Items tagged with Satya Nadella
Kenny Rogers famously sang about knowing when to hold your cards and knowing when to fold 'em (and run). Microsoft appears to be taking that lesson to heart in the digital assistant space, and rather than try to usurp Amazon's popular Alexa with its current set of cards, it has decided to play a different hand—going forward, Microsoft will focus on making Cortana available as a skill. Work on this has already begun. Cortana has been available as a skill since last year, and at Microsoft's Build 2018 conference, Microsoft demonstrated how Alexa and Cortana could work together in Windows 10 as part of a previously announced collaboration between Amazon and Microsoft. So, it's not really a...
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Microsoft just announced a big executive shakeup, which will see Terry Myerson depart as the company's executive vice president for the Windows and Devices group. Myerson has been with Microsoft for over two decades and has been a driving force behind the Windows 10 operating system. The move comes as Microsoft is attempting to better secure its future when it comes to "intelligent cloud" services -- which are becoming an increasing part of its revenue stream -- and leveraging artificial intelligence capabilities. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella "Over the past several years, Terry and the WDG team transformed Windows to create a secure, always up-to-date, modern OS," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella....
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What it is that constitutes a personal computer has changed over the years, and especially in recent history with mobile form factors taking a strong hold in the marketplace. And for a blip in time, it seemed as though tablets were poised to replace traditional PCs (desktops, laptops, all-in-ones), with Apple's iPad family leading the charge. But now? Tablet shipments have plummeted, and according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the iPad is not a "real computer." Nadella playfully let his feelings be known when he spotted a couple of journalists wielding iPad tablets as he was getting ready to present a keynote at the India Today Next Conclave. He is in the midst of a tour to promote his new...
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We got a preview of Satya Nadella's thoughts on the mobile industry when his book landed late last month, and now the Microsoft CEO is giving a bit more insight into why the company's mobile aspirations have fizzled. According to Nadella, Apple and [especially] Google have so far cornered the market when it comes to smartphone operating systems. To put it bluntly, consumers have spoken, and they aren't enamored with what Microsoft has offered in this space on either the software front or the hardware front. "We absolutely do not have the share to have our smartphone hardware, that’s a real consumer choice. That’s the reality of it," said Nadella while speaking at the GeekWire Summit. "The reality...
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Microsoft attempted to use its purchase of Nokia's Devices and Services division to give it a first-row seat in the global smartphone market, pitting it against the likes of the Apple iPhone and smartphones running Google's Android operating system. In addition, by developing both the operating system and hardware in-house, it would give complete control over the user experience, much like Apple and Google do with the iPhone and Pixel respectively. Hindsight is 20/20, and knowing what we know now, it's easy to see that acquisition was a mistake. In a new book that was published today – Hit Refresh -- current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that he was against the deal from the very...
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It has been over three years since Steve Ballmer left Microsoft, and the company has thrived without him at the helm. Current CEO Satya Nadella has transitioned the company into a “cloud” powerhouse and has embraced the lucrative subscription model for its products. Microsoft has invested heavily in deep learning technology and has focused more attention to promoting its apps and services on competing platforms like iOS and Android. In Ballmer’s absence, the company’s stock has nearly doubled from $36 to just over $70 per share. So, what is Nadella getting right that Ballmer seemingly got wrong during his 14-year reign as Microsoft CEO? Ballmer had a bit of self-reflection at this year’s Code...
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Let’s face it, Microsoft’s decision to purchase Nokia’s Devices and Services division was an epic fail. The acquisition resulted in billions of losses, plummeting market share for Microsoft’s smartphone operating system, and the laying off of thousands of employees. It’s quite amazing how far Microsoft has fallen when it comes to smartphones. In its most recent quarter (fiscal Q3 2017), it booked just $5 million in revenue from phone hardware. That is a big drop from fiscal Q3 2015, when Microsoft reported $1.4 billion in revenue on phone hardware. Looking at its performance in the smartphone arena, it’s quite apparent that Microsoft either needs to completely rethink the way it approaches smartphones...
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Microsoft is at somewhat of a crossroads with its mobile division. Earlier this month, CEO Satya Nadella admitted that the company’s recent mobile efforts have been poor at best, stating, “We clearly missed mobile. There is no question.” Not only has Microsoft’s share of the mobile OS market sunk to sub 1 percent levels, but Lumia production has reportedly been put on ice. Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s hardware division has been a complete financial disaster and has result in the firing of thousands of employees. Despite these strong headwinds, Nadella is still convinced that there is a path forward for Microsoft in mobile. Instead of being a follower, he wants Microsoft to use innovation...
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History (and Hollywood movies) taught us that you shouldn't pick on the school nerd, because it's the school nerd who goes on to become a raging success and gets the girl or guy. Apple missed that lesson. While Apple CEO Tim Cook was busy throwing shade at the convertible tablet category by comparing the concept to the futility of trying to merge a toaster with a refrigerator, Microsoft was busy designing the Surface Pro. Now it's Microsoft boss Satya Nadella who is getting the last laugh.Let's go back in time, shall we? If you set the DeLorean to early 2012, you can sit in and listen to Cook talk about the state of Apple during the company's first-quarter earnings call. Windows 8 had not yet...
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When former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer handed the reins to Satya Nadella, the company had not long before undergone a complete reorganization. Ballmer knew that Microsoft needed a new face with a fresh set of eyes at the helm, that it was time to let younger blood lead the company wherever it was destined. And where exactly is that? Fast forward to today and Nadella is steering Microsoft towards an interesting future in deep learning and artificial intelligence.Lest there be any doubt, Nadella said as much during a keynote at Microsoft's Ignite conference for IT professionals in Atlanta, GA. He talked about artificial intelligence being at the "intersection of our ambitions," how it would...
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Microsoft is hoping to court a new legion of smartphone users with its Windows 10 Mobile operating system. Unfortunately for Microsoft, a number of missteps is threatening to derail what otherwise is shaping up to be a credible alternative to the market dominant Android and still popular iOS smartphone platforms. For starters, Microsoft promised that it would deliver the RTM build of Windows 10 Mobile for Lumia devices in December. However, once December rolled around, Microsoft stated that the release of Windows 10 Mobile for “legacy” devices would be delayed until 2016. So, we wait. Perhaps more damning is the relatively low-key launch of the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL smartphones, which are...
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If you perform a clean install of Windows 10, you shouldn’t be too surprised that Microsoft Edge is chosen as your default web browser. After all, it’s the only browser installed by default (well, I guess you could also count the old and decrepit Internet Explorer, which still lingers around for compatibility purposes). But when performing an upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10, you would expect for the installer to retain your preferences for the default web browser. Unfortunately, expectations don’t often match reality. If you have a competing browser like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome set as your default browser before upgrading to Window 10, this selection will be overridden...
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Microsoft’s venture into the smartphone market has been a disaster. The Redmond, Washington-based company purchased Nokia’s Devices and Services Division last year, and earlier this month announced that it was taking a $7.6 billion write-down on the $7.2 billion purchase. The Nokia folly also resulted in Microsoft positing a $2.1 billion loss for fiscal Q4 2015. So how does Microsoft plan on reversing its fortunes in the cutthroat smartphone market that is dominated by Android in market share and iOS in profits? For CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s smartphone revamp will start at the top and trickle down. “We're going to have great flagship phones for Windows 10,” said Nadella during the company’s...
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Microsoft’s takeover Nokia’s Devices and Services division has been nothing short of a disaster. The company is axing 7,800 employees from its phone division and is writing off $7.6 billion in costs related to last year’s $7.2 billion acquisition. “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,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella when announcing the drastic measures he took with regards to Microsoft’s smartphone operations. “In the longer term, Microsoft devices will spark innovation, create new categories and generate opportunity for the Windows ecosystem...
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Microsoft’s $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia’s Devices and Services division has been a disaster of epic proportions. Microsoft brought over most of Nokia’s employees into the Microsoft fold, only to jettison many of them over the past year. The culmination of this Nokia culling occurred this morning with the announcement that Microsoft is axing 7,800 employees, primarily from its smartphone division. To add insult to injury, Microsoft is taking a $7.6 billion impairment charge on its $7.2 billion Nokia purchase. Youch! There’s just no way to sugarcoat this unfortunate turn of events, but Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is at least trying to give the employees still standing in the smartphone division,...
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Not too long ago, there were some serious doubts as to whether Microsoft and Yahoo would be able to ink a deal to continue there search partnership. However, those fears were unwarranted, as the two companies today announced that they have forged a new agreement the will still see Microsoft’s Bing engine power Yahoo search. There are of course a few changes compared to the original search deal that was put in place back in 2009. This time around, the search partnership is non-exclusive for both desktop and mobile search. So while Yahoo will still be using Bing technology to power the majority of its searches, it still has the flexibility to tailor the search experience for its customers.Yahoo...
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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has a good reason to smile. According to a document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Nadella will receive a compensation package worth $84.3 million this year. The amount is comprised mostly of the estimated value of one-time stock awards that was given to Nadella as an incentive to keep him at Microsoft during the company’s search for a new CEO. Back in February, Nadella was confirmed as Microsoft’s new CEO, making him the third person to be in that position. However, Nadella will not receive that same one-time stock until 2019. According to the statement filed with the SEC, he will receive stock worth around $59.2 million as part...
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Open mouth and insert foot. It's what every public speaker hopes to avoid, only Microsoft chief Satya Nadella wasn't so lucky when he casually addressed the topic of pay raises for women who work in technology. While speaking to a room full of mostly females at a conference designed to celebrate women in computing, Nadella drew criticism for suggesting that lady workers in technology refrain from asking for raises and instead pin their hopes on karma. "It's not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along," Nadella said at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. "Because that's good karma. It'll...
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At the Talent India 2014 event, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, joined by India’s Human Resource Development Minister Smitri Irani, addressed students on the subject of their future and possibilities. During his talk, Nadella spoke about the importance of emotional quotient (EQ) over intelligence quotient (IQ). “In the long run, EQ trumps IQ,” said Nadella to his audience. “Without being a source of energy for others very little can be accomplished.” The event was broadcasted across 20 states, 300 cities, and 750 locations with Nadella telling students that the opportunity before them “is unparalleled.” Image Credit: Jacoplane He added, “All of you...
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In a second round of layoffs, Microsoft has let go of 2,100 employees on Thursday. According to a company spokesman, 747 of those employees were located in the Seattle area and the remaining cuts will occur at other locations worldwide. The layoffs are part of Microsoft’s plan to eliminate a total of 18,000 jobs as Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella is looking to realign the company’s workforce. Back in July, the software company announced that 12,500 employees would be let go from its Nokia handset and service business which it had acquired. The acquisition brought with it a workforce that numbered around 25,000 people. Microsoft’s plan has been to let go of employees...
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Microsoft's plans to lay off some 18,000 employees have caused ripples in the tech industry -- it's one of the largest layoffs ever announced at a major IT company -- and some of those ripples have spread to Capitol Hill. On Friday, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala) tore into Microsoft for the hypocrisy of pushing for more H1-B visas while it simultaneously laid off thousands of workers. Sessions blasted a recent op-ed by Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Sheldon Adelson in which the three industry titans called for Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill, noting that: What did we see in the newspaper today? News from Microsoft—was it that they are having to raise wages to try...
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In a lengthy and open memo to employees regarding Microsoft's future, company CEO Satya Nadella mentioned having to "flatten the organization and develop leaner business processes." That sounds an awful lot like cost cutting measures might be in Microsoft's future, though Nadella managed to dodge an inquiry on whether that will also include job cuts, as the statement strongly seems to imply. "There will be many opportunities for me to talk more about our specific fiscal plans on the 22nd," Nadella said, referring to the date Microsoft will release its next quarterly earnings report. Image Source: Flickr (Steve Jurvetson) It's difficult to imagine Microsoft not cutting any jobs as it attempts...
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