14 DAY TRIAL // Even though he’s no longer actively involved in the company, former Microsoft Steve Ballmer is occasionally making the headlines with comments on the mobile strategy that the software giant has embraced since his departure.
Most recently, Ballmer has said that Microsoft lacks direction in mobile, explaining that current CEO Satya Nadella has adopted a different strategy than he did, so “he needs a clear path forward.”
Here’s in statement in full, and the emphasis is ours:
“The company really has to chart a direction in mobile devices. Because if you’re going to be mobile-first, cloud-first you really do need to have a sense of what you’re doing in mobile devices. I had put the company on a path. The board as I was leaving took the company on a path by buying Nokia, they kind of went ahead with that after I told them I was going to go. The company, between me and the board, had taken that sort of view. Satya, he’s certainly changed that. He needs to have a clear path forward. But I’m sure he’ll get there.”
So basically, what Steve Ballmer is saying is that, under his guidance, Microsoft adopted a strategy that Satya Nadella has since changed, as he’s trying to push forward a different approach.
Ballmer vs. Nadella in mobile
Nadella’s new focus for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile comes down to the concept of universal apps, a new effort that’s supposed to address the lack of apps on the platform by allowing developers to create apps that can work on both PCs and smartphones with the same UI and features.
Steve Ballmer, however, has already criticized this push for universal apps, claiming that going for Android apps, a concept that’s under development at Microsoft as Project Astoria, would be the better choice.
“That won’t work,” Ballmer briefly said when commenting on the concept of universal apps.
What’s also worth noting is the fact that Ballmer mentioned the Nokia takeover as one of the essential elements of his vision of Microsoft in the mobile business.
But people with knowledge of the matter said that neither Bill Gates nor Satya Nadella agreed with the Nokia takeover, and Ballmer even threatened to resign should the deal be canceled. Despite the growing tension, the three agreed to settle the dispute and let the Nokia deal go forward, with Satya Nadella offering a different speech.
“Nokia brings mobile-first depth across hardware, software, design, global supply chain expertise and deep understanding and connections across the mobile market. This is the right move for Microsoft,” Nadella was quoted as saying.
So in the end, it looks like Steve Ballmer’s criticizing Microsoft not necessarily for pushing so hard in a market where it still struggles, but for doing it in a different way than he planned to. But after all, Ballmer remains the largest individual shareholder of Microsoft and has every right to criticize the company’s strategy, although a little bit of fair play would be very helpful in such difficult times.