Microsoft announced a sharp reorganization of the company into three divisions in order to streamline decision making and speed to market. The software giant will realign several existing units into three core divisions – Platforms and Services; Business; and Entertainment and Devices – that better represent Microsoft’s goals, said Steve Ballmer, CEO. In addition, MS released SP2 for Office:Mac 2004.
I’m looking forward to the bug fixes in Office 2004 for Mac. I don’t use Entourage, so those changes are of little interest to me, but it’s good to see the Mac BU keeping up their excellent work on Office. I’m not usually an MS fan, but Office for Mac is a joy to use.
With regards the reorganisation of the company – that’s quite an overhaul. Goodness knows how much that’s going to cost them in change management, process reengineering, etc costs! Still, a company of that size must adapt to survive, especially with the likes of Linux attacking their server share and Apple doing so well in the entertainment sector.
Well, maybe not, but if they were to be ordered to spin off office separately from windows, it would be a lot easier after this…
Anyway, is this supposed to be some sort of acknowledgment that constantly pushing back release dates isn’t as effective as it used to be? It might have worked to stop people switching to OS/2 or whatever, but when faced with Linux vendors that release on queue most of the time, maybe MS wants to have products ready closer to the time the marketing starts.
“core divisions that better represent Microsoft”
Better be two and name them as
1) “avoid users can use non-microsoft products”
2) “Profit!”
Thats right!
I dont know why somenone’d give you a minus one. I give you a plus five.
MS has, or had, too many managers for it’s own good, all I read about is VP of this division, or manager of this division says that and so on. Less managment is good IMO. They need to cut back and get intouch with the workers/devs again, to get this done faster and done right from the start.
I hope this works out for the best in the end.
Since when has expanding a bureaucracy ever helped anything?
So instead of being legally told to split up they’re voluntarily doing it?
No, they’re reorganizing from seven divisions to three. They are consolidating, not splitting up.