Gates to stop working full-time at Microsoft

[Harper]

http://www.crn.com.au/story.aspx?CIID=39037&eid=4&edate=20060616

Gates to stop working full-time at Microsoft

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates Thursday said he plans to step out of day to day operations at Microsoft in order to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gates will continue to serve as chairman and an adviser on key development projects even after he stops working full time.

Effective immediately, however, he is giving up his chief software architect title to Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie. Company watchers had been expecting that move since Microsoft bought Ozzie's Groove Networks last year.

In addition, Craig Mundie, another CTO, is now chief research and strategy officer and will work with general counsel Brad Smith on intellectual property efforts.



Microsoft said Ozzie will begin working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities and Mundie will work closely with Gates to take over Microsoft research and incubation efforts.

Gates said he has decided to announce his plan publicly two years in advance to give the business the "time to make a strong transition."

One cynical observer noted this is a "slow-mo transition." Last year, the company segmented the company into three divisions with Windows under co-presidents Jim Allchin and Kevin Johnson; consumer technologies under Robbie Bach; and business software under Jeff Raikes.

Gates said that when he and Paul Allen started Microsoft 30 years ago, he never imagined "what an incredibly important company" Microsoft would become.

"I have one of the best jobs in the world," he said. "I love software and I love working with smart...passionate people at Microsoft. Together we built a great company."

For the past several years, Gates has devoted more time and energy to the foundation, which focuses on world health and education issues.

ome were relieved to hear that Ballmer is staying on as CEO. There have been rumors and rumblings in recent weeks that he might step down. "Ballmer has always been and is still today the biggest channel champion inside of Microsoft," Russell said.

Joe Balsarotti, CEO of Software To Go, a Clayton, Miss. solution provider who has been selling Microsoft software for the past 25 years, said Gates' move marks the end of an era. "I don't think Gates is involved in day to day at this point," said Balsarotti. "I wish he were."

"The problem is there has been no software innovation at Microsoft in the last decade," he said. "The entrepreneurial spirit is long since gone at Microsoft. They grow now through acquisitions and trying to ring as much money as they can out of existing products."

Balsarotti said that when he started selling Microsoft software, he looked forward to the next product that the company would bring to market. "Now it's new versions of old products with enhancements that quite frankly most people don't need," he said.

Ballmer vigorously defended his company's record on those points recently in an interview with CRN.

 

[chickenNcheese]

what did happen to Paul Allen? Bill seems to have got most of the attention.

 

[AnthraX]

what did happen to Paul Allen? Bill seems to have got most of the attention.

Paul Allen? According to Forbes he's the 6th richest man alive. And he owns the Portland Trail Blazers (basketball) and the Seattle Seahawks (football).

 

[PP Mguire]

After this i really see a downfall of Microsoft. I believe that ounces Gates is out of the picture other companies will start to take over and possibly a new OS will become the norm. Of course this would take years to fold over like what AOL did but eventualy it will happen.

 

[HAVOC]

I believe that ounces Gates is out of the picture other companies will start to take over and possibly a new OS will become the norm.

ounces?

you mean, once?
What the heck are they teaching you kids these days in school?
Don't you have spelling bee's anymore? geez....


As far as Bill Gates retiring goes, breaks my freakin' heart...

 

[The General]

Yeah man, I'm so disappointed. He's not even retiring, he's starting a more full-time possition with the Gates Foundation.

Whatever the duce that is.

Hopefully we'll see a Unix based Windows OS soon. Actually scratch that, hopefully Windows fades out like AOL did.

 

[Nubius]

ounces?

you mean, once?
What the heck are they teaching you kids these days in school?
Don't you have spelling bee's anymore? geez....

Dont bother.....he spells it that way EVERY single time, I've even brought it up before.....but apparently it's the cool thing to be ignorant and continually spell it 'ounce'. Must fit into that whole "want to be different" catagory.

AAAAAAAAAAAAND, here comes the 'grammar police' badges even though we're talking about spelling not grammar

 

[mac_mogul]

All the Gates Foundation does is send crappy Gateway computers to small-town libraries and schools. My hometown's local library and school were on that program. Every year they'd get a crap-happy Gateway tower and monitor with a bunch of kids games and kid-safe internet browser. The computers are always down and nobody ever uses them except as a last resort.

 

[AnthraX]

All the Gates Foundation does is send crappy Gateway computers to small-town libraries and schools. My hometown's local library and school were on that program. Every year they'd get a crap-happy Gateway tower and monitor with a bunch of kids games and kid-safe internet browser. The computers are always down and nobody ever uses them except as a last resort.

It's still a generous thing. Think about the places that need those computers.

That still isn't exactly what the Gates Foundation does. I suggest you read about it here and here.

 

[The General]

No, it's not generous. Generous is the opensource community.

Besides, this only generates more Windows users, so I fail to see how this is generous. If anything, it's a lie that generates more income for Bill Gates.

This is not an act of generosity, it's a business scheme.