Microsoft Layoff 2009 Completes Last Milestone and Ships!
With today's 800 Microsoft layoffs, Microsoft Layoff 2009 has reached its final milestone and shipped, exceeded expectations of 5,000 with 5,800 reduced positions.
Err... yay?
Last week during the Town Hall Mr. Ballmer confirmed there would be one more iteration on the layoffs. And after that? Who knows. More to come? Maybe. Booga booga!
You know, we have people working for Microsoft (or, at least did, I don't know, maybe no longer) responsible for driving executive leadership education and growth at Microsoft. This is their friggin' job. Develop Microsoft Leadership at the executive and L68+ levels. So, has anyone hemmed and hawed in-front of Mr. Ballmer and mentioned that this nickel and diming layoff approach is at the worst case end of the layoff management scale?
The looming threat of continuing RIFs and layoffs indicates that Microsoft is just too big for its leadership. It is beyond their capabilities to wrap their minds around everything Microsoft is doing. It has gotten away from them. What needs to go? Hell, I don't know even what all these people do, and you want to decide who stays and goes?
Yes.
Cut deep. Cut once. Get on with it and say, "We're done. We have aligned our company to be efficient and effective within this new global economic climate and are ready to focus on returning to profits and market share growth."
Done.
Coverage I've noticed today on the outside:
- Mr. Brier Dudley's blog Microsoft cuts 800 more jobs, including 200 in Puget Sound Seattle Times Newspaper
- Mr. Joe Wilcox: Is there any sense to Microsoft's 800 layoffs Betanews and Former Microsofties, Can I Tell Your Story « Oddly Together
- Mr. Nick Eaton Microsoft laying off 800 more
- Ms. Mary Jo Foley Are the Microsoft layoffs over now All about Microsoft ZDNet.com
- Mr. Joseph Tartakoff Microsoft Cuts 800 More Positions paidContent
On Don Dodge:
- Mr. Michael Arrington: Microsoft Loses Don Dodge. This Is A Huge Mistake
- Nick Eaton Startup guru Don Dodge among Microsoft layoffs
- John Cook Startup guru Don Dodge among those let go in Microsoft cuts
And, bummers for me given that she interviewed me for Microspotting, Ms. Ariel Stallings tweet about being caught up in this layoff round.
Coverage from the inside? No email. Quiet. Quite dysfunctional. There was something linked off of the MSW site and it also had a FAQ document that had to be one of the worse FAQs I've ever read. There is an "A" portion to an FAQ and in this case some of the questions were great but the answers looked like they were generated from some sort of English obfuscation Perl script 3rd place prize winner.
So, I'm going through about sixty comments now on the older post. I think it was necessary for Microsoft to have layoffs due to the mismanaged growth and lack of focus and direction our Senior Leadership Team has given us. But it should have been twice as much, done all at once. Now we dither.
Were you affected by the layoff or know someone who was? I'd be interested in knowing which groups and organizations are affected.
911 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 601 – 800 of 911 Newer› Newest»An article at Techcrunch states that MSFT is considering acquiring Ask.com. The article states that Ask is worth about $1.8 billion.
How long are we gonna keep putting money into acquisitions for search share?
Google has over 60%. How many billions have we already spent and we got 9%. But lets not forget the Yahoo deal. A company that has 18% and diminishing.
Its time to say enough already and move on. Maybe the $1.8 billion could be used to hire back ALL those laid off, instead of spending it on a has-been search company with less then 3% share.
Most of the principal level guys promoted in AdCenter are ridiculously clueless. To name a few, Gopal Madhavan, Karl Reese, Nitinc, Sachind, the list goes on.
Do you expect them to have any clue if people reporting to them are clueless?
""...Chris has been looking to move on...""
"Do you blame him?....His reward? $3.5 million...... How motivated would you be by a reward system that screwed up?"
um, pretty much as motivated as I am now? a tad more hussling toward the door with that extra $3.4 mill added to my yearly salary though.
"Its time to say enough already and move on. Maybe the $1.8 billion could be used to hire back ALL those laid off, instead of spending it on a has-been search company with less then 3% share."
Um, why on earth would we want to hire-back the people who were laid off?
<<I saw that cuts in msIndia focused on lower levels. There are so many 68 & above in msIndia who shouldn't be there, that it is not funny. Most of them can not show any real achievements in any year.
<<No doubt. IDC leadership continues to be a useless bunch that has completely forgotten how to lead. Activity is often mistaken for innovation. Hopefully Srini will be shown the door soon.
well, the top may be ok, may be. but the layer below them enjoys year long vacation. no accountability for partners. they intercept all credit and pass on blame as is to the teams. the dotted line is such a perfect way to hide from all responsibility
"Maybe the $1.8 billion could be used to hire back ALL those laid off."
I doubt too many of those people would have an interest in returning...
Its time to say enough already and move on. Maybe the $1.8 billion could be used to hire back ALL those laid off, instead of spending it on a has-been search company with less then 3% share
And just what are you planning to do with the 5000+ that were laid off once you bring them back? ... let's forget about them and MOVE ON.
Even superstars can be managed out at Microsoft.
There are many ways to piss off an insecure Microsoft manager - overstepping your authority, errand comment that made him look bad, or taking credit for ideas he claimed as his own (you work on the same project so sometimes he think he thought of it before you did).
The easiest way to trigger retaliation is give interview notification. However that's not a prerequisite. If a manager is really insecure and wants to screw you he can simply lie about you seeking to interview. Remember eventually it's your words against his. Your manager can go to the management tool and put a "detainment" on your HR record saying something like "do not hire because the employee is underperforming and shouldn't be allowed to move to another group and cause more damage". In other words he can simply lie even if your last review is Exceeded/20% High Band because it is the current review period that counts and for privacy reasons almost no other managers in the company will see your past reviews if they are not your direct.
Usually if this is triggered by you giving notification, all pending interview loops will be torpedoed because the other group cannot fight official HR detainment on record. Further more they will not be allowed to give you any hint either since that may damage the current working relationship your manager claim to have with you to improve your performance. Consequently you will still be allowed to go to interview on the scheduled day but will certainly fail that loop. A common method is tell you to code something on computer but don't let you type because they want to be the "code monkey", and if you happen to succeed, they simply write in interview feedback form that you knew the answers to questions beforehand so they don't count.
If you did not retaliate against your current manager at this point - since you are not supposed to know. Your manager will start showering you with praises about your job well done to keep you happy and unsuspecting. Remember he went on record to detain you so if you suspect anything you can retaliate against him at this point in time and disclose your past review scores to damage his credibility. However he may subtly pull you off some assignments and neglect to assign it to someone else, so he can blame you for it due to miscommunication later at the annual review. He can even do something drastic like arranging for another lead friend to fall on his sword by giving you bad feedbacks as "bad cop" so he can defend you "as good cop" to earn your trust.
However once annual review arrives he will try his bet to get you underperformed using the traps he laid for you previously. Once underperformed your words no longer matters because as an underperformer you have no credibility within Microsoft. He can then switch to playing the game of assigning you an unimportant project to help you out, but since it is unimportant, even if you succeed quickly you are still underperforming at your level. He will still play good cop and promise to get you out of your current dilemma, while stabbing you in the back elsewhere. Eventually you get the idea that you are screwed and leave. Remeber he's still on record to have detained you so if you stay, there is always risk to his career should you someday move out of the underperformed bucket and then retaliate against him with your new found credibility.
If you do survive this ordeal, usually because you figured out early enough and secured PUM level support to challenge his credibility. Don't ever think he's done with you though. You will most likely switch group while he gets the HR disciplinary action - such as losing his management responsibility. He can still hold a grudge against you forever. He will lobby to become manager again later and contact your current manager as one manager to another and blame you for playing bad politics at Microsoft and teach your current manager to detain you again at the next opportunity.
Exceeded/20% High Band
Exceeded/20% Low Band
Achieved/70% High Band
Achieved/70% Mid Band
Achieved/70% Low Band
Underperformed/10% High Band
Underperformed/10% Low Band
Office Labs exists to show visions to Office. Let us be honest, Office org doesn't have the intellectual horse power of Office Labs.
Most of the principal level guys promoted in AdCenter are ridiculously clueless. To name a few, Gopal Madhavan, Karl Reese, Nitinc, Sachind, the list goes on.
Do you expect them to have any clue if people reporting to them are clueless?
None of these guys would survive a week under Steve Sinovsky. A good leader would tell in minutes these are nothing but bs talkers.
"He can then switch to playing the game of assigning you an unimportant project to help you out, but since it is unimportant, even if you succeed quickly you are still underperforming at your level."
True, I have experienced it.
Off-topic - There is something wrong with the way comments are counted on this post. I keep seeing number of comments from 600 - 800.
@EXD-LPO,MSIT, India is also one of most corrupt group.....
What the hell Leadership team is doing then???
"If you do survive this ordeal, usually because you figured out early enough and secured PUM level support to challenge his credibility. Don't ever think he's done with you though. You will most likely switch group while he gets the HR disciplinary action - such as losing his management responsibility. He can still hold a grudge against you forever. He will lobby to become manager again later and contact your current manager as one manager to another and blame you for playing bad politics at Microsoft and teach your current manager to detain you again at the next opportunity."
Jesus, talk about paranoid conspiracy theories. Are you from MS India? I've heard stories about this kind of behavior just being part of Indian culture, but the behavior you describe is far out by US MSFT standards.
I've been at Microsoft since before the rise of the interwebs and I've seen a lot of crazy... but nothing like this version of crazy.
If you actually find yourself in the above situation and you're in the US or Western Europe, I strongly suggest you leave the company immediately. If you're at MSFT India, well... nobody cares about that soap opera except those people who work at MSFT India.
Can't help but to agree on two main area.
1. Even superstars can be managed out at Microsoft.
I am one of them who experienced it. Getting a worldwide team award and handling 3 main worldwide initive/projects and yet low contribution ranking. By the way, I am from Asia. Sigh
Also cannot disagree on the below.
Actually some managers in microsoft love this hire and fire game. They fire the people whom they do not like( in certain cases those people were doing very good job). And later they tell the upper management that they are going to hire some talents from the current external markets. And again we know that microsoft recruiting process lacks some quality. In fact some hiring is based on the networking with the hiring manager instead of technical expertise.
Hi, I saw this list of cateogories below;however how do you account, or interlace within the ranks below, the score of an "Achieved/10%"? There seem to be lots of those people who got "Achieved/10%", plus stock/ bonus and was wondering where they may fit in.
Exceeded/20% High Band
Exceeded/20% Low Band
Achieved/70% High Band
Achieved/70% Mid Band
Achieved/70% Low Band
Underperformed/10% High Band
Underperformed/10% Low Band
However once annual review arrives he will try his bet to get you underperformed using the traps he laid for you previously. Once underperformed your words no longer matters because as an underperformer you have no credibility within Microsoft. He can then switch to playing the game of assigning you an unimportant project to help you out, but since it is unimportant, even if you succeed quickly you are still underperforming at your level. He will still play good cop and promise to get you out of your current dilemma, while stabbing you in the back elsewhere. Eventually you get the idea that you are screwed and leave. Remeber he's still on record to have detained you so if you stay, there is always risk to his career should you someday move out of the underperformed bucket and then retaliate against him with your new found credibility.
this absolutely happened to me in OMPS (and atleast 2 others here).
Also, there were earlier comments regarding PIP which resonated with the tactics this guy did.
The person in my case, has had some of his subordinates taken away and his scope reduced.
Happy to talk to someone in MSD who cares to hear my story. Perhaps Joe Wilcox will
Mini -
I think one of the unstated yet flawed assumptions of this blog is that if you cut some magical number x employees that MSFT will stop being bloated. This is not to say MSFT is not bloated, however the bloat is the symptom, not the disease.
The problem is that MSFT is geared toward establishing little fiefdoms all over the place. Add to that a complete lack of incentive for the fiefdoms to work together and, well, there you go.
Granted these things only get worse with scale. However simply cutting heads randomly isn't going to fix it, and I think you're starting to see that. The problem is a management and organizational one, not a numeric one.
Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
Off-topic - There is something wrong with the way comments are counted on this post. I keep seeing number of comments from 600 - 800.
It's a bug in google's blogger application. They build buggy software as well.
@EXD-LPO,MSIT, India is also one of most corrupt group.....
What the hell Leadership team is doing then???
DUDE...One of the leadership guy is involved into all this...what are you expecting from the leadership team to do?
HR & Leadership team, they have to listen to him...they don't have much options. This is how the group is running.
Ballmer's stifling mind-stuck is what is crippling the company from moving into the 21st century. The idea that the "Windows franchise" will and should live on forever at all cost is something that his brains have been fried on after working his ass off all these years.
How come Sinofsky and gang don't have the appropriately sized gonads to tell him that it's not the Windows franchise that is most meaningful today, but rather the Microsoft brand??
>Office Labs exists to show visions to Office. Let us be honest, Office org doesn't have the intellectual horse power of Office Labs.
Hahahaha I don't even work in Office and I find that so incredibly stupid and vacuous of a statement I will just assume you are a troll. In case you are actually being honest, here is one response:
Intellectual horsepower + X = success. Solve for X.
One solution is X="Being able to create and ship something other than demoware".
Or maybe X="Being able to create and ship something customers actually want instead of some desperate attempt to be 'innovative' by making everything social network-ized or YATC (Yet Another Twitter Clone/Client)."
Well. 2009 Layoff may be complete now, that is great news.
The issue is that new "wave" is coming for 2010. It seems that this Layoff are becoming an "institution" and will be at least 2 regular waves per year.
Way to go Mr. Balmer... to improve the value of our stock we just need for you to be part of the next layoff wave, leave the company and allow someone else in your role... do you really love this company?, leave it PLEASE
I have no idea, if anyone realized it or not, but mostly employee lay-off from Hyderabad Microsoft were North Indian’s who were performing extremely well. This can easily be noticed in MSIT.
>>
No doubt. IDC leadership continues to be a useless bunch that has completely forgotten how to lead.
>>
Right. The blame starts at the bottom and never reaches the top and the credit moves in opposite direction. Incompetency nicely hides behind dotted line reporting. Never seen partners or directors from any discipline accepting the responsibility of failures or the blame. New leaders like Steven & Bob should pay attention to this
How come Sinofsky and gang don't have the appropriately sized gonads to tell him that it's not the Windows franchise that is most meaningful today, but rather the Microsoft brand??
-----
because they will not try to take control yet.
Actually, the ranking is a matrix, like this:
Exceeded/20% | Exceeded/70% | Exceeded/10%
Achieved/20% | Achieved/70% | Achieved/10%
Under/20% | Under/70% | Under/10%
For calibration and promotion purposes, you are bucketed into high, mid, low for 20% and 70%, and high or low for 10% by level.
People in the corners get more attention at calibration and review time, as they are on the bubble in a good or bad way.
The 20%/70% high/mid/low are signals for upleveling, more development before promotion, or needs improvement in level. For the 10% high or low, it's retain or dump.
So an E high is likely ready for a promotion, while an E mid or low is (likely) not.
Contribution ranking (20/70/10) also plays into promotion decisions. If you're 20, you're also probably ready, a 70 needs improvement, and 10 is being examined for fix or dump.
Your performance ranking determines the stock/merit/bonus band, and the calibration ranking determines where you fall within it. But it's up to your manager to spread those dollars around, so they can use it as a guide or toss it out the window and disperse as they see fit.
+1 for Or maybe X="Being able to create and ship something customers actually want instead of some desperate attempt to be 'innovative' by making everything social network-ized or YATC (Yet Another Twitter Clone/Client).".
Also add to that the ability to create and ship something with a business model.
I can't believe someone was extolling Office Labs. How many heads and how many months does it take to develop poorly performing social applets, especially when better functionality is already baked into products that are shipping. Why oh why are we spending this kind of money?
There are so many other wastes, such as money spent on internal documentation (do employees really need special software guides), internal collateral (why do we need large color posters for the Giving Tree?), and tools platforms that don't work. When will we make better choices about our resources and staffing?
Last I heard, Search has been given 'till 2013 to become profitable. So, expect a lot more of the same over there. Chances of profitability happening are slim to none.
I wonder why there is so much speculation and discussion about company store..
Don't you see that its all Microsoft's plan to make employees buy Windows 7 at Nondiscounted price externally.
They announce discounted windows 7 at company store just to make employees feel special.
I see the company leeching away money from employees wherever possible, and this is one of their old lame tricks.
None of these guys would survive a week under Steve Sinovsky.
Oh really? You haven't been paying attention during the Windows re-org, have you? He did clear out a lot of useless Windows has-beens, but brought a lot along from Office to make up the difference.
[Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt]
That was in 1930- , Fast Forward to 2010: Average minds club great minds below them - or was this 10,000 BC?
The issue is that new "wave" is coming for 2010. It seems that this Layoff are becoming an "institution" and will be at least 2 regular waves per year
-----------
Wave 1 for - 2010 is targetted Feb
Our Microsoft India Chairman just gave an interview to WSJ mentioning that performance and competence does not matter, but licking his ass what matters for an Indian to grow. Power Mentors are more important than performance and competence.
His exact words are, "Indian managers may tend to systematically underestimate the critical importance of culture and powerful mentors and overestimate the importance of performance, loyalty and competence."
See for yourself at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126012590544978989.html
Those who know him knows that these are not his public views but also his personal view. Just like american managerial culture is different than say japanese, chinese, or indian managerial culture. Sure one needs to understand these differences and appreciate. But mentors are suppose to effect the career by helping one to raise his or her performance. Similarly understanding other cultures help raise the performance and competence. Ultimately what matters should ideally matter is performance and competence, and not ass licking as he is trying to imply.
Oh really? You haven't been paying attention during the Windows re-org, have you? He did clear out a lot of useless Windows has-beens, but brought a lot along from Office to make up the difference
--
can you expand? I know of one GM who needed to be bounced but dropped down to GPM. Dean Dewhitt.
Last I heard, Search has been given 'till 2013 to become profitable.
Last I heard, Search has until end of current fiscal year to gain three points of market share. As of now that is at a 1.5 point gain, so another 1.5 to go. With all the money being thrown into marketing and advertising, it may be possible to get close enough to that goal.
But profitability by 2013? If things continue the way they currently are setup, it is a hard goal to achieve. There is massive waste of hardware resources (under utilized) and too many principals and partners running around pretending to be busy, making little difference to the profitability picture.
What does it mean to be profitable in 2013? Does it mean making up for all the cumulative losses incurred until 2013? Most likely it is a simple metric: profitable in 2013. Problem with looking for profitability in one year is that can be gamed easily. Search can dramatically cut expenses going into 2013 and eke out a profit for one year. What good would that do?
"Don't you see that its all Microsoft's plan to make employees buy Windows 7 at Nondiscounted price externally."
Shut up troll. Every employee has the ability to get a MSDN subscription for free.
"... but mostly employee lay-off from Hyderabad Microsoft were North Indian’s who were performing extremely well...."
----------------------------------
WTF, Mini? You cut all of the comments on H1B's not getting the boot, but comments like this make it to the board?
So it's okay for Indians to slam Indians? Not okay for American citizens to wonder if the American company they work for care about Americans?
Witnessed at the Company Store last week: long, long lines of employess scooping-up the maximum daily ration of Windows 7 boxes, which I believe is 6 per employee per day.
I've now changed my opinion based on what I saw at the company store: I think employees should be limited to one copy of Windows at a discount as we're losing millions of dollars in revenue from thousands of employees buying copies for every single one of their friends.
The issue is that new "wave" is coming for 2010. It seems that this Layoff are becoming an "institution" and will be at least 2 regular waves per year
Great. There's too much dead wood around, dinosaurs with old ideas and no vision, and people with 'attitudes' that need to go. Having two waves of layoffs per year is a healthy thing for the company and goes along well with the objectives of this blog.
Fire 40+
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/07/microsoft-looks-for-don-dodge-replacement/
Hire younger and cheaper..
Can anyone give details on this new Windows re-org? Who was brought in from office, who is gone, etc..?
“Um, why on earth would we want to hire-back the people who were laid off?”
…maybe because the incompetent SLT screwed it up?
Just one example: http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/187489.asp
"Last I heard, Search has been given 'till 2013 to become profitable"
Search is not the only gateway to advertising anymore, the free apps and (wireless) OS are joining in. Opening up the wireless base will expand search by a huge amount. Couple this with explosive growth in the regions where wireless dominates than you know this is a battle that has to be continued. It's not about winning anymore, it's about being there with a meaningful market share. All the more reason to get winMO out the door.
> I can't believe someone was extolling Office Labs.
This group is led by a person that is half snake, half used car salesman. They claim to be teaching office innovation. A nice spin by team Canada eh?
His exact words are, "Indian managers may tend to systematically underestimate the critical importance of culture and powerful mentors and overestimate the importance of performance, loyalty and competence.
.... and as we know in practice also endorsed by the SLT team for those below them.
First time I have seen it said openly to the press and for that Ravi has my respect.
The message is clear to the 90,000 employees at Microsoft. Competence, good performance and loyalty are sure signs of not performing your job in the eyes of management.
No wonder Vista got released and Windows Mobile is fast becoming history.
Reset the the MYCD discussion folks, the path to partner has been clearly defined.
>I can't believe someone was extolling Office Labs.
The visions for the next office is defined by Office Labs.
adcenter bs core:
Sachind, nitinc, subir sidhu, dberg, akundu, gopal madhavin, kreese, and whoever also got promoted at a rate of 1-3 promotions per year in the past 6 years at adcenter.
adcenter === chaoscenter;
adcenter == IDC, redmond
ex-VP alexgo was relying on the bs core folks to fix adcenter, and you see the outcome: more chaotic at a larger scale.
I am so glad DAP is forming its own unit again. It should have never merged into the chaotic adcenter org.
Just saw a program on CNBC called "Coke-The Real Story". Senior management of Coke admitted that the company rested on its laurals and had to regain focus and strategy.
Question: When will the SLT admit that it rested on its laurals (windows), and failed to innovate?
Coke executives admitted they messed up. The company restructured and has a powerful brand. Then there is MSFT.
Come on SLT. Admit you screwed up. Admit that we rested on laurals and lost position and focus.
Unfortunately, cant imagine the SLT admitting they made a mistake. Head for the lifeboats. Didnt the CFO at Enron leave just before the collapse? Perhaps there is more to Liddell leaving.
>>> Right. The blame starts at the bottom and never reaches the top and the credit moves in opposite direction.
You got that right buddy! That is IDC hallmark director, so get used to it. I joined new place few months back and now realize that our director never supported the team. He didnt know what was expected of the team, so no direction. I don't remember him accepting blame. His GM was fine with this, so what could anyone do?
What's up Mini? You too busy interviewing and deciding on your offers, or there are there just no more comments to approve?
-- Most of the principal level guys promoted in AdCenter are ridiculously clueless. To name a few, Gopal Madhavan, Karl Reese, Nitinc, Sachind, the list goes on. --
I have worked with most of these guys in adCenter for a few years now. People like Karl Reese are not only clueless, but also have a super ego to match. Unless the org is cleaned up of these parasites, I dont see any future for adCenter.
What's with the Azure guy being moved away from Ray Ozzie?
Is Ray moving up or moving out?
Will Operations and E&D may included in the 2010 wave?
@EXD-LPO,MSIT, India is also one of most corrupt group.....
What the hell Leadership team is doing then???
DUDE...One of the leadership guy is involved into all this...what are you expecting from the leadership team to do?
If this is the case everything should go under scanner and should be monitored by REDMOND team. People started writing on Mini means they don't have faith in India team anymore.
Some one needs to tell the emperor that he is naked. In fact, there are many running naked in the SLT and partner level.
"If a manager is really insecure and wants to screw you he can simply lie about you seeking to interview. Remember eventually it's your words against his. Your manager can go to the management tool and put a "detainment" on your HR record saying something like "do not hire because the employee is underperforming and shouldn't be allowed to move to another group and cause more damage."
Good lord. Why would a manager detain you purely for the purpose of spending another 12 months torturing you when he could just let you go? Only a sociopath would do this. I don't buy it.
Dear Mini
In the UK Sub we came up with an alternative 12 days of Christmas...
"On the first day of Christmas, my true-up gave to me....."
12 Scorecards -a- fiddling
11 QRP tests -a- guessing
10 One to Ones -a- booking
9 Internal Surveys -a- filling
8 Team meetings -an- attending
7 Siebel entries -a- faking
6 Calendar entries -a- colouring
5 Opportunity reviews -a- snoozing
4 Unplugged sessions -a- yawning
3 Offsites -a- drinking
2 Timesheets -a- copying
And “1 day in front of the customer” yessireeee
WinMo 7 now delayed to end of 2010?
"Phil Moore, head of Microsoft’s mobility division in the UK, admitted that Windows Mobile 7 is being delayed until late 2010. With iPhone OS 4.0 and a sure-to-be-newer version of Android on the horizon, could a delay until the end of be close to a death sentence for Windows Mobile?"
- http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/12/11/windows-mobile-7-delayed-until-the-end-of-2010/
Maybe it's time to throw in the towel on Windows Mobile.
"If you do survive this ordeal, usually because you figured out early enough and secured PUM level support to challenge his credibility. Don't ever think he's done with you though. You will most likely switch group while he gets the HR disciplinary action - such as losing his management responsibility. He can still hold a grudge against you forever. He will lobby to become manager again later and contact your current manager as one manager to another and blame you for playing bad politics at Microsoft and teach your current manager to detain you again at the next opportunity."
"Jesus, talk about paranoid conspiracy theories. Are you from MS India? I've heard stories about this kind of behavior just being part of Indian culture, but the behavior you describe is far out by US MSFT standards.
I've been at Microsoft since before the rise of the interwebs and I've seen a lot of crazy... but nothing like this version of crazy.
If you actually find yourself in the above situation and you're in the US or Western Europe, I strongly suggest you leave the company immediately. If you're at MSFT India, well... nobody cares about that soap opera except those people who work at MSFT India."
No this shit happens in Bing.
"The looming threat of continuing RIFs and layoffs indicates that Microsoft is just too big for its leadership. It is beyond their capabilities to wrap their minds around everything Microsoft is doing. It has gotten away from them. What needs to go? Hell, I don't know even what all these people do, and you want to decide who stays and goes?"
We've lived to see you write this--been waiting for a while ;-)
Now, what would you expect, Goldilocks? Of course nobody knows how many MSFT ought to cut! It's always been like this, too much either way. Oh well, soon we'll talk about executive compensation and I may be getting myself in trouble...
Yes Mini, dying from 1,000 paper cuts aint's easy, be careful what you wish for!
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/12/android-dogfood-diet-for-holidays.html
and see the difference...I joined the internal windows mobile dl 14 months back after investing on costly omnia phone hoping that one fine day I will get 6.5 ..
If I were the CEO of this company...trust me I would have screwed every single employee including ic and managment..and would have closed that dirty shop long timeback..i mean..what the hell. look where and how world is heading..
"Fire 40+
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/07/microsoft-looks-for-don-dodge-replacement/
Hire younger and cheaper.."
Oh please -- the age discrimination thing does not apply to people who are perceived as critical personalities in evangelist roles -- younger can actually be a hindrance there as it's all about building a long reputation and credibility over time.
I think there was something much bigger behind ditching Don Dodge -- like he did something very, very dirty or was planning to leave anyway.
Responding to another story of detention-in-role, Anonymous wrote:
Good lord. Why would a manager detain you purely for the purpose of spending another 12 months torturing you when he could just let you go? Only a sociopath would do this. I don't buy it.
That's a logical argument, but one based on a false premise. It's not true that the manager can "just let go" a person they'd like to see gone, that they're claiming is underperforming.
The employee's performance may be sufficiently adequate, even stellar, that a wrongful termination suit brought by the ex-employee is likely to be won. It'd dent the manager's career a bit to have that notch in their belt. It's far better for that manager's career to stage a constructive dismissal and attempt to force the employee to make the decision to leave. In addition to satisfying the manager's political urges, that manager now also gets kudos for managing out the claimed underperformer.
Detention in many cases is not about an underperforming employee at all. It's about politics.
>>>
Some one needs to tell the emperor that he is naked. In fact, there are many running naked in the SLT and partner level
>>>
Is this everywhere? Its true here. In IDC, in China as well? Large percent of Partner level are dead weights here. No measurable contribution. If they used the yardstick used for seniors & principles, then they will go in U & 10 percent. Is that why the stock is stable for past 10 years!
Does anyone know when the list of names to be included in last January's layoff was finalized? What was the timeframe for discussion of which employees would be included on that list?
"If a manager is really insecure and wants to screw you he can simply lie about you seeking to interview. Remember eventually it's your words against his. Your manager can go to the management tool and put a "detainment" on your HR record saying something like "do not hire because the employee is underperforming and shouldn't be allowed to move to another group and cause more damage."
"Good lord. Why would a manager detain you purely for the purpose of spending another 12 months torturing you when he could just let you go? Only a sociopath would do this. I don't buy it."
Don't buy it? That's your problem.
Only a sociopath would do it? And you made the wild assumption that there are none at Microsoft?
I worked under such a manager for 2 years. I escaped unhurt, but it was scary working in that team. Within the first 3-4 months after I joined, a senior person in my team was PIP'd out. Another team member was given a bad review that September, but he refused to sign his performance review. He stalled the process, and still survives at Microsoft, perhaps waiting for his retirement in a few years. The following September, another one was given a bad review, he fought dirty, and HR threw him out as a result. And these were all people whom the same manager had hired into Microsoft.
I believe that the problem wasn't so much that the manager wanted to torture someone over long periods, but rather that HR policy does not allow you to easily get rid of people without a good reasoning. In most cases, such managers lack such depth of reasoning or the individual being managed out has not done anything bad enough to be thrown out. Hence the manager follows the prolonged process. Some competent individuals stuck in this process usually find another job, perhaps in a different company, and quit on their own.
I had to deal with the manager diplomatically and I moved out peacefully to another team while things were going great for me. The manager liked me for some reason, but I was scared about the tide turning against me at any moment, just as it had for my team mates.
The saga of sociopathic and psychopathic behavior has continued under that particular manager.
If this is news to you, you need to wake up. And stop drinking that cool aid that you get for free everyday.
What does it mean to be profitable in 2013? Does it mean making up for all the cumulative losses incurred until 2013? Most likely it is a simple metric: profitable in 2013. Problem with looking for profitability in one year is that can be gamed easily. Search can dramatically cut expenses going into 2013 and eke out a profit for one year. What good would that do?
Exactly. I believe the slides said to be profitable by FY13. This doesn't address the billions already spent to achieve profitability or the years needed to recoup the losses. This isn't usually discussed, as in XBOX.
Search is not the only gateway to advertising anymore, the free apps and (wireless) OS are joining in. Opening up the wireless base will expand search by a huge amount. Couple this with explosive growth in the regions where wireless dominates than you know this is a battle that has to be continued. It's not about winning anymore, it's about being there with a meaningful market share. All the more reason to get winMO out the door.
But at what costs? Only at Microsoft can a department spend billions for years, if not a decade (online services) and show no profit. 'Being there with a meaningful market share' gets your brand exposure but costs too much in the long run.
@"I've now changed my opinion based on what I saw at the company store: I think employees should be limited to one copy of Windows at a discount as we're losing millions of dollars in revenue from thousands of employees buying copies for every single one of their friends.",
Sorry, you must not have any friends or family. Just because you haven't been able to develop a life, don't take it out on the rest of the employees!
Considering there is a yearly cap on company store spending, what is the issue again?
A million dollars revenue is a drop in the bucket for Windows.
Which would you rather have? Bill and Jerry ads, or co-store discounts, or Windows home parties?
Good lord. Why would a manager detain you purely for the purpose of spending another 12 months torturing you when he could just let you go? Only a sociopath would do this. I don't buy it.
I didn't buy it until it happened to me. Same story, notification to interview, all of sudden I am underperforming and I can't move.
Manager was pretty dumb so HR smelled the BS and let me transfer.
What I learned the hard way is that your worth to the company is only really your worth to your current manager. You say you want to leave then all of sudden you are worth nothing.
It also better as a manager to look like you are getting rid of a bad employee than getting scorched by attrition.
It kind of killed my enthusiasm for the company even if I am doing well in my new team.
You can only understand when it hits you, otherwise you think people are paranoid.
Hopefully this problem will get fixed one day.
Search is not the only gateway to advertising anymore, the free apps and (wireless) OS are joining in. Opening up the wireless base will expand search by a huge amount. Couple this with explosive growth in the regions where wireless dominates than you know this is a battle that has to be continued. It's not about winning anymore, it's about being there with a meaningful market share. All the more reason to get winMO out the door.
Yet another glaring failure of the SLT, we do things like acquire aQuantive for $6B with seemingly no hope for ROI, while Google acquires the white-hot mobile advertising firm AdMob for only $750M and analysts are already saying this will give them a monopoly on mobile advertising. It seems like Microsoft execs literally can't do a single thing correctly.
Ballmer,
Here are my wishes for 2010.
1) Stop the Bing train wreck. Everyone in that division that cannot open Visual Studio and produce a "Hello World" in 10 minutes should be fired. There can be only one in the search space, and that is Google. Dedicate resources to make Intranet search work in SharePoint.
2) And since we are on the topic, if Visual Studio 2010 cannot open in less than 5 minutes, time to fire the leadership at DevDiv also.
3) Stop the Windows Mobile nightmare. Here the problem is not that we shouldn't be in that space, because we should. The problem is the proven inability of the leadership in that area to understand what it takes to create a great user experience, and a reasonable developer experience. Fire at the top!
4) For a bonus: fire or move LisaB away from HR. Microsoft's HR became a bunch of "diversity promotion" people, unable to come up with policies that reward the good performers, and always ready to take some dumb action based on complaints from poor performers. It all happened under LisaB's watch, and she has to go...
Oh really? You haven't been paying attention during the Windows re-org, have you? He did clear out a lot of useless Windows has-beens, but brought a lot along from Office to make up the difference.
I am happy to see that someone else agrees with me. We are getting new emails every few days from one of these former Office leaders. They are creating a lot of busy work that will not pay off in any way. Windows 8 is doomed if they are running things.
http://blog.plurk.com/2009/12/14/microsoft-rips-plurk/
What's up with Microsoft China? I'm surprised people would copy code so blatently.
What MYCD are you talking about? IT is all BS. Your manager is only interested in his and not your career. Why would he help you to move on when he can rely on you to work for him so that he can "leverage" on your work to claim credits. If you insist on moving on, just be prepared to be moved to the bottom 10% so that it is difficult for you to move and then be prepared for a PIP to manage you out.
"What's with the Azure guy being moved away from Ray Ozzie?
Is Ray moving up or moving out?"
I am guessing out. BillG is not there to protect him anymore. Maybe next stop CTO for Gates Foundation. Not that he ever shipped anything useful - the jury is out on Azure, and the jury came back a long time ago on Groove, with a death sentence.
I've now changed my opinion based on what I saw at the company store: I think employees should be limited to one copy of Windows at a discount as we're losing millions of dollars in revenue from thousands of employees buying copies for every single one of their friends.
You're not losing millions in revenue. A large majority of employees provide free technical support to their friends. That alone adds up to a cost saving.
Every time a customer calls PSS or receive a windows update, we lose revenue.
Hal Howard was promoted from GM to CVP of ERP today.
I'm real happy for you, Hal, and Ima let you finish, but I'm curious if anyone thinks there's a subtext to this that Kirill's e-mail announcement didn't touch on.
Question 1, for starters: Why now?
bing market share rises again!
great news, just in time for Holiday party!
So Hal Howard gets promoted to Corp VP, and later the same day, one of his direct reports, Dean Lester, resigns on the spot.
WTF is going on in the upper echelons of Microsoft Dynamics? There's got to be a good story behind this. Anybody got the scoop? I have popcorn at the ready.
Office Labs is innovator's innovator. Labs mixes the conventional with the unconventional. It looks at every aspect of productivity from designing office space to people's behavior in bed. Prototypes are made and the best researchers are engaged. It is no surprise then that some people are envious.
>>Maybe it's time to throw in the towel on Windows Mobile.
You must work at Microsoft. Everyone else has thrown in the towel. Android anyone? The only people who benefit from shipping Windows Mobile will be the WinMo team - bonus checks for everyone. The market has moved on - there will be no business value gained or partner satisfied at this point.
The comedy of layoffs:
Better Off Ted: The Lawyer, The Lemur and the Little Listener
Best Places to Work (2010)
http://www.glassdoor.com/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm
MSFT is not even in the list..
Good lord. Why would a manager detain you purely for the purpose of spending another 12 months torturing you when he could just let you go? Only a sociopath would do this. I don't buy it.
>> Buy it. I wasn't the one who used the word "sociopath" here.
If you file an accurate enough complaint, about something the company has committed to do and absolutely cannot do, worth lots of fake profits and executive bonuses, they will hire the best outside legal counsel that money can buy, and they will keep you on the payroll and make you come to work every day until you either resign voluntarily, or sign a really noxious resignation agreement.
I saw this horrendous process through because I didn't believe it either. I spent more than decade in Bill's Microsoft. It definitely had it's issues and then some, but everyone understood the deal, and the deal was more than fair. Unbelievable randomization, arrogance, abuse, you name it, for unbelievable money. No pretense, everyone knew what they signed up for. That's the definition of fair.
The worst mistake I ever made in my entire adult life, was returning to MS under Steve Ballmer. Just don't do that. Or get the hell out while you still can.
And remember, I wasn't the one who used the word sociopath.
Office Labs serves no tangible business purpose for Microsoft. It is an instrument that provides entertainment and education for Pratley and his buddies. The Microsoft monies are used for a harem of admins, specially designed offices and lavish parties. There are some nice perks for being a partner.
Not sure if anybody is aware. the microsoft e-open website is down for more than a week. What a shame. Customers are getting frustrated.
The malaise on this blog is emblematic of the malaise that permeates the company. Stick a fork in it...
Bad relationship with current manager. So interviewed with another team and got offer.
The thing is, very likely I will receive a bad transition review. The guy has put lots of work for me in the next 4 weeks, impossible to accomplish.
Will a bad transition review affect my career in new team? Anything I could do to defend myself?
Thanks, Microsoft.
You just spent 1/2 Billion Dollars, with the end result of wildly pissing off every single technically astute Verizon smartphone owner.
Good job.
$500M of Microsoft's cash is now in Verizon's pockets, and the technical opinion-leaders of the world (like myself) are very angry at Microsoft, and are escalating it up the levels of Verizon management in order to get out of our phone contracts.
Because we do not want to be forced to use Bing, and no other search service.
http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/12/21/237211
2) And since we are on the topic, if Visual Studio 2010 cannot open in less than 5 minutes, time to fire the leadership at DevDiv also.
+1. Some of us would like to get a tiny bit of work done while travelling with our Sinofsky-style netbooks. If it takes more than 30 seconds to open on your Toshiba, it's painful on an Atom netbook.
Does anyone know when the list of names to be included in last January's layoff was finalized? What was the timeframe for discussion of which employees would be included on that list?
The SLT were prepared for RIFs late June 2008. The decision to RIF was made after September 15. In each division, 10-15% of FTEs were chosen to be RIFed within the following 1-2 weeks. The criteria varied - manager likes/dislikes, redundancies, performance reasons, etc - because managers did not receive specific instructions to pick candidates for the RIF. Some director-level managers gave their FTEs chosen for RIFs short deadlines for completion of important commitments. Discussions about RIFing specific FTEs and teams continued through mid-December. By December 15, some FTEs were placed above the rest for the first round of RIFs. These FTEs were most of the first 1400. The managers of all RIFed FTEs knew by January 9. HR instructed managers to treat the RIFed employees well, but they did not necessarily do so.
from Newsweek's Top 10 Tech Predictions for 2010: Microsoft Pushes Out Steve Ballmer
One can only hope.
Verizon has unilaterally updated user Storm 2 BlackBerries and other smartphones so that their browser search boxes can only be used with Microsoft Bing.
Is it really wise to find ways of forcing Microsoft products upon people who haven't chosen them and don't necessarily want to use them?
So far the only result of this particular situation is to piss off a lot of people. It makes it look like Microsoft can't win on its own merits, so it has to cheat by making backroom deals to reduce user choices. And now a lot of people, who previously had no ill will towards Bing, will view it with annoyance and anger.
Microsoft really, really, really needs a change of vision, a change of culture... a change of LEADERSHIP.
What's going on Mini? Did Ballmer throw a chair at you? You're awfully quiet!
This blog is rife with tales of monster managers, broken careers and a complete lack of faith in what drives one's career progression. So I can't resist pointing out that this is not confined to L61 PM or SDET world.
As People's Exhibit 'A' I humbly submit the recent departure of one Chris Liddell, who is assuming the role of CFO for General Motors. Huh? Yes the same GM that received billions in bailouts and drove unemployment in Michigan to 17%. Liddell left Microsoft which despite its faults is one of the world's most profitable companies to join a broken automaker which has just emerged from Chapter 11 ... why? Because he wants to advance his career, and it had clearly been communicated to Liddell that he was going nowhere at MS. OK so he saved a few billion but SteveB will never relinquish his hand from the tiller. Ever.
So cheer up, all you non-partners, as you put in those 12 hour days and feel underpaid and unappreciated. It's not your level that is holding you back - the whole system is busted.
Good job Chris
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010560891_webliddellgm21.html
Finally decided to leave.
My product is shipping soon and that would be it for me.
My spouse kept telling me that it is very bad move in such a bad economy. But I can’t stand it anymore.
Microsoft has turned in to the company without any innovation. Past few years, I have been feeling Microsoft was just chasing other leaders of the field and all the effort goes in to taking over them. (Search, Gaming, IPhones, etc) I don’t have much motivation to perform well anymore.
Luckily, I don’t have to look for job right away. I will take few month of vacation to rejuvenate and look for somewhere else to work. I may end up doing a- or v- job at Microsoft. But that time, I will be there to just make money and that’s it.
Everywhere I turn there's a constant stream of bad news for Microsoft and good news for its competitors. The years of bloat and corporate politics are finally catching up with this company. Thanks for trying to shed light on these issues, who'da, and I can understand if you don't want to remain emotionally invested. I'm throwing in the towel myself. Hope you're having fun with your new iPhone. Enjoy the holidays!
Hal Howard is a great guy and I am really happy that I am in MBS. I am really horrified by some of the episodes in larger Microsoft. (Or I am too blind to see screw up in our Org)
Dean Lester was really a nice guy but I really doubt if his heart was in the ERP business. I am not sure what his background is but a lot of techies find MBS frustating since they come with the expectation that it just another software product.
I see it's just been announced that the iPHONE is the best selling phone in 2009.
Looking at the share price for AAPL, it's +681% over the last 10 years cf. MSFT which in -47%
Steve, I guess that nobody at AAPL got your memo about "It's the economy stupid".
Steve, in 10 years, you've pissed away a monopoly.
The only thing that can save MSFT now is for you the resign your position and take a similar position at AAPL :)
After the second round of layoffs, I had to leave. I put in my resignation and never looked back.. Quality companies are hiring and if you have the talent, they will probably find you.
I willingly took a hit on my compensation, but I feel richer than ever. It's worth it not having to play the stupid, unproductive political game that is slowly, but surely killing Microsoft. If MSFT employees could, for once, focus on their work and not on their survival strategy, maybe MSFT would have a contending product. Until then, I've never been happier with my Droid, gmail, and iPod.
PS: For the love of god, Microsoft, please have every single one of your employees google "User Experience."
Lord protect us from architects... talk about partner level employees who contribute net-negatively by micromanaging teams in all the things that don't matter. My last four weeks were spent roughly 2d on meetings and email, 2d on placating our architect and 3d getting scheduled work done.
Mini,
Where is your next blog post? I realize that this is the end of the year. However, give us some insight on what might be coming and what your view of the world is for the next year? Think Ballmer will be removed or BillG will come back?
>Office Labs is innovator's innovator.
Hahaha, you obviously work for Office Labs, therefore your claims have 0 validity. Innovators Innovator? Point me at one thing they have done that is innovative? Just one thing, should be easy since you claim they are the hotbed of innovation.
>Labs mixes the conventional with the unconventional. It looks at every aspect of productivity from designing office space to people's behavior in bed.
What? Are you serious? And Microsoft pays for this why? Unbelievable.
>Prototypes are made and the best researchers are engaged.
Prototypes and research that result in nothing. Meaning you are essentially a charity case relying on the generosity of Microsoft (and those of us that work in profitable divisions) to fund your pointless and non-interesting larks. Think how much Microsoft pays for Office Labs, now think of how much value it has returned.
>It is no surprise then that some people are envious.
Really? You think envy is the only reason an employee at a company would not like the fact that there is a cadre of high paid people sitting on their ass churning out crap prototype after crap prototype all leading nowhere while costing the company millions of dollars? Wow, maybe you should do some self reflection, as smart as you seem to think you are if you can't identify any reason other than envy you aren't that clever.
Anyone have the scoop on the annual Partner meeting?
I got a call the other day from a previous colleague of mine at Windows. This person received a good review just after the Win7 ship (and had done a good job). And then the reorg started and somehow the good review turned into a bad review magically. And with this colleague not even knowing that the review was being changed. When the manager was challenged about it, he/she shrugged and said they had no choice due to new standards under new management.
So my former colleague is left with a bad review, and has been re-org'd under a new manager who knows nothing about my former colleague. It is very traumatic and just emblematic of the insanity that is the Microsoft review process. What's the point of providing input if all of it is thrown out the window after after the review was supposedly filed and in the can. Incredible.
Strongest advice that I have to give is to look really hard for new employment if you are in the underperforming category for whatever reason. Do not believe your manager when they say they will work with you. Your days are numbered so get going and find your next gig outside of Microsoft.
And I can confirm that the next layoff is scheduled for Feb, 2010. HR has it on the calendar and will be gearing up for it in January. Don't believe it? Watch the conf room schedules get booked up with 30 minute interval meetings as in the past.
As for WinMo, STICK A FORK IN IT. They are so done. The only way to recover is for Microsoft to buy something that actually works. And it ain't WinMo and never will be.
And BING? The maps function is quite good. Bird's Eye View is awesome. Love it. But golly, Microsoft doesn't even find new content on its own domain. I'm aware of a web site on the Microsoft domain that went live with a complete site redesign last June. Since that time, the content and look has been refreshed once. And you guessed it - BING has not found it yet. Google had it less than 2 days later each time. Why anyone would want BING as the search engine to serve their web site is beyond me.
Happy Holidays everyone. Wow....
Best Places to Work (2010)
http://www.glassdoor.com/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm
MSFT is not even in the list..
Given the new normal of cyclical layoffs coupled with other morale killers like the possibly ongoing death of merit raises, we're gone from "best of" lists for the foreseeable future.
So should I be happy or sad when a new big consumer product like Phone that will trail in features to competitors slips?
Talk amongst yourselves.
Time for another post, Mini!
With the lack of posts you'd think Mini-MSFT was run by the same people who ran InsideMS. Nothing in almost two months?
Ballmer misses out on Harvard Business Review top 100 CEOs list.
http://hbr.org/2010/01/the-best-performing-ceos-in-the-world/ar/1
Mini, I'd be curious to see a post where you discuss your feelings about what this blog has provided over the years -- it seems like it's a mixed bag.
Google is about to undercommit and overdeliver with their new Phone.
Today, the details on the cost leaked. There is NO WAY this info is accurate. This is part of an orchestrated "viral" marketing plan. It's working, because the internet is all abuzz with how awful the pricing is. People are saying bad things about Google, and we know that the guys in charge just can't stand that.
At their launch, if it doesn't leak a little before, you'll see the actual costs/plans. They won't blow you away, but in comparison to the currently "leaked" docs, they'll seem fantastic.
Meanwhile, the shill who has been trying to promote apps on the Windows Phone ISN'T EVEN RUNNING 6.5!!! http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2009/12/microsofts_own_apps_dominate_its_gurus_windows_mobile_picks.html
Unreal. We have a significantly larger catalog of available apps, and this guy can't find more than 5 non-MS apps he likes? And if our marketplace was going to suck so bad, why didn't we just spend the energy building a mobile version of handango?
Combine that with the Verizon + Bing trainwreck, and the Windows Phone people are really having a fantastic few weeks here. Good thing few people even care what they do anymore.
Why Ballmer should quit in 2010?
http://thenextweb.com/2009/10/06/steve-ballmer/
I got a call the other day from a previous colleague of mine at Windows. This person received a good review just after the Win7 ship (and had done a good job). And then the reorg started and somehow the good review turned into a bad review magically. And with this colleague not even knowing that the review was being changed.
BS. No reviews got changed, the re-org didn't settle down until well after stuff was locked in already.
The thing is, very likely I will receive a bad transition review.
Transition reviews are optional, unless your new manager insists, just skip it.
Brilliant marketing effort on virtualization in Windows 7! Not.
After hyping XP-mode it turns out that the processor has to support Intel VT ... and that takes some research that is likely beyond the ken of the average user. How would you feel if you had bought a new PC with Windows 7 specifically with the intention of running a legacy XP app only to find that it does not support Intel VT? Yet another example of pandering to the ODMs to the detriment of the customer ... forced upagrade. Virtual PC 2007 has no VT requirement.
Verizon-Bing-Ba-Da-Boom=Backdoor-Deal for $500M
Absolute Winner: Verizon, Neutral: MS, potential loser: Blackberry (unless they get a cut of the $500M - I am sure they will)
Good olde MS at work again, if you can't beat them cheat them....
The managers of all RIFed FTEs knew by January 9.
My direct manager swears he knew nothing, until January 22/23. We had, and still have, a good relationship; so I believe him. My skip manager - well, he was an oily snake at the best of times, so who knows? The GPM (my skip-skip manager) started acting weird around me back in mid-December 08, so I guess that he knew; and probably nominated me for RIFing.
Bad relationship with current manager. So interviewed with another team and got offer.
The thing is, very likely I will receive a bad transition review. The guy has put lots of work for me in the next 4 weeks, impossible to accomplish.
Will a bad transition review affect my career in new team? Anything I could do to defend myself?
Think how much Microsoft pays for Office Labs, now think of how much value it has returned.
It takes geniuses of Office Labs to milk Microsoft. In which company do you get paid millions in salary, bonus and stock and additional money for personal entertainment? Err.., wait, it is development and research ahem., R&D spelled backwards.
For Anonymous who said:
from Newsweek's Top 10 Tech Predictions for 2010: Microsoft Pushes Out Steve Ballmer
One can only hope.
,
Newsweek calls [Dan Lyons] their own. In their Top 10, see item 1.
[Dan Lyons] owns copyright for fakesteve.net, where he worships Steve Jobs. So we know where his loyalties and newsweeks's are. And where our perspective on our CEO should be.
We dont need an Apple fanboy to tell us what we want to hear!
My direct manager swears he knew nothing, until January 22/23
Sorry to break this to you, all people who were let go had to be identified in December. So either your manager is not being honest, or even he was cut out of the decision process. The later scenario should scare the crap out of you it that was the case, because it means RIF decisions in your org are being made unilaterally without direct managerial input.
The managers of all RIFed FTEs knew by January 9.
My manager claimed he did not know, but since my skip-manager and skip-skip manager also got cut maybe our team was kept in the dark on purpose!
My direct manager swears he knew nothing, until January 22/23. We had, and still have, a good relationship; so I believe him. My skip manager - well, he was an oily snake at the best of times, so who knows? The GPM (my skip-skip manager) started acting weird around me back in mid-December 08, so I guess that he knew; and probably nominated me for RIFing.
---
similar to me, they have me a JIJ message in december totally out of the blue. This was after my "detention" for wanting to leave started, i got a reaasonably good review in September 08.
They did the 12/08 JIJ msg slimely over the phone which clearly had the HR person they used for the remainder of my dismissal in August 2009.
I should have recognized and left at that time.
We got your number partner.
In 10 years of observation, here is what I would suggest to fix this once great company:
- Recognize that there are just 3 components needed: sales, marketing and product development. Marketing goes out and figures out what customers want. They tell product development what to build. The sales group sells products. Look around and you will see thousands of quasi-sales people in BGs and ‘incubation groups’ where they have no place and add no value. And to be clear, each of the 3 essential groups has just one leader.
- Enforce accountability. To amuse myself in early 2009 around MYR, I checked the commitments that everyone is supposed to check-in. The services VP MariaMa had none. Neither did Brian Kevin Turner nor Steve Ballmer. I presume this is to provide wiggle room denied to us mere mortals …
- Enforce accountability part 2. When asking for investments, demand a multi-year business plan that shows revenue and profitability. If the project does not make the numbers, cut it. Some examples:
o MS Research has created no value apart from bloating the ego of the world’s richest man. Billions spent on a fool’s errand for over a decade. No Nobel Prizes or atomic tunneling microscopes that I’m aware of. And most alarmingly no breakthroughs in software engineering.
o Windows Mobile. Another money pit that has been bitch-slapped by everyone, including Apple, Nokia, Palm, RIMM and now Google.
o X-Box and E&D generally. Classic example of chasing revenue while losing money big-time. Or what about RobbieB losing a billion $ in repair costs and claiming ‘he didn’t know’. Isn’t that what the Germans claimed about the Holocaust?
o Search. Another bungled (or is that Bingled) opportunity. I mean Google I can understand, but getting thrashed by Yahoo?
- Rebuild MSIT. This is a demoralized and broken team. The systems they support, particularly in finance and reporting, stink. Why else would there be 10,000+ v- contractors working in finance? Rethink the 12k+ application portfolio and shrink it by 99.9%.
- Reduce the influence of HR and Finance in running the business. Their profile is way too high, they are just support services.
Just some ideas.
What's up with the EE team? I was listening to a presentation by Alan & most of his ideas are old (some blatantly taken from James Whittaker). Can we get some originality & accountability in that team?
Think how much Microsoft pays for Office Labs, now think of how much value it has returned.
Office Labs has a deep pool of management talent. This talent is carefully nurtured for the better of Microsoft.
Looking at the share price for AAPL, it's +681% over the last 10 years cf. MSFT which in -47%
Steve, I guess that nobody at AAPL got your memo about "It's the economy stupid".
Steve, in 10 years, you've pissed away a monopoly.
The only thing that can save MSFT now is for you the resign your position and take a similar position at AAPL :)
Considering that AAPL was really struggling 10 years ago and MSFT was the greatest and most successful technology company on the plant 10 years ago, comparing YOY growth directly doesn't make sense. It's fair to be critical that MSFT growth has only been comparable to the market overall, but your comparison is just plain stupid because the two didn't start at the same place.
"Coverage from the inside? No email"
Oh yes. We did have "coverage" from the inside here. Immediately after local news portal had the information about 800 more job elimination posted, we had subsidiary-wide announcement from our HR Directory assuring that "this will not affect our subsidiary, not a single person in our subsidiary is affected".
Guess what. About a week later, it started - people started getting out-of-schedule 1:1 invitations where they were basically told that "it would be better to leave. ASAP. Or nobody else can say what will happen". Some were really pressed. During the next 2 months, about 15 people left Services department - it's about 25%.
And yes, there was no official announcement. It looked like a bunch of people just decided to leave. Yeah right.
Bottom line is, independent news portal is more knowledgeable and trustworthy than your local HR director. Yahoo to company values!
I have been at MS for a little under 2 years. I have waited to go through a couple of reviews to comment. Maybe I got lucky and managed to find a good team or maybe I am just blind but after 12 years in this field and working at companies that are considered amongst the "best places to work" I can say MS has been the best so far. I have not experienced any of the misfortunes that people list on this blog. Am I lucky or are too many Softies lifers, and are just not aware of what it is like at other places? Often lifers remember when a large company was smaller and they got more personal attention. The company loses some of the little things that made it so special back in the day but the reality is that it still has more than most companies have to offer. That being said, I certainly believe there are areas for improvement but calling your CEO names and even mentioning your co-workers by name isn't going to help. I rarely ever hear someone on here say "I have this great innovation and nobody will listen to me or my manager refuses to push it forward". It is always "my manager doesn't like me or he/she is stupid" or whatever your complaint is. Make a difference and worry about innovating and getting the best out of yourself and this company is unstoppable. Whine and complain but never take action and this company will falter.
>>Right. The blame starts at the bottom and never reaches the top and the credit moves in opposite direction. Incompetency nicely hides behind dotted line reporting. Never seen partners or directors from any discipline accepting the responsibility of failures or the blame. New leaders like Steven & Bob should pay attention to this<<
I have seen this a lot when I worked with the two biggest IDC teams (I won't say names). But I still thought those were isolated examples. Looks like it is not uncommon after all.
Ballmer misses out on Harvard Business Review top 100 CEOs list.
well, they stopped at 100.
When is the next round of layoffs? Or are they all done already?
Repeat after me "Office Labs is the only hope for Office, Office Labs is the only hope for Microsoft".
The sooner the nay sayers realize this, the better off Microsoft will be.
A new survey came out of Insead, noting the top 200 CEOs over the past few years based on company performance. Not surprisingly, Steve and Microsoft didn't make the cut. The full report is available at the link below.
http://knowledge.insead.edu/top-200-CEOs-091218.cfm
"because the two didn't start at the same place"
Unless companies are born on the same day, no two companies start on the same place, duh! Oh, it's stupid is it? OK, instead of 10 tens, look at 9 years, look a 8 years, 7, 6 ... infact pretty much choose any rolling 12 month or more period you like over the last 10 years. If you you've also been drinking the funny stuff, or eating your own "dog ate your homework" food.
When you compare against the industry, no we have no kept pace, but even then, I'd expect not to keep pace, the whole point is that we should be ahead.
Maybe Apple was in the toilet 10 years ago, maybe it wasn't. The fact is, they produced products that market wanted of high quality. Where would we have been if we had done the same?
Why wasn't is the MSFT "iPHONE"?, why wasn't it MSFT Search?
I'd like to add: Office Labs is the pinnacle of innovation at Microsoft. It is the one place where idea meets execution, resulting in an a constant stream of brilliant, world-changing technologies. Furthermore, it is lead by a stellar team of absolute geniuses who are all members of MENSA with 190 point IQs and 12" dicks. Also, Office Labs has in fact already developed Windows Mobile 7 and it is far far far better than the iPhone OS. Unforuntately, only members of Office Labs are intelligent enough to fully comprehend the new technology. Members of the general public would have their minds shattered by its sheer awesomeness. Only Office Labs can save Microsoft.
(or none of that)
(Anonymous)
I have been at MS for a little under 2 years. I have waited to go through a couple of reviews to comment. Maybe I got lucky and managed to find a good team or maybe I am just blind but after 12 years in this field and working at companies that are considered amongst the "best places to work" I can say MS has been the best so far. I have not experienced any of the misfortunes that people list on this blog.
At that time in my MS career, which was 15 years into my IT career, I held a viewpoint similar to yours. I experienced opportunity and success beyond the very limits of my professional dreams at MS. And I had the perspective to consider myself fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, and kept working hard and smart to keep it going.
Three years later, I was in the wrong place in the wrong time, and had several of the same negative experiences reported by posters. I kept working hard and smart, but it no longer mattered. One individual wanted me gone, and that was that, I was RIF'd. The history of performance awards, positive relationships with dozens of staff some of whom are apparently still citing me as a standard of excellence in my old role today, and my ability to continue to contribute, all notwithstanding.
My advice to anyone in a great position at MS today: enjoy it while it lasts, try to be honest with yourself about how much of your results are due to your being "that good" and how much are due to "right place at right time", and understand that most good things come to an end eventually, possibly at a very inconvenient time with no rhyme or reason.
@I rarely ever hear someone on here say "I have this great innovation and nobody will listen to me or my manager refuses to push it forward".
There are many examples that managers don't really push the good things forward and people are loosing their interest in doing the right things. MS is following just a lobby culture specially MSIT, INDIA and nothing more than that. If a ZERO is part of the lobby they will make him HERO and vice-versa.
There are n number of things we can discuss and it will be never ending loop. At the end result is - Microsoft is no more growing broadly...check the financial data of the company...check employee satisfaction...check the overall growth and ventures related to company...as I said n number of things...u figure out more...:)
Remember people... not the numbers...people can do wonders if they are satisfied and if company is really having trust on them.
I am expecting others view on my comments specially from MSIT, INDIA.
So where did SteveB land in the Top 2000 CEOs list? He did not make the top 100 or even 200. Yet it still amazes me how many people on this blog defend him ... maybe "Hang onto nurse, for fear of something worse" as we say in England.
Ballmer has 150k people at his beck and call; unbelievable amounts of capital $; an enduring monopoly. Don't you think he might have done better with such resources? Meanwhile Apple with far fewer resources innovated its way out of trouble - ipod, iphone, itunes, appstore, cool new Macs. In Search and mobility we continue to have our lunch eaten. Even in marketing we are a laughing stock. Yet he endures ...
My manager didn't know until January 22. He was cut our of the decision making process.
>> My direct manager swears he knew nothing, until January 22/23
> Sorry to break this to you, all people who were let go had to be identified in December. So either your manager is not being honest, or even he was cut out of the decision process. The later scenario should scare the crap out of you it that was the case, because it means RIF decisions in your org are being made unilaterally without direct managerial input.
Not even a mention of Microsoft as a "competitor" in the mobile market. Will we ever have a shot in mobile? Looking at the track record chances are slim to none I would say.
https://news.fidelity.com/news/news.jhtml?articleid=201001051349RTRSNEWSCOMBINED_TRE6044E7_1&cat=Top.Investing.RT&IMG=Y
"The new phone pits Google against a variety of players in the increasingly crowded smartphone market, including Research in Motion, Palm Inc, Nokia and Apple."
I was listening to a presentation by Alan & most of his ideas are old (some blatantly taken from James Whittaker).
Probably just fueling the fire here, but to be clear, James and I collaborated on dozens of presentations during his tenure at Microsoft, so it's hard to tell who has taken what from where - it just depends who you saw first.
On the "old ideas" front...oh crud, you're probably right. Sitting in this role has given me a lot of breadth in seeing what's going on across the company and industry, but I'll admit to lack of hands on experience with most of the more recent technologies.
Hi Mini,
Microsoft is seriously pissing off our cusotmers. Our system and supoort services sucks. Till today customers are still having problems.
So how's your eOpen/VLSC/MVLS experience?
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 6:49 PM by Blake
so after 3 hours on hold this call (this is the third time I've called), i am still on hold. they cant seem to process our agreements..... NEVER BUY OPEN BUSINESS. did i mention now that the open value agreements are a royal pain in the ass?
WAY TO GO MICROSOFT.
The Nexus G-Phone is out today, it is just all hype. Will wait for the Zune phone to come out unless Sprint offers me a free Palm Pre.
Senior Executives at Microsoft India FIRED for Malpractise and corruption
read:
Anil Sethi Quits Amidst Malpractice Allegations
By Ramdas S, CRN, December 31, 2009, 1230 hrs
In a sudden move, Anil Sethi, Group Director, OEM Business, Microsoft India has quit the company along with two of his key managers—Chandan Sonowal, Director, System Builder Channel, and Kiran Mani, Director, Business Strategy and Marketing.
Confirming the news, Microsoft spokesperson said, “The three senior professionals have left to pursue opportunities outside the company.” Microsoft immediately named Rishi Srivastava, Director, Consumer and Online Marketing, to head the OEM business.
But while Microsoft claims that the managers left on their own, many Microsoft’s OEM partners told CRN that the trio was fired owing to their breach of “Microsoft's standard business practices”.
“Over the past several months, the OEM team has been dumping large inventories on us with the promise of helping us liquidate them and giving us higher back-end rebates. But neither have we got any help to liquidate stocks, nor received the committed rebates,” alleged a leading sub-distributor in Bengaluru, who didn’t want to be named, as he has pending back-end claims of Rs 25 lakh from Microsoft.
Another Microsoft associate distributor, who also didn’t want to be named, told CRN “Most Microsoft sub-distributors are bleeding. We have a pending back-end claim of nearly Rs 3 crore, and there are several others who have pending claims ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore,” said the partner. “The policy of the company has been to dump stocks on partners to meet their targets by giving false commitments about rebates and sales support.”
In March 2009, CRN had raised the issue of heavy discounting of Microsoft OEM products due to excess channel inventory.
PN Prasad, President, Confed-ITA said, “Why am I not surprised by this news? It was waiting to happen. It’s good to see Microsoft finally wake up to the issue, which we had been highlighting for some time.”
He further added, “In many cases Microsoft has used the threat of piracy raids to dump their products. Microsoft must stick to their rebate commitments, and help partners liquidate excess inventory. It also needs to ensure that the piracy drive is not misused.”
When quizzed about partner allegations, Microsoft spokesperson said, “Some of these issues have been brought to our notice recently. Microsoft, as a responsible company, is cognizant of and takes compliance of its business policies and practices very seriously. We are working with our partners and the channel community to understand and resolve any issues.”
In an unrelated incident, Kamlesh Kumar Jha, Managing Director of KK Software, a Microsoft authorized sub-distributor and a Gold certified partner was arrested by the CBI for counterfeiting and piracy of Microsoft software products on December 26, a day after Microsoft sacked the OEM business managers.
Reportedly, CBI took the action after it received complaints from Microsoft. Allegedly, Jha was also abusing Microsoft’s activation downgrade program.
http://www.crn.in/Software-031Dec009-Anil-Sethi-Quits-Amidst-Malpractice-Allegations.aspx
So I asked for SPECIFIC examples of all the great innovaion from Office Labs and I got .... nothing (shocker)!! Well unless you count the response 'they are really innovative' or that they are 'nurturing future leaders' whatever the fuck that means. Our future leaders need nurturing? I hope they are heating their bottles to the right temperature and making sure the night light is on for them so they don't get scared of the dark.
>Some of us would like to get a tiny bit of work done while travelling with our Sinofsky-style netbooks.
What's that? I can't hear you over the sound of Office not working for shit on my netbook....ohh wait that is Sinofsky's love child right? Shouldn't it be humming along? It is almost like netbooks are stripped down computers available at lower cost and not up to the task of running some software. Well off to run 3d Studio Max on my netbook, wish me luck!!
Just completed my 60 day search without any success (or any full interviews for that matter). I had a couple of groups that really wanted to hire me, but they had no job requisitions.
The timing of this RIF was really awful. There was the obvious issues of the holidays. The ending time of January 3rd means there are no working days in the new quarter, and no way to take advantage of any opening that might occur.
But when you consider the way the job search works, the timing is even worse. Say you are a hiring manager who has just got a job req openned in December. Someone on job search applies and you do a phone screen. The screen goes pretty well,but when you consult with HR about the interview you find out that if you do an interview you will have to make a hiring decision before Jan 3. Not only are you not ready to make the decision that fast, some of the people you want to conduct interviews are on vacation.
I don't know the figures, but I'm betting almost no one on job search got a job during the month of December. I had a number of suitable positions open up, with good phone screens, but none of them progressed to a formal interview.
Now granted if I was the absolute perfect candidate for the job, I'm sure they would have gone for it (in my case, if one of the groups mentioned above actually got a req). But for anything less than perfection, I think there was almost no chance of getting an internal job. The 60 day job search is nice in theory, but the timing of this RIF made it a cruel deception.
I heard that this did happen more than a few times. Can some managers share their experience?
I know in group, if there was any RIF, the group director would make all the decisions and let direct managers know at the last minutes.
>because it means RIF decisions in your org are being made unilaterally without direct managerial input
...have left to pursue opportunities outside the company.
Is this phrase out of some MSFT HR handbook? I heard this exact phrase when someone else (completely unrelated) got fired.
Alan said...
On the "old ideas" front...oh crud, you're probably right. Sitting in this role has given me a lot of breadth in seeing what's going on across the company and industry, but I'll admit to lack of hands on experience with most of the more recent technologies.
I appreciate the honesty. My general comment on EE is that we have should utilize the talent in solving problems within MS teams. In that way, EE will get the desired real-world experiences & we will get the benefit of cross-pollinating ideas throughout the company.
I have seen a lot of instances (not you), where i see somebody tanking in their role, taking a *break* in EE & then coming back to a product team after a promo or two.
Exploring Bayesian theory in testing is good, but to show a real world application of how it works is what is going to move the dial, imo.
>> No Nobel Prizes or atomic tunneling microscopes that
>> I’m aware of. And most
>> alarmingly no breakthroughs
>> in software engineering.
Nobel prizes are not awarded for what MSR does (math and computer science). They do have quite a few noteworthy awards to their name though.
And just because you work in a low-brow mouth-breather of a group that doesn't need MSR doesn't mean that no one else does. Bing, SQL, DevDiv, Office - they find MSR quite nice to have. Remember, Microsoft and Apple grew out of the stuff invented in the lab of a company which did not know what to do with those inventions.
For an outsider in a team that doesn't really do anything sophisticated, MSR may seem like a waste, but after working there for a few years (I've since left Microsoft, so this is as honest an opinion as you will get) I can say there's no better place in the entire company to badly bruise your ego and remind yourself that you're not really as good as you think you are. The side effect is that you will gain kick-ass, bleeding edge skills during your time there, assuming you are willing to put in the effort and have the mental bandwidth required to digest the output of all those "worthless" PHDs.
I have interviewed summer interns (!) that blew Principal devs away in every respect. Every summer I would get at least one dude on the loop that would make me pretty depressed with my own relative mediocrity, and I was a straight 4.0 performer.
My recommendation for MSFT would be:
1. Figure out better ways of transfering tech into product groups. Currently, the experience is worse than pulling teeth.
2. Figure out a way to establish not just tech transfer, but also knowledge transfer. Have those PHDs give classes to employees. Some of them are fucking amazing, and a lot of Microsoft groups would benefit if the engineers simply knew _what's possible_ these days. It's a shame that Microsoft has a huge battery of experts in their respective fields, and they only disseminate their expertise within the confines of building 99.
3. Create more incubation groups within MSR, but do it in a smart way. Don't incubate pie-in-the-sky BS. There are plenty of ideas there which can stand on their own two feet. Only incubate the stuff you know you will need. Right now it's about time someone started seriously working on the replacement for Windows, for instance.
Oh, cut MSN some slack -- they are finally showing some signs of life. If they can keep from reorging again, they might be able to keep some stability and make forward progress. They are at least starting to pay attention to design, which is refreshing.
Has anyone else looked into the Max Baucus Tax as part of the Health Care bill?
It's going to tax the standard Microsoft health insurance plan by 40%. So if the plan is valued at $10,000, were are going to be hit with a $4,000 tax.
That's alot of money out of my pocket!
"The Nexus G-Phone is out today, it is just all hype. Will wait for the Zune phone to come out unless Sprint offers me a free Palm Pre."
Check your toes. Are they cold? If they are, that would likely be Hell freezing over WRT Zune phone. So sit and wait please for Sprint and the Palm.
>Office Labs is the pinnacle of innovation at Microsoft. It is the one place where idea meets execution, resulting in an a constant stream of brilliant, world-changing technologies. Furthermore, it is lead by a stellar team of absolute geniuses who are all members of MENSA with 190 point IQs and 12" dicks.
You got it right bud. Office Labs does innovation like the Ayatollas practice democracy. They both have a supreme leader who have identical outlook.
Any updates on the Feb 2010 layoffs ? which division(s) ? headcount(s) ?
The time is right to dismiss the Office Labs circus put together by Pratley. You can bundle them with the wave-5 March batch of layoffs. Several years and more than 100+ million later, all there is to show is a video, a re-designed floor and a few slide decks.
Small startups the fraction of the size of Office Labs are able to innovate and bring new technologies to the market. I am sure another Microsoft partner is waiting to have fun and create his circus for a few years. Ideally, you would dismiss this nonsense altogether.
Going on year 12 of survival here at Microsoft. Mostly as a manager, but I take pride in going IC twice and still proving my pay pay grade.
Rules to live by:
1. Be valuable to your manager. This may just get you to A/70 - but hey it's a good base.
2. Pick your boss and group carefully. You'll this critical decision every 3 years or so..
3. Work for groups that generate revenue.
4. Work for teams that get sh** done.
5. Work for teams that treat you, partners and other teams with respect.
6. Do so yourself.
7. Develop expertise not easily replicated.
8. Learn to adapt to change.
Worst case you end up fleeing to an industry partner or competitor with enough ability to be even more valuable there.
I'm sympathetic to much of what is posted here - and there are some terrible situations. Yet from experience I understand how incredibly lucky the majority of us are. My father was as bright as his sons, yet never made much pounding nails.
Mini, why have you given up on this blog? Your ultimately dream was met (we gutted the company just as you wanted) and in response the mobile market got away from us, the tablet market got away from us, the book reader market got away from us, the embedded device market got away from us... But at least we have less employees! That's awesome! Good work Mini. Having a goal completely unrelated to superior products has clearly worked in our favor.
Would like to hear your defense of our current state, that is if you are still employed here.
Mini, no new post in more than 2 months?
Ok MS India(SMSG) run of attrition continues to accelerate after losing almost 8 people in the first quarter we lost over twelve in the month of december itself. This is not counting the 8 who were laid off in the october month and the recent exits in the OEM business (which have been written about). Meanwhile the accountants are increasingly getting into the way of business... what does that portend for the near future...? As I look around crazy technological innovations are hitting us from all directions... Windows Mobile is already history with Blackberrys available at less than Rs5000 and most consumers don't seem to care much about Windows 7 and even less about office 2010. All this has been happening in the market right under our very noses and we're all very busy with our Excel sheets and e-mails to bother. Wake up MS before it is too late...
Microsoft is going to beat street expectations this quarter due to significant improvements in certain geographies.
Unfortunately, though, our managers are booking this as their personal achievements - swift measures, diligent cost control blah, blah.
Some are even hoping for nice promotions.
Sadly despite good results they don't want to abandon layoffs completely, just moved tentatively to Q2FY11.
They seem to enjoy having a stick to "motivate" ICs.
Talk about morale in this company.
Mini, why have you given up on this blog? Your ultimately dream was met (we gutted the company just as you wanted) and in response the mobile market got away from us, the tablet market got away from us, the book reader market got away from us, the embedded device market got away from us... But at least we have less employees! That's awesome! Good work Mini. Having a goal completely unrelated to superior products has clearly worked in our favor.
What a bucket of excrement that is. I'll argue that the long-standing staffing levels and concomitant politics led to the loss of (or utter absence in) those cited markets. Many of the poor suckers RIFed were just that, poor suckers. Of course the original poster is sitting fat and happy in Office Labs or India or some other MS Superfund site smirking.
Mini, why have you given up on this blog? Your ultimately dream was met (we gutted the company just as you wanted) and in response the mobile market got away from us, the tablet market got away from us, the book reader market got away from us, the embedded device market got away from us... But at least we have less employees! That's awesome! Good work Mini. Having a goal completely unrelated to superior products has clearly worked in our favor.
What a bucket of excrement that is. I'll argue that the long-standing staffing levels and concomitant politics led to the loss of (or utter absence in) those cited markets. Many of the poor suckers RIFed were just that, poor suckers. Of course the original poster is sitting fat and happy in Office Labs or India or some other MS Superfund site smirking.
So does it mean that there will e no layoff in Feb '10 or FY10?
@EXD-LPO,MSIT, India is also one of most corrupt group.....
LPO HIRE candidates to rate them as Under performer(UP 10) and then finally they FIRE some. If you have some enemy refer them to LPO.
Principal Dev Manager, Dude where ever you get credit...you try to project yourself well...but for all failures you hardly come forward and accept you mistakes. What is going on for VLSC issue?
Mini, why have you given up on this blog? Your ultimately dream was met (we gutted the company just as you wanted) and in response the mobile market got away from us, the tablet market got away from us, the book reader market got away from us, the embedded device market got away from us... But at least we have less employees! That's awesome! Good work Mini. Having a goal completely unrelated to superior products has clearly worked in our favor.
Ignorant and unfair. First of all, those markets got away from MSFT *because* of the bloat Mini was originally trying to address.
The layoffs that came were a token sacrifice to Wall St, weren't done intelligently, weren't done in the right area, and barely dented to size of the org - so this wasn't what Mini was asking for at all.
What Mini has always been about was creating an agile company that was staffed right so opportunities do not get away from you. So no, he hasnt "gotten his wish" (sorry to speak for you Mini, but if this is off feel free to filter this comment)
Nice try at being snarky though!
In 10 years of observation, here is what I would suggest to fix this once great company:
There are no suggestions here, just bitching. Do you even realize that? This blog is really becoming a poor representation of the insiders who supposedly "get it".
You catalogue all of the things you think are useless and include everything that is a new business outside of Office and Windows, plus you add MSR.
Those of you who feel that MSFT should just forever try to chase Win and Office are really true dinosaurs. Whats ironic is that you all look so longingly at Apple and Google - the two companies who exemplify why Windows and Office are anachronisms that have no place or value in the emerging world of technology in anything resembling their classic form.
About the only thing you DID get right is more accountability for execs. Yeah... Kudos for that. Took real genius to figure out that in a bloated corporation one of the problems is that execs have no accountability.
> most consumers don't seem to care much about Windows 7
Really? You must live on a different planet from me. How are things over there?
[snip]
Mini, why have you given up on this blog? Your ultimately dream was met (we gutted the company just as you wanted) and in response the mobile market got away from us, the tablet market got away from us, the book reader market got away from us, the embedded device market got away from us... But at least we have less employees! That's awesome! Good work Mini.
[/snip]
Golly gosh, here's a bright one! Put on the Bench program immediately (unless s/he is already there).
When Mini started, MSFT had what, maybe 60,000 employees, ballooned to 94,000, and has cut 5800 over the last year. If this poster really truly believes that all of those business failures happened in the last 12 months, then...s/he is probably carrying SteveB's bags to and from the helicopter, and talks about being "Super-excited!" a lot.
Strangely enough you can see discussion in years past on this blog, before the layoffs, that portended those failures, and plenty of discussion about how poorly utilized people who work for MSFT have been due to politics and treating people like replaceable commodity modules.
Mini-Microsoft has always been about improving our business, through better use of employees and a more focused and coherent business plan.
Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps the OP was SteveB himself.
"And just because you work in a low-brow mouth-breather of a group that doesn't need MSR doesn't mean that no one else does"
Thanks for that shot bro. Perhaps you as the high-brow, nose-breather understand the concept of 'ad-hominem' attacks. Do let me know if my assumption is incorrect.
At the end of the day, MS Research has done nothing to add to the company's bottom line. Despite the billions spent. You can whine and complain about that, but essentially that is the case.
Some peculiar behaviour on my team is leading me to believe that mid-Feb may indeed be the next round. Anyone else have any strange scheduling of mandatory "events" for mid-Feb? Could be a reorg, but they haven't handled them like this in the past, and there are other things that make me think this is suspicious.
Bach Admits to Win Mobile Fiasco vows to fight on... Read burn more $$$ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/010810-ces-microsoft-mobile-missteps.html?hpg1=bn
Don't know if we will get it right it time to save that business.
Hey Mini! Time for a new post. Maybe about lack of merit increase in FY10?
28-Dec-09 MUNDIE CRAIG J
Officer 772,601 Direct Option Exercise at $29.98 per share. $23,162,577
28-Dec-09 MUNDIE CRAIG J
Officer 772,601 Direct Automatic Sale at $31 per share. $23,950,631
28-Dec-09 BACH ROBERT J
Officer 50,000 Direct Option Exercise at $21.59 per share. $1,079,500
28-Dec-09 BACH ROBERT J
Officer 50,000 Direct Automatic Sale at $31 per share. $1,550,000
24-Dec-09 MUNDIE CRAIG J
Officer 391,066 Direct Option Exercise at $29.98 per share. $11,724,158
24-Dec-09 MUNDIE CRAIG J
Officer 391,066 Direct Automatic Sale at $31 per share. $12,123,046
21-Dec-09 BACH ROBERT J
Officer 50,000 Direct Option Exercise at $21.59 per share. $1,079,500
21-Dec-09 BACH ROBERT J
Officer 50,000 Direct Automatic Sale at $30.50 per share. $1,525,000
15-Dec-09 BACH ROBERT J
Officer 100,000 Direct Option Exercise at $21.59 per share. $2,159,000
15-Dec-09 BACH ROBERT J
Officer 100,000 Direct Automatic Sale at $29.88 - $30 per share. $2,994,0002
Disgusting. Both have failed continually and yet this is their reward.
Am I the only one here who's noticed that the comments on this blog have successfully predicted 12 of the last 4 layoffs?
This isn't a perfect company by any means -- sit me down in a room and mention "Silverlight/WPF compatibility", then steer clear of any flying projectiles -- but the Titanic it ain't.
"And just because you work in a low-brow mouth-breather of a group that doesn't need MSR doesn't mean that no one else does"
"For an outsider in a team that doesn't really do anything sophisticated, MSR may seem like a waste,"
Wow! I can see now why MSR is so completely ineffectual. With that kind of superiority complex as a blocking factor the chances of success are limited.
I remember attending a presentation at MSR 3 years back. MSR had just finished a new product after years in development. I asked the presenters how they were going to monetize the product, and they had no clue. So much for your awesome PhDs.
According to the reports, Microsoft’s web site related to software licenses is facing some problems and left business customers in a chaos.
Due to these ongoing problems, some business customers are unable to activate and use their Microsoft apps for more than a month. The Redmond Giant had taken down its Volume Licensing Service Center for maintenance in early December.
The problems were reported after attempts to merge multiple licensing sites into a single and more secure site. However, the idea backfired for some users.
The major chunks of business users who are facing problems due to these problems include businesses purchasing Microsoft software, or resellers and integrators. Problems that are reported mainly via Twitter include users unable to access the paid-for software licenses; an inability to login to the VLSC site and above all is the long six-hour waits on Microsoft telephone support trying to fix their accounts.
In fact, the company is physically mailing replacement software for some such users.
While the major number of partners and customers are able to access the system, some customers are experiencing difficulties.
There may be a light at the end of the tunnel...
Rob Bach is soon going to "pursue other interests"!
So when will we see the latest version of "Barbarians Led By Bill Gates" which describes the bizarre, unlikely, and abusive road to bludgeoning a "bloated" corporation of 11,000 people to deliver Windows, or "Showstopper" which describes the bizarre, unlikely, and abusive road to OS/2 and then NT ... maybe 20,000 .. each in 2-3 years. If you want to go back further, there's "Fire in the Valley" or "Pirates of Silicon Valley".
I'm still dying to see the description of how it took 90,000 employees, six years to make a core product as bad as Vista, and of course, piss off the employee base enough to create the comments that one sees on this blog.
And just because you work in a low-brow mouth-breather of a group that doesn't need MSR doesn't mean that no one else does. Bing, SQL, DevDiv, Office - they find MSR quite nice to have. Remember, Microsoft and Apple grew out of the stuff invented in the lab of a company which did not know what to do with those inventions.
I worked in one of those groups and MSR provided very little value to us. I wonder why you think otherwise. Probably has to do with corporate politics.
As for Microsoft and Apple, you are obviously thinking of Xerox PARC but you forget (or never knew?) that Apple and Microsoft were thriving companies long before GUIs, and were built by college dropouts and hobbyists--kind of the opposite of your point.
At the end of the day, MS Research has done nothing to add to the company's bottom line. Despite the billions spent.
I have one word to say - Songsmith...
"Just completed my 60 day search without any success (or any full interviews for that matter). I had a couple of groups that really wanted to hire me, but they had no job requisitions."
I had multiple "almost hired" chances in the 60 day search as one of the 1400. It appears about 100 got internal search then, and although hopeful of securing a new spot, nothing came of it. Took a total of 9 months of searching - at MSFT and everywhere else in town - and out - to find a contract job, without benefits, at 75% of former base+bonus.
Yours is the first I heard of anyone getting internal search from November's house cleaning. Multiple others got only the severance package and a quick exit, and the package is not so grand if you were a short-timer. Seattle Times today said that King County residents drew $1.2 Billion in unemployment benefits in 2009.
Prepare yourself to wait out this poor economic period, whatever that means. Contract work didn't come quickly, and those who find some work are often underemployed. The good thing about being a contractor is you don't have to sweat the review process everyone spends all day dreading, and if you go work somewhere else, there may be less arrogance. The stunningly good are still there, but so is a bunch of dead weight, all smug about their brilliance, which they can't discern from just plain luck. Hope your "friends" are better to you than what we experienced - never been so out in the cold. Except for several people who finally managed to call in November - after they got canned - to ask how we had survived and how we found work. Please.
"There may be a light at the end of the tunnel...
Rob Bach is soon going to "pursue other interests"!"
Wasn't he already? He sure wasn't doing his job, like making sure Windows Mobile won. In fact, wtf has he accomplished over the last nine years? His job ostensibly was to create MS's all important third leg of profit. Instead, all he's accomplished is to add a second ass.
From portable media to Mediaroom, Zune through most recently Winmo, everything he's been responsible for has either failed outright or failed financially. And for this he's MS's highest paid executive. Kinda tells you how screwed up this company's motivation and reward system is and why we've been going downhill for a decade.
I hope he is leaving. But he's smart enough to know this is the only place he'll get those sort of rewards while performing that badly. Which is why I'd be surprised if he didn't milk it for another couple of years and $40 million (comp, bonus, options). Plus Ballmer needs someone this bad around to make himself look effective by comparison.
>> Wow! I can see now why MSR is so completely ineffectual.
Who said it's "ineffectual"? Like I said, just because you work in a group that doesn't need MSR doesn't mean it's "ineffectual" for other groups.
I mean, if MSR was actually listened to back in the day, we migh have had a superior search engine WAY ahead of Google. People in MSR were banging their heads against BillG's door and he wasn't willing to listen. By the time he actually listened it was already too late - Goog was entrenched, and you can't roll something from scratch (MSR invented the ranking algorithm and a lot of the classification tech, BTW) and make it better than the product of a competitor that said competitor spent years building.
It is not MSR's purpose to build finished products. They more or less suck at it. Their purpose is to have some of the top experts in their respective fields on site, available and willing to talk to you about the problems you may have. Those experts also happen to do research and publish papers to not let their knowledge go stale. From time to time, the technology ends up in the products, with WAY more effort from MSR side than should be necessary.
You're misplacing blame here. MSR is willing to work with product groups, and generally they try to initiate contacts there, and if research is fruitful, transfer technology. However, they can't read your minds. Come to them with a hard problem and I can guarantee you you will find a solution. Oftentimes the kind of solution you would not be able to find yourself. At the worst, you will lose a couple of hours of time. At best you will be able to pick the brains of some _really_ smart folks, and get them to work for you.
What do you have to lose?
Consider:
MS's R&D budget in 2010 = $9 billion
Apple's: $1.6 billion.
MS spent more on R&D in 2009 alone than Apple spent 2000-2009. But Apple has a better PC OS, better PC browser, better PC consumer software suite, better mobile browser, better mobile OS, better and better supported mobile device, better and more extensive mobile app store, better multi-touch support, and will soon have a better tablet OS. On any given innovation poll they are at or near the top, while MS often doesn't even rank. And they have better growth in revenue and profit and light-year's better stock performance.
Think maybe that says something about the quality of each company's respective leadership and their associated stategy, tactics, and execution?
We're hearing another round of layoffs is around the corner scheduled for post results timeframe end of Jan- early feb. Any news on that?
I'm still dying to see the description of how it took 90,000 employees, six years to make a core product as bad as Vista, and of course, piss off the employee base enough to create the comments that one sees on this blog.
As you point out the description of such debacle is very well detailed on this blog. Someone needs to put them together. Truly amazing is seeing our "dear leader" still as CEO. No accountability whatsoever and the board doesn't have the cojounes to ask him to leave. While our dear leader decides to continue at Microsoft , Redmond's tech empire will continue to collapse. Change at the top is needed soon.
"I'm still dying to see the description of how it took 90,000 employees, six years to make a core product as bad as Vista, and of course, piss off the employee base enough to create the comments that one sees on this blog."
First of all, only a small fraction of those employees were working on Vista.
Second of all, as with most other corporate disasters, the rot happens at the top -- which is why the Vista executives "pursued other opportunities" after Vista finally shipped.
RIP Brian Valentine and Jim Allchin, you were both batshit crazy in your final years at Microsoft and it was enjoyable to see you both finally get the boot.
>There are no suggestions here, just bitching. Do you even realize that? This blog is really becoming a poor representation of the insiders who supposedly "get it".
What do you mean? There are a lot of good suggestions. But many of them are asking for execs & partner level accountability. That is hard because they themselves evaluate their own accountability. Most partner level people are either resting or are hired at wrong levels and hence useless to the company. They survive because other partners evaluate them with respect to what they themselves achieve. Get the picture?
RobbieB at CES: "Bach said nothing about a Microsoft-branded phone called Pink that has been grinding through the rumor mill. He did, however, take some pokes at Apple for controlling both mobile hardware and the software, and at Google for competing with partners by releasing a Google-branded phone. Bach seemed to be hinting that Microsoft won't follow either route."
Of course we won't follow 'either route' - I mean why copy success?
"Mini, why have you given up on this blog? Your ultimately dream was met (we gutted the company just as you wanted) and in response the mobile market got away from us, the tablet market got away from us, the book reader market got away from us, the embedded device market got away from us... But at least we have less employees! That's awesome! Good work Mini. Having a goal completely unrelated to superior products has clearly worked in our favor."
You may have noticed that all those markets got away from the company while it was still hiring workers like crazy, and that having superior products hasn't been a goal in about a decade, at least judging by what has shipped.
Also, a token layoff after years of excessive hiring is hardly gutting the company. So take your misplaced Mini criticism and put it where it belongs: SLT.
So when will we see the latest version of "Barbarians Led By Bill Gates" which describes the bizarre, unlikely, and abusive road to bludgeoning a "bloated" corporation of 11,000 people to deliver Windows, or "Showstopper" which describes the bizarre, unlikely, and abusive road to OS/2 and then NT ... maybe 20,000 .. each in 2-3 years.
Can't speak to Windows, but there is a tome in development about the "bizarre, unlikely, and abusive road" to some other Microsoft goal of the past decade. But there's this minor matter of getting a publisher. Microsoft simply isn't perceived as relevant today as much as it was 7 or 8 years ago, and that affects publishers' perception of the market for a book about it.
The common element, I think, is that when push came to shove, execs understood that the point of the game was to deliver product and that their primary accountability was to get that product out the door, no matter how awkward the methods used. Those with butts-on-line viscerally knew that odds were there would be a worse fallout from failure to deliver than from stepping on someone's carefully crafted for maximum promotion velocity image or process toes. Back then, shipping MEANT something. It was the end goal, not a means to an end goal. Now it's just something else to throw in your self-eval, to get your next promotion, and if you can't claim a ship-it because you failed at that, oh, you just don't mention it. There are always other things you can put in your self-eval to justify a promo. Sad.
Feb 15th is the date and names are already decided. If you where U/10 talk to your manager now
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