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Nokia is now officially part of Microsoft
As expected, Nokia's devices and services business has been officially acquired by Microsoft today. The date was set earlier this week, and it seals the deal the two companies entered into last September. Nokia has long been allied with Microsoft, committing fully to Windows Phone, but as explained when the merger was announced, Microsoft's new arm will continue to support feature phones like the Asha and Nokia X ranges, as well as smartphones (we'll have to wait to see what "support" means exactly). The obligatory press releases from both companies don't reveal any grand plans or shift in focus, but each side has issued some closing remarks, if you like. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said: "Today we welcome the Nokia Devices and Services business to our family. The mobile capabilities and assets they bring will advance our transformation. Together with our partners, we remain focused on delivering innovation more rapidly in our mobile-first, cloud-first world."
Jamie Rigg04.25.2014
New Xbox head Phil Spencer promises renewed focus on gaming across all Microsoft platforms
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the new head of its Xbox division this morning: Phil Spencer, longtime Microsoft Studios leader and Xbox game dude. In Spencer's initial letter to the legions of Xbox owners the world over, his approach comes across as scattershot. See for yourself: "This past year has been a growth experience both for me and for the entire Xbox team. We've taken feedback, made our products better and renewed our focus on what is most important, our customer. Our mission is to build a world-class team, work hard to meet the high expectations of a passionate fan base, create the best games and entertainment and drive technical innovation. As we continue forward, this renewed focus and mission will be a foundational part of how I lead the Xbox program." Given that, our first question to Spencer in a short phone interview this afternoon was one of clarification. With so many aspects of Xbox to oversee, where will he begin? "I'm gonna lead with a gaming focus and making sure that's where we're led. That's the North Star for the organization," he told us.
Ben Gilbert03.31.2014
Microsoft is announcing an 'intersection of cloud and mobile computing' later this month
How does Satya Nadella run a Microsoft press event? We're about to find out: the company's new CEO will is coming to San Francisco later this month to talk about "news focused on the intersection of cloud and mobile computing." The topic certainly plays to his strengths. Before taking the helm as the company's new chief executive, Nadella played a major role in launching Office 365, Microsoft's subscription and cloud-based Office platform. While that application is already accessible from mobile devices, native Android and iOS Office apps have reportedly been on Microsoft's roadmap for some time too, and we wouldn't be surprised if they surfaced at this event. Microsoft won't speak further on the specifics of the event, but we won't have to wait long -- Nadella takes the stage on March 27th.
Sean Buckley03.18.2014
First two Microsoft execs exit following new CEO appointment
Microsoft has a new CEO in Satya Nadella, but two of his direct reports are apparently on their way out according to Re/code. Both marketing EVP Tami Reller and biz dev/evangelism EVP Tony Bates are leaving Microsoft; the company hasn't officially confirmed either departure, but is expected to announce as much tomorrow. Bates is certainly the bigger name of the two, having previously led Skype to its acquisition by Microsoft back in 2011. In a video from that era (found below), Bates said he was looking forward to what Microsoft and Skype could do together. He said he saw video communication becoming ubiquitous in the next several years, and was looking forward to combining Skype's and Microsoft's "disruptive" approaches to consumer tech. He was reported to be in the running for Nadella's CEO job as well, which certainly helps to explain why he'd be interested in leaving Microsoft right now. As far as Reller goes, it's not entirely clear why she's on the way out. Re/code posits that her situation internally before Nadella took the new CEO spot was contentious, sharing management duties with Ballmer (for instance) over certain employees. How does any of this impact you? It doesn't just yet, but the former head of Skype leaving Microsoft certainly doesn't bode well for that department. Either way, expect to see more departures as the ongoing exec shuffle at Microsoft continues. Update: Microsoft's confirmed the news in releasing Nadella's letter to his senior leadership team.
Ben Gilbert03.03.2014
Microsoft chooses cloud and enterprise head Satya Nadella as third CEO
Microsoft has officially named Steve Ballmer's successor: Satya Nadella. Now the third CEO in the company's history, he most recently has led Redmond's efforts in the cloud and enterprise space. With 22 years at the company, Nadella is certainly not the outsider many predicted would take over the role. But the board, including co-founder Bill Gates himself, believe that he's just the man to lead Microsoft into the future. His success in pushing the platform-agnostic Office 365, in addition to both consumer-facing and enterprise cloud solutions, bodes well for a company who has seen its bread-and-butter products of Windows and Office struggle in the post PC world. The naming of Nadella as CEO represents something of a return to its roots for Microsoft. While Gates ultimately proved to have solid business instincts, he was at heart a computer nerd (for lack of a better term). Ballmer, on the other hand, was a student of economics and an MBA dropout. Nadella received degrees in electrical engineering and computer science before eventually moving on to the University of Chicago's MBA program. [Image credit: Microsoft]
Terrence O'Brien02.04.2014
Microsoft will reportedly name enterprise chief Satya Nadella as CEO
Microsoft still hasn't announced who will succeed Steve Ballmer as CEO, but Bloomberg News is reporting that the company is on the verge of naming a replacement. Satya Nadella, the current enterprise chief, will reportedly take over the chief executive job; additionally, Microsoft is considering replacing Bill Gates as chairman, according to Bloomberg's sources. If true, the report would end speculation that Microsoft was leaning toward a chief executive with more consumer-facing experience (ex-Nokia chief Stephen Elop and Ford CEO Alan Mulally were once said to be on the short list). Indeed, Nadella has spent his 22 years at Microsoft focused on the company's core business customers: before taking over the company's enterprise and cloud business, he ran the servers and tools unit and was vice president of the Microsoft Business Division. While it might be fun to speculate what Microsoft's future will be if it ends up being led by a seasoned enterprise vet, it's probably still worth waiting for an official announcement: Bloomberg adds that although Microsoft is preparing to name Nadella as CEO, "the plans aren't finished." Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Dana Wollman01.30.2014