Microsoft’s Next CEO: Ballmer Successor Must Apologize to Partners
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s tenure had some high points and some low points. As the software giant seeks to name a new CEO within 12 months, one thing is absolutely clear in the IT channel: Microsoft’s (MSFT) next CEO — Ballmer’s successor — must apologize to partners for numerous channel, mobile and cloud missteps in recent years. Here’s why.
During the 1990s, Microsoft was a channel-first company on all new product launches. When Windows 95 arrived, there was a strong partner program in place for ISVs, OEMs and channel resellers. When Windows NT Server 4.0 and BackOffice arrived, it was clear Microsoft was working hard to train partners that could potentially disrupt rivals like Novell NetWare, IBM OS/2 Warp Server, Oracle, Sybase and others.
Microsoft didn’t always succeed. But the company always — um, absolutely always — sold through partners first.
The Wheels Come Off
By around 2007, Microsoft’s actions showed that the company lost its way. The evidence:
- Windows Vista: This debacle involved an operating system upgrade that had poor support for legacy hardware and software. Did Microsoft bother to fully test the operating system with partners prior to launch? If so, why the horrid legacy support?
- Windows 7: Definitely an improvement, but Microsoft was so busy developing this major fix to Windows Vista that the company missed out on the first smartphone and tablet waves.
- Office 365: The cloud suite’s initial launch in 2011 had a lame partner program. VARs and MSPs could not control end-customer billing or pricing. Heck, even the Google Apps Reseller Program had solved that challenge years before. We’re two years into Office 365 and Microsoft is finally showing some real progress on Office 365’s partner program components. Still, there are too many SKUs and partners should have been Microsoft’s top priority during the intial 2011 launch…
- Microsoft Surface: It took Microsoft nearly a year to launch a very limited Surface partner program. Once again, partners — resellers and VARs — felt like they were an after-thought. Even with partner support, Surface might have tanked. But at least partners wouldn’t have felt left out of the conversation.
Oh, and one more thing. Before apologizing to partners, Microsoft’s next CEO should apologize to Channel Chief Jon Roskill. The VAR Guy senses that Roskill has tried ever strategy possible to make Microsoft more channel friendly. But our resident blogger also believes that Ballmer was obsessed with competing vs. Apple in the consumer market and cloud services providers in the business market.
In both cases, it looks like Ballmer wanted to take more business direct. And in both cases, Microsoft has stumbled badly.
Hopefully, Microsoft can regain its balance — and partner credibility — under a new CEO. And that CEO must open his or her arms to partners.
I think people have gone
I think people have gone insane. Why would anybody want Microsoft to ‘Regain it’s balance’?. Microsoft is not one person, and Ballmer leaving will not change anything.
This new incarnation of Microsoft is a puppet for the US Government, installing backdoors by default in Windows so they can Spy on you. Are you people insane?.
Stop using Microsoft products and regain some freedom back. You don’t need them anymore, they are your crutch.
I don’t care if you don’t care about YOUR freedoms, but I do, you are hurting not only yourself by using Windows, you are saying it’s ‘OK’ to Spy on your customers and force them to do things. And that hurts ME too.
The rest of the world is already leaving Microsoft, US consumers should do the same. Windows is a US Government Trojan, Ballmer leaving doesn’t change that; he is simply jumping from a sinking ship.
And businesses — I would never do business with a company that used Windows on it’s Computers. That is a huge security risk. I can’t wait for some disgruntled NSA employee to release Skype videos and logs on you insane people, apparently that seems to be the only way to get people to pay attention.
Hi Anonymous: I know
Hi Anonymous: I know Microsoft sometimes steps into controversial waters. But is there really such a huge privacy concern? Also, don’t forget: Microsoft revenues are still growing. The company certainly has some weaknesses but the death predictions seem way overblown to me.
-jp
How about Ballmer being held
How about Ballmer being held to account? We’re so tired of this Corporate dance where the outgoing and responsible person walks away scott free, pension intact, and his successor has to apologise for him.
And the above poster has it right – Microsoft are a Government spying agency. Anyone still wanting WIndows is an idiot.
Sal: Ballmer was held
Sal: Ballmer was held accountable in one way — Market Cap has fallen about 50 percent since he took over as CEO. I know he’s still a multi-billionaire. I also think he did a lot right for the company — cloud has been particularly impressive…
(PS: I’m not suggesting we ignore Ballmer’s failures as well…)
-jp
I agree with the anonymous
I agree with the anonymous above. It seems that hypocrit appologies will put a cover on the acumulated sins Microsoft infliged on customers, being them indivuduals or companies or foreign governments and international bodies. That’s enough!
What if the new CEO is
What if the new CEO is sincere in changing some strategies?
-jp
Microsoft needs to stop
Microsoft needs to stop litigating and start innovating.
They need all the friends they can get … and not just friends “with benefits”.
Microsoft has demonstrated
Microsoft has demonstrated over the years that it only cares about the bottom line, and will do whatever it takes to protect that. That includes burning bridges with partners. They’ve done it time and time again in the past, and they will continue doing so. Once Microsoft realized it was losing control in various markets, they started to build up their team of lawyers to start the patent bullying campaign that they still run, targeting companies that use competing products. Just like Monsanto, Microsoft is a huge and evil company. Do yourself a favor, and STOP USING their products! Open source software (GNU/Linux) will give you freedom back that you deserve.
He DDS: I never see the
He DDS: I never see the Microsoft vs. open source debate as “all bad” vs. “all good.” I hear the same fear, uncertainty and doubt about some open source companies (example: Canonical).
Has Microsoft made some mistakes that burned partners? Yup. Are channel partners still eager to work with Microsoft IF the next CEO can prove that he or she is 100% partner first? Absolutely yes.
-jp
Have to agree. When the
Have to agree. When the source code is available to us all, it’s much harder to get away with installing back-doors and such. When the folks at Microsoft put their MS Windows operating system under the GPL, then maybe I’ll consider using it again. Since that’s not likely to happen, I’ll stick with GNU/Linux, the BSD’s, and other similar systems whose authors respect my freedom.
Anybody who uses Microsoft Windows is just insane if they actually care about their privacy and security. Ubuntu, as one example, has long since gotten to the point of being very end-user-friendly, be it on desktops, tablets, or phones. “Windows Phone”? Yeah, only if you want to get “pwn3d” as soon as you connect up. 🙂 That Firefox OS phone currently for sale, or Ubuntu Touch running on a powerful “superphone”, looks a lot better to me than the offerings from Microsoft. What about Apple? They’re too much of a walled garden to be a consideration for me.
But what about the server side? Well, Red Hat, Debian, and FreeBSD all have a strong presence in the back-end server area, and with good reason. In FreeBSD’s case, it’s for well over 20 years running some of the biggest sites on the Internet. OpenBSD makes just as good a firewall and/or VPN gateway as Cisco’s ASA ever has (I’ve used both). Professional support is available for all of these Free Software options and has been for many years.
So, I see no reason to patronize Microsoft any longer. No, thanks.
–SYG
SYG: On the server front I
SYG: On the server front I realize Linux maintains serious momentum. We spend considerable time covering Red Hat and Canonical server software strategies here.
Still, I think it’s somewhat of a stretch to assume companies can cut off all spending with Microsoft. In some cases, Microsoft freed corporate IT from big, expensive systems (RISC UNIX) long before Linux went mainstream in corporate data centers.
I’m not a pure Microsoft defender. And I’m not a pure open source defender. I tend to look at the total picture for pros and cons on each side of the fence.
And I’m hoping MSFT”s next CEO can add some more pros to their camp. We’ll see…
-jp
This article could not
This article could not possibly be more wrong. Microsoft is bailing on the partner channel because they have failed us again, and again, and again. The Vista debacle was 90% because partners couldn’t be bothered to update drivers despite having the OS in their hands for many months before launch. Partners keep on churning out generation after generation of crappy devices that lack any thought leadership whatsoever, then shrug and say “I guess this version of Windows sucks.” Microsoft is absolutely in the right for putting a foot down and saying “get your crap together, or we’ll go it alone.”
Coupland: Let’s be sure to
Coupland: Let’s be sure to define the term “partner” before dismissing all of them. On the one hand, Microsoft seems to be alienating resellers, VARs and MSPs with incomplete or late partner programs for Office 365 and Surface. On the other hand, you seem to be referring to partners that OEM or integrate with Microsoft’s products — companies like PC makers and printer makers. In some cases I think you’re right: Microsoft has to give some of those OEM and hardware partners the boot. But the company must also treat all partners better.
-jp
I’m not really sure how the
I’m not really sure how the comments got hijacked about Microsoft being a government spy machine. I never understood why a partner would want to get in the middle of Office 365 billing. Most partners don’t understand that you must sell lots and lots of software to get any traction with MS. MS is purposefully trying to thin the herd for true knowledge partners versus hardware monkeys. http://blog.kevinfream.com/2013/08/30/ballmer-and-microsoft-misconceptions/
They should bring in John
They should bring in John Sculley to fix it! Yeah, that’s the ticket.