard problems in ways that drive customer value.”
Microsoft’s product strategy going into its 2016 fiscal year hinges on productivity offerings that not only span all of a user’s devices, but can also transition between business and personal use. “We will drive scale and usage by appealing to ‘dual-use’ customers, providing productivity services that enable them to accomplish more at work and in the rest of their life activities with other people,” Nadella said.
Microsoft’s massive Azure cloud computing platform factors heavily in delivering those experiences. And the company’s flagship operating system isn’t far behind.
Windows 10 is set to launch on July 29. “We have the opportunity to connect with 1.5 billion Windows customers in 190 countries around the globe,” stated Nadella. In April, during the Build developer conference, the software maker set an ambitious goal of 1 billion Windows 10 devices by mid-2018.
To help achieve that aim, Microsoft is offering Windows 10 to existing Windows 7 and 8.1 customers as a free upgrade up to a year after its release. The company is also rallying its employees, Nadella revealed.
Microsoft views the Windows 10 launch “as an opportunity to support and celebrate how people and communities upgrade their world every day,” he wrote. “To that end, starting on July 29, when Windows 10 becomes available, employees are invited to volunteer some time and upgrade their communities as part of the broader movement.”
Internally, Microsoft will focus on being “customer-obsessed” and embracing diversity, Nadella added. The “One Microsoft” ideal, introduced by former CEO Steve Ballmer, will continue to guide the company’s efforts. “We will build on the ideas of others and collaborate across boundaries to bring the best of Microsoft to our customers as one,” said Nadella.
