Tag Archives | Microsoft

Two related Computerworld News postsL Allchin says farewell in e-mail to co-workers. “On the same day it unveiled a major reorganization, Microsoft Corp. also announced that Jim Allchin, group vice president of platforms at the software company, would retire at the end of 2006.”

Analysis: Microsoft reorganization needed to end internal ‘turf wars’. “Microsoft Corp.’s decision to consolidate six divisions into three — each of them run by presidents who report to CEO Steve Ballmer — makes sense for the company, industry analysts said today.”

Re-orgs at Microsoft are a regular item, as they play musical chairs above the glass ceiling. Whether or not this will actually trickle down to mean anything to the average Microsoft line worker is something only time will tell.

“The new Platform Products & Services group will comprise the current Windows Client, Server and Tools division and the MSN online services division. The business group will consist of the current Microsoft Information Worker group, including Microsoft Office, and the Business Solutions group, which includes CRM and ERP applications. And the new entertainment division will oversee the development of entertainment and digital devices, such as IP television, Xbox and other consumer-oriented digital lifestyle products.”

So now there are three: OS, Apps and Toys. Sounds like the split the Justice Department suggested a long time ago. I wonder if this might give the Apps group incentive to deploy on different OSes. There’s still the unnatural combination of the Operating Systems with the Servers that run on them – Exchange, SQL Server, BizTalk, etc., when those should be business applications rather than operating system extensions.

My call: little will change. A few less executives to perk. A few kicked upstairs, a few kicked around, a few kicked out. Same-o, same-o.

Over at Scripting News. Dave Winer points out that “BusinessWeek profiles anonymous blogger Mini-Microsoft.” M-M is the most valuable employee Microsoft has, someone unfraid to point out that the system is broken. Microsoft ought to pay more attention to him/her if they aren’t already. It could just be a plot by Microsoft Research, of course.

From Ed Foster’s column today: “Microsoft’s Software Assurance licensing program has always stood out among software maintenance plans for the unique value proposition it offers customers. You pay nearly twice as much as other vendors charge for half of what other vendors give you, and that’s if you’re lucky.”

This is somewhere between “Would you like a service plan with that?” and your local mobster coming around to offer “insurance.” The quotes in the articles from irate IT customers, who paid 25% to 33% annually in licensing fees for essentially nothing, are priceless. Apparently, the “Vista Enterprise Version” will require an Assurance Plan, but that is something that only a few of the F500 should even be considering. If you’re that big, and really need 5-Nines reliability and want a 4-hour guaranteed response from their vendor, perhaps this is for you (note that is is a licensing payment plan, not a service contract). The rest of us would do better to hire a couple of qualified techs and keep them educated and up-to-date.