Why Microsoft is Going to Succeed in Act 2 and Why that Matters

With the opening paragraph from Satya Nadella's recent email, I knew that something amazing is happening. What makes me say that? As an ex-Microsoft executive with almost 15 years of experience I've seen the peaks and valleys of this once incredible company. Satya started boldly - "we must rediscover our soul – our unique core." And that is exactly what Microsoft has needed to do.

Big Words but What's Different?

Satya says, "We live in a mobile-first and cloud-first world." The very recognition of that is epic. Think about Microsoft's position for the last 10+ years. It's been about protecting the Windows and Office franchise at all costs. It's been about re-vectoring every conversation to a Microsoft-only or Microsoft-centered view. The embracing of a diverse mobile platform including iOS and Android is already underway in Redmond. And that's an epic change. Mobile first means thinking about solutions first for a mobile device and not simply porting desktop solutions to a phone or tablet. That is a complete reversal from everything the company has been doing for years. If Windows and Office are the center - everything else must be a port of that magic. As Microsoft continues to focus on this as a core part of their DNA, they are taking a BIG risk but that risk is a big step into the reality of today's and tomorrow's computing environment. Expect to see more bold execution like the availability of Office on iPads from Microsoft - this is the first in a series of big moves.

And why is adopting the cloud such a big shift for Microsoft? In Redmond, the success of Windows Server, SQL Server and the other server products has been a quiet huge success. If you look at past Server & Tools earnings, you'll see that the growth has been nothing short of amazing. Risking future potential revenue for that business is an equally big bet. A move to cloud-first is a move to enabling worldwide scale and designing infrastructure first for the cloud and then for on-premises.

What Does This Mean For You?

For many in the Information Technology world, the need to build apps for iOS, Android, the web and Windows desktops was clear. But hope was lost that Microsoft would be the provider to take us there. And with a collection of missteps including Windows 8, the urgency to find another path increased.

Hope is renewed. Microsoft understands that it needs to go back to it's core and it knows that the next step includes embracing diverse mobile devices and building for them first. And it knows that the cloud is the enabling technology that will connect these apps together.

At my current company, I've been leading a charge on a Mobile First (and soon Cloud First) approach to our software. It's clear that's where customers are excited and its clear that the opportunity to partner with Microsoft again is going to be an amazing second act for Microsoft.

It's time to follow suit.

Mobile First. Cloud First.

Great post and interesting perspective, Dave.

David Berett

Managing General Partner at Touchdown Enterprises, LLC

9y

Right on target, Dave. Great post.

Rob Karatzas

Development Manager at ParishSoft

9y

You need to buy Xamarin. It's been 10 years of developer butt-kissing to get that into Ballmer's head (and in the end, it cost him his job). If you want mobile/cloud appeal, you have to appease those developers who want to go back to their CTO's and be able to say "I've got a comprehensive solution which provides us primary focus on one consistent core (C# - .Net) technology and we won't need to spread out thinly our resources into iOS, Android, etc. groups". (So I'd love to challenge those who think it's NOT about developers. Five minutes on the various "Stores" will tell you why IT IS about developers, especially for a company such as Microsoft.) The UI tooling has to evolve and/or have that flexibility to extend it with lighter and more robust emerging technologies. Rob Karatzas CTO, BizConXion

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