Microsoft reorg could come next week
Microsoft is expected to announce organizational changes in the coming days, shaking up some of the leadership in its Windows and Windows Live groups, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.
The changes have been in the works for some time, though the exact announcement date has been in flux. The most recent date heard by a couple of sources is next Thursday, though that date is still not firm. (Memo to Microsoft: you've got a lot to learn when it comes to celebrating Valentine's Day.)
Among those expected to be out as part of the shift are Steve Berkowitz, the former Ask.com CEO, who has been senior vice president of Microsoft's online services business, and Mike Sievert, the former AT&T Wireless executive who joined Microsoft in 2005. Berkowitz was hired in spring 2006.
Sievert's expected departure was noted on Monday by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, while word of the reorganization was mentioned over the weekend by The Wall Street Journal.
It is not immediately clear whether or when the two are going to leave Microsoft, but their current responsibilities are expected to go to others.
A Microsoft representative declined to comment on the matter. Berkowitz and Sievert could not immediately be reached for comment.
Sievert and Berkowitz were both prominent outsiders in the kinds of roles Microsoft usually fills from within the company.
Both Sievert and Berkowitz have had their roles reduced somewhat in recent months. Berkowitz saw some of his duties shifted to Satya Nadella and Brian McAndrews. An insider said last month that Berkowitz was not necessarily a good fit even in his reduced role. Sievert had been responsible for both Windows product management and marketing when he first joined Microsoft, but Mike Nash was given the product management duties last year.
CEO Steve Ballmer noted at a financial analysts meeting on Monday that Microsoft needs to do a better job of marketing Windows.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
That normally happens when a CEO first comes on board, not half a decade after he takes on the job... this indicates more trouble than you and I have both surmised beforehand.
/P
-Continual management upheavals, and major corporate-level re-shufflings.
-Poorly-received new products.
-Highly-questionable pronouncements of nearly-inconceivable market-successes, despite obvious, massive, consumer, and industry, resistance to its products and policies.
-Numerous, problems with product, and service, releases and adoption.
-Financial, and sales, reports which seem to fly in the face of nearly every independent analysis.
-Rabid company-paranoia, fear, and suspicion of nearly every external market-element.
-Numerous reports that, internally, management is saying (and admitting) one thing,... and publicly, acting entirely differently.
-Low internal-moral.
-Massive SPIN, and advertising, campaigns.
-Sudden, irrational, almost desperate, acquisitions (which in some cases may mean that the company is going to need to borrow massive amounts of capital).
-Trying to wring, absolutely, every-penny out of customers, and business-partners.
-Sudden, repeated, about-faces regarding numerous products and policies.
-Wild claims about the actions of (any, and all, perceived) "competition".
-Unbelievably-widespread, marketplace suspicion, dissatisfaction, and anger, with the company.
-And, numerous ongoing competitive, and legal, problems
All in all, Id say that, this really is a "textbook-case".
I think it's more a description of how most corporations are perceived these days however from the banking industry to your local espresso stand.
http://www.felgner.ch/2008/02/microsoft_in_dire_straits.html
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I'm sure MS employees are thinking to themselves "Here we go again". Another outsider coming in to change things around in a manner that reduces productivity and has been tried before without success.
It's corporate culture 101.
- More Chairs!
- by ethana2 February 6, 2008 10:31 PM PST
- ...and uh.. ..cowbell!
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(10 Comments)Seriously though, no amount of reorganization can stop the penguin.