Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News

      Microsoft Reorg Needs Soviet-Style Display of Power

      By
      David Coursey
      -
      September 21, 2005
      Share
      Facebook
      Twitter
      Linkedin

        It would be so much easier to understand what happens at Microsoft if only its corporate headquarters had a big balcony.

        To announce a reorganization, Microsoft would hold a parade and wed watch who appeared to review the troops, Soviet-style.

        Wed note where each Microsoft leader stood, who was next to whom, and how many medals each wore on his chest. New participants and disappearances would be carefully noted.

        With this method, there would be no more wimpy reorganization press releases that tell much, yet reveal nothing.

        No, I want straightforward Kremlin-style displays of power: Employees marching by, heads turned toward the leaders in salute, product banners unfurled.

        /zimages/2/28571.gifClick here to read more about Microsofts reorganization.

        The number of employees, number of banners and each groups place in the parade would tell us a lot. So would seeing which MS exec saluted as the troops marched past and who averted their gaze to avoid eye contact. What a vista that would be!

        Putting this weeks reorg into the context of a Soviet-era spectacle, what wed have noticed about the balcony is the absence of technical skill.

        Jim Allchin, who is retiring after Vista ships, wouldnt have been on the balcony. So, we would have been left with Bill Gates and four people whose best skills arent technology.

        It is hard for me to imagine Kevin Johnson, a gifted organizer, sales manager and customer relationships guy, having any real say in what goes into post-Vista versions of Windows.

        Jeff Raikes has been around, well, forever, and is probably the best of the three presidents in fit-to-job running the business group.

        Robbie Bach is a talented exec who, running entertainment and devices, is still waiting for his Elvis moment.

        In Robbies case, this would really be a Steve Jobs moment. Indeed, Mr. Bach may be too technical for a job that really requires being able to tell the public what it wants in a way that makes the public actually want it. Nano, anyone?

        As for the marching order of the troops, MSN seems to have moved way forward. Not to the front, but pretty close.

        The immediate question, however, is why MSN is in Mr. Johnsons Windows group and not Mr. Bachs entertainment group. If you look at MSN for the user perspective, this certainly seems like a mismatch.

        Microsoft, I believe, doesnt see MSN as being so much a consumer online service as a way to deliver services to the Windows client.

        Putting MSN and the client into the same development group is an indication that software-as-a-service and competing with Google are major priorities in Redmond.

        The reorg also seems designed to reduce Steve Ballmers reports from many to only a few. The three presidents, rather than adding a new bureaucracy to Microsoft, may be able to make better decisions more quickly than has lately been possible.

        More important than the high-level reorg weve seen will be the organizational tuning that follows.

        Microsoft will remain organized into seven business units for profit-and-loss purposes, but streamlining is certainly possible and could make more difference than who reports to whom six levels up from the people doing the actual product development.

        The new organization may also reduce what my friend, Michael Cherry of Directions on Microsoft, calls the “strategy tax.”

        This is the opportunity and dollars cost that Microsoft developers “pay” because they must adhere to a strategic direction, sometimes small but other times companywide.

        /zimages/2/28571.gifPartners say shakeup will sharpen Microsofts agility. Click here to read more.

        One of Microsofts strengths is its ability to do these big things, one of which was the implementation of Internet features across a broad range of products in a relatively short time. But, that was a decade ago.

        Today, trusted computing is an example of a “good” strategy tax, according to Cherry, because despite requiring resources, the strategy is absolutely essential for customer satisfaction.

        My example of a current “bad” strategy tax is the .Net framework, which has been costly to implement but thus far hasnt exactly taken the world by storm.

        I would feel much better if Microsoft had just named three presidents and a technology czar for each group.

        Bill Gates cannot provide this sort of day-to-day “right now” leadership and follow-up. This would be someone capable of making rapid decisions on technical direction, while still retaining the respect of the losing side.

        I know these people exist in the company, but it bothers me that none are considered important enough to earn a place on the balcony.

        Contributing editor David Coursey has spent two decades writing about hardware, software and communications for business customers. He can be reached at david_coursey@ziffdavis.com.

        /zimages/2/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for Microsoft and Windows news, views and analysis.

        David Coursey
        One of technology's most recognized bylines, David Coursey is Special Correspondent for eWeek.com, where he writes a daily Blog (blog.ziffdavis.com/coursey) and twice-weekly column. He is also Editor/Publisher of the Technology Insights newsletter and President of DCC, Inc., a professional services and consulting firm.Former Executive Editor of ZDNet AnchorDesk, Coursey has also been Executive Producer of a number of industry conferences, including DEMO, Showcase, and Digital Living Room. Coursey's columns have been quoted by both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and he has appeared on ABC News Nightline, CNN, CBS News, and other broadcasts as an expert on computing and the Internet. He has also written for InfoWorld, USA Today, PC World, Computerworld, and a number of other publications. His Web site is www.coursey.com.
        Get the Free Newsletter!
        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
        This email address is invalid.
        Get the Free Newsletter!
        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
        This email address is invalid.

        MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

        Latest News

        Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

        James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
        I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
        Read more
        Applications

        Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

        James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
        I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
        Read more
        IT Management

        Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

        James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
        I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
        Read more
        Applications

        Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

        James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
        I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
        Read more
        Cloud

        IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

        James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
        I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
        Read more
        Logo

        eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

        Facebook
        Linkedin
        RSS
        Twitter
        Youtube

        Advertisers

        Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

        Advertise with Us

        Menu

        • About eWeek
        • Subscribe to our Newsletter
        • Latest News

        Our Brands

        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms
        • About
        • Contact
        • Advertise
        • Sitemap
        • California – Do Not Sell My Information

        Property of TechnologyAdvice.
        © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

        Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

        ×