Microsoft FY10Q2 Results
Time for another Microsoft earning announcement. I'm going to be missing you, Mr. Liddell, and your New Zealand accent. With so many tech companies reporting good numbers and with Windows 7's success, I dare say that we're expecting a rosy quarterly earning report. And, if that's the case and knowing Mr. Ballmer's past record, he'll say something financially scary soon to rain on the parade.
Places I track for news on earnings include:
- Mr. Joe Wilcox over at Beta News (Joe has been on fire lately with all of his postings - one reason I've been quiet here is that when I think of something to write about, Mr. Wilcox already has it written up and posted)
- Mr. Todd Bishop over at TechFlash's Microsoft Blog
- Mr. Joseph Tartakoff somewhere within paidContent.org.
What questions do you expect or would you like to come up during the call? And if they don't come up during the conversation with the analysts, what Q&A do you want to send Mr. Ballmer's way during our upcoming Town Hall meeting?
- Windows 7 continued success: how does that turn into profits and what kind of projections are we looking at?
- Entertainment and Devices re-org: how does that align for future success and avoidance of being one big huge money pit?
- Windows Mobile 7: we so dropped the ball in our early phone OS presence that now it seems like it's a losing battle to have a dog in this fight. But WinMo7 is out there. To me, I can imagine this becoming like the Zune HD: well praised and all, but not making a dent in the market because everyone has already moved on to the iPhone platform.
- Bing: % of market share on track?
- Efficiency: are back to our "we always fire the bottom 10% every review cycle" line of B.S. or are RIFs and layoffs still in effect? Given that the tech market at least seems to be turning around with-respect-to hiring (at least looking at the internal openings in Microsoft and how often I get pinged by recruiters), does Microsoft need to close down on the layoffs loudly and publically for both morale and recruitment's sake?
- iPad iPad iPad! So what, the techie echo-chamber screams for the iPad? I'll be quiet happy with my Kindle for now, just because I do need it for lots of book reading vs. momentary goofing around with apps and browsing. Still, it does extend Apple's reach into the Windows market. What 'cha gonna do about that, Microsoft? How come you never thought of something like this? Or a book reader? You had what and what? Wow...
- Ballmer: seems as though people are questioning Mr. Ballmer's continued CEO-ship. How much longer did he say he's in for being CEO?
Going back to the layoffs: first of all, this round does need to wrap up by end of FY10. The stress of possible layoffs will continue to have a negative effects on Microsoft, let alone recruiting. We should have one last big flush and then call ourselves done. I'm tired of the layoff rumors as much as anyone else. Probably more so, given the comment fear-mongering. To paraphrase a commenter here: Mini-Microsoft has correctly predicted 12 of the last 3 layoffs.
One commenter made a good point in that it is going to take a while to work through the fat, though, because Microsoft dug itself into such a deep, undisciplined hole that when layoffs were needed, no one knew how or where to start and certainly didn't realize how bad it had become.
(later...)
Thanks to the deferral $s, it was a break-out quarter. Some follow-ups:
- Joe Wilcox: Microsoft reports $19 billion quarter, lifted by $1.71 billion deferral Betanews
- Todd Bishop: Windows 7 sales lift Microsoft to record revenue, strong profits and PC Windows sales strong, but other Microsoft units struggle
- Joseph Tartakoff: Microsoft Blows Past Analyst Estimates paidContent
- Mary Jo Foley: Earnings take-away Microsoft is still powered by Windows All about Microsoft ZDNet.com
- Brier Dudley: Brier Dudley's blog Microsoft earnings report includes CFO's hush deal Seattle Times Newspaper
- Nick Eaton: With Windows 7, Microsoft kills Wall Street with record quarter and Breaking down Microsoft's Q2 earnings
440 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 440 of 440"My 5 tips for Microsoft"
Very good suggestions. Especially the one about bringing some wow to enterprise apps. That's the remaining market where the company is strong. If it doesn't reinvigorate the experience there it risks losing that too. Then it's game over. Unfortunately none of them are likely to be implemented. MS is run by people who simply refuse to admit, especially to themselves, that most of what they have been doing for a decade has failed. They’re still convinced that MS is stronger today than in 2000, and that nobody has a broader vision or is better positioned. Even the impending eclipse of the company’s valuation by Apple, a development that would have been considered impossible ten years ago, won’t result in strategic reflection or reassessment. Somehow they’ll convince themselves that it’s an aberration or unrelated to MS, and then attempt to spin it accordingly.
It's almost as if you forgot that I said Apple hasn't innovated, not that it hasn't produced successful products (before iPod Touch, the iPod line was actually feature POOR).
Apple innovated the idea of seamlessly connecting their MP3 player to their innovative new online service that allowed customers to purchase almost any song they wanted electronically for a relatively low price and with relatively lenient DRM.
Innovation doesn't necessarily mean inventing an entirely new gadget or computer sciencey software algorithm. Business practices, user interfaces, industrial and graphic designs, marketing, etc., can all be innovative.
If you are too myopic to understand this then I hope you don't work on a product team.
Since we're talking about unethical behavior let me tell you about my manager and the MS Poll last year. After a morale event filled with boozing, he straight up told us we need to vote high since our jobs were on the line. All team meetings up to the poll date were filled w/ pathetic begging to fluff the numbers and we were constantly reminded that our director has been wanting to close down this remote office for a while. "Let's make sure that doesn't happen." None of us wanted to be unemployed so, we went along with it and had the highest numbers out of all 5 offices. In reality, we couldn't stand the dishonesty and management style of him during the entire FY and were tricked into not revealing the truth. In private, I discussed what happened with several coworkers and managers yet nobody suggested we talk to HR. From my experience, talking to HR is never a good thing.
This year is a different story. No more fluffing. I had a hard enough time with all the dishonestly last year.
"What Apple did was to make those things useable by regular humans."
yeah, MP3 players, SO COMPLICATED before Apple blessed us with that inscrutible wheel that took me 10 minutes to figure out (guess I'm dumb)...face it, Apple makes computer fashion accessories, their UI work generally sucks beyond an immediate surface appeal
I have an iphone that I have a regular urge to bounce off the walls...hoping the windows phone is an improvement but MS has been slipping in recent years so who knows
"Surprised there's been no mention of last week's layoffs. Another 1,000 if I understand?"
Unfortunately it's likely to get much worse. There’s a lot of media discussion right now about Apple passing MS on valuation and what that’s going to mean. One obvious implication is renewed pressure on Ballmer, including questioning his continued leadership and the company’s overall strategy. Shareholders are going to want to know, for example, why MS continues to have headcount equivalent to Apple’s entire workforce deployed in businesses that make no material contribution to MS’s bottom line. The historical justification has been about better positioning MS for the future. But with MS falling further and further behind in the race for tomorrow’s promising segments, that argument is losing its resonance.
Regarding Surprised there's been no mention of last week's layoffs.
I am not aware of any layoffs??
It's almost as if you forgot that I said Apple hasn't innovated, not that it hasn't produced successful products (before iPod Touch, the iPod line was actually feature POOR). You didn't produce an iota of argument to the contrary. You're either a fannish adolescent or just dumb.>>>
I'm neither, dear. But you represent the common experience I had at Microsoft - the knee jerk reaction of diminishing the competition. Microsoft is the GM of technology that collectively dismisses the "hybrid" - in this case, Apple - as a darling little company that innovates and has had a few good hits. News flash - Microsoft has only had two big hits that have brought any money to the table. The stores are a disaster, Xbox is not profitable, Windows 7 is only projected to grab 6% of the smartphone business compared to the Droid and iPhone. You're in trouble. Serious trouble. Wake up, and stop calling those of us who love Microsoft and want those of you still there to make it great again "dumb". You all better get some humility very quickly. And I mean that earnestly. You're in trouble.
there is another lay off just this past February? Where in the orgs? I have left MS back in December.
Another lay off? Has the layoff started reaching Search yet? If not, I think it should.
I worked in Search for 2 years. I did very well. But I didn't like my manager. So I quit. I am glad the stressful days are over for me
Microsoft India to absorb 200 engineers from Yahoo India as part of Microsoft-Yahoo deal signed last year.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/193103/yahoo_india_to_move_over_200_search_engineers_to_microsoft.html
So on Friday iPad goes on sale. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with WSJ's Mossberg calling it a "game changer" and pretty close to "laptop killer". Apple will finally whiz past MSFT market cap with this device, since the margins are going to be juicy.
When will Ballmer realize that even if Apple "loses 95% of the time", they make much more money on their 5% of computer market than Microsoft? I guess they don't teach how to count in MBA schools.
There IS a whistleblower line that ANYONE at Microsoft can use.
-----------------
Yes there is. And if you really feel the need to commit personal and career suicide, go for it.
Trying to help the evil behemoth that exists under Ballmer (I refuse to call it Microsoft) is like diving under the Titanic with the thought that you can somehow single-handedly change an outcome already decided by a mega-ton ship (Microsoft) and a bigger iceberg (Ballmer).
Microsoft is just a machine to crank money for the execs. It doesn't matter who does the cranking: FTEs, vendors, all are befittingly used and thrown as dogs. But to exercise that in a politically correct way, they need to feed a culture that justifies their actions. Reviews are a strong psychological media and competition among employees distracts attention sideways rather than upwards. Why are there be no unions? Managers love to play psychological games, on their own people and with each other.
This iPad thing is representative of how Microsoft's culture not just hinders, but blocks innovation.
Do you recall the UMPC? Basically, a PC, running Windows XP, with horrible battery life and a micro-form-factor.
The code name was 'Origami'.
This was lead by a very small team of people, and pushed out the door quickly. Good people, all.
However, these people were a subset of a larger group targeted to do something that was intended to be the next level entirely. It was canned in favor of Origami. Only those much closer to it than I could tell you why, but the rumor then was that the VP (B.M.) didn't want to spend the money and wait the extended period to release something: To prove his worth as an SVP, he needed something on the market FAST. The result wasn't a market success.
I had heard that the leader behind this - Otto B. - wasn't the happiest man about his vision being cut to pieces. I know I wouldn't have been happy.
The point here is that Microsoft isn't full of stupid people; innovation was there, ideas, concepts, things that Apple has also developed and run with were already prototyped. The culture of 'How many things you ship/unit time = measure of success' vs. 'How successful the stuff you've shipped = measure of success' scuttled Microsoft's ability to own this sector.
(Yes, I've oversimplified a lot here, and am using it only to make a point. MS Corporate Culture is 'wacky' at best.)
Interesting article today on MSN Money about bad boards:
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/CompanyFocus/5-of-the-worst-corporate-boards.aspx?GT1=33002
Among the red flags:
- Allowing directors to do too much business with the companies they are supposed to oversee.
- Letting the CEO chair the board, which is supposed to oversee the CEO.
Well, the chair of MSFT's board is BillG, and SteveB sits on the board also. So who is regulating Steve?
By the way, the author had this disclaimer:
"At the time of publication, Michael Brush did not own shares of any company mentioned in this column."
Perhaps, this is why Microsoft was not in the article?
Surprised there's been no mention of last week's layoffs. Another 1,000 if I understand?
Again, some of those laid off were upwards of 40 and recently had medical problems. Guess I shouldn't be shocked...
Layoff is not a surprise. But it is a matter of who is laidoff. As expected, the people who really worked their lives away are laid off whereas those SLT and those who spend their time playing politics stays.
Regarding the review system, it needs rethinking. I started to feel like MS is running a sweatshop of 21st century.
My personal experience. It's been 6 years at MS as a developer.
First 2 years I worked really hard to gain as much knowledge of product/coding as I can. I was thinking I am too behind my pears. My group has strong performers and each knows what they are doing.
My reviews:
1st year – A 70% - Stock award not significant
2nd and 3rd (E-70). - Stock award ok but still not significant to impact my financial status
Then come 4th and 5th year (E-20%). These are the years when I got some really good stock award. Started to feel like MS pays for the hard work and counting on casing these in next 5 years. But big Oops…
With the re-org and RIF so far now the group is left with all the top performers. No more hiring…
Our GM in one of the meeting opening mentioned that we need to stay on top of our works but in the review he will need to make tough decision and will need to put someone in the 10% as required by the system. He said it will be harder for him this year.
What happen next, internal competition. Our work hours by personal choice were 10 hours + some weekend. Now everybody is working 12+ hours, trying to highlight his or her achievements, mid night/weekend email became common.
So the question sometimes come to my mind,
Is Microsoft running a sweatshop? MS with the review system trying to extract as much as possible from employee?
Sometime I think of finding job outside, but my last 20% which is the first time I received significant future monetary award which I deserve will be wasted. Again MS wins, as MS doesn’t need to pay those awards if I move.
I don’t think I am working more for product or my own knowledge improvement. Everyday I have review thing on the back of my mind and how I can beat the peers. Most of the peers are my friends but with the review system we are now fighting for survivor.
Coming few months I am planning to do my internal review on what I need from life and if Microsoft can provide it in long run. I am not thinking about google There are quite a bit of other companies out there which don’t come into news a lot but they are decent enough to have good life and decent pay/benefits (2 which I worked). Time to evaluate myself. Thoughts.
J
Did not hear a peep about recent layoffs
Don't feel too optimistic about Win Mobile 7. It is still in the honeymoon phase of a VP declaring "everything my predecessor did was wrong, I am doing a reset to fix it and I need a few years and few millions to do it and want to bring my people".
The same tried and tested Microsoft BS that helps people at the top make millions in pointless promotions.
The fake demos with fake data is getting decent press outside but within the org they are getting a free pass only because it is just too top heavy with a handpicked group of Yes Boss saying principals and partners cheering on.Most irritating of them are the handpicked Exchange PMs.
Mr and Mrs Lemson and rest of Exchange clan, sending their idiotic emails without even understanding the technical details in their own email .
Morale among the working devs who are keeping the wheels moving is very low. Only people happy are those handpicked by Terry and the Exchange clan or those who had a sponsor and brought them in from outside and immediately promoted them. Everyone else is overworked but never promoted, especially people who were there in the org before reset are openly denigrated forcing them to move out even if they are working extra hard .
While the exchange west campus can get SLT to keep investing in them for some time, they will loose because they have no real innovation to back their glam. Proof is in the pudding and other than "looks a lot like IPhone", winMo 7 has nothing going on for it.Just look at the developer news groups on it. Devs are just disgusted at complete lack of support the platform has.
Apple just has to release one more phone with new features before winMo ships and this house of cards will come collapsing.
Brooksley Born and the Power of an Opposing Idea
According to psychologists Hillel Einhorn and Robin Hogarth, "we [as human beings] are prone to search only for confirming evidence, and ignore disconfirming evidence." In the case of Ms. Born, it was the 90s, the markets were doing well, the country was prospering; it's easy to see why the powerful troika rejected her disconfirming views.
We like ideas and people that fit into our worldview, but there is tremendous value in finding room for those that don't. According to Paul Carlile and Clayton Christensen, in The Cycles of Theory-Building in Management Research, "It is only when an anomaly is identified—an outcome for which a theory can't account that an opportunity to improve theory occurs."
Whether running a business, government, or our lives, when we encounter disconfirming ideas or people, perhaps they'll just be an annoyance which we can flick away. If we find ourselves more than annoyed—defensive, even dismissive—and we're smart, we'll stay with the people and the ideas that we find so disturbing, analyze the anomaly, and wonder at this disconfirming evidence. So the next time you get that 'one of these things is not like the other' urge to shut someone or something down, why not instead sit down with them and listen.
MSNBC: Apple, Microsoft hit midlife as fresh, frumpy
Frumpy maybe, but Microsoft has "top developers" as described by one of Microsoft's dev managers here:
Top Developer means you have patents, you are a giant throbbing brain and your 14 years of experience is stellar and blows my hair back. That's the kind of Dev I hire -- these people were top in their graduating classes at highly rated programs, they have patents and they will create more patents because they're brilliant. Does this sound like you?
So, suck it, Apple.
Microsoft's denial over Google could spell disaster
morale in microsoft services at the moment is at an all time low.
many people are leaving or are looking to leave.
not a happy place at the moment.
Not sure that this is a surprise to anyone, but BillG has sold 40 million shares in the past 6 months. If the same pace continues he should have no shares left in 6-7 years. Maybe that event will trigger SteveB's farewell party.
I have been following this forum mostly for posts on the 10% bracket since I was placed in it during Sept 09. The slide was initiated in Feb 09 and it has been a year of intense pressure. The M.O in my case and in a few others that I know of is to spend a year gathering proof for legal reasons. Then around the Mid year time frame, terminate the employee.
The system is not kind at all and in most cases people are just terminated irrespective of the qualify of the work.
So if you are in the Windows division and got put in the low 10-20% bucket during Mid Year 2010, you probably have a year before the axe falls. So my advise is to find a new position before the Sept 2010 review.
It seems to me that Microsoft is going to use this method instead of layoffs to cut costs since layoffs affect the filings of Green cards for the potential H1s.
Earlier this week, Apple announced that v.Next of the iPhone software would have multi-tasking.
After Microsoft recently announced that the new Windows Phone 7 series wouldn't.
Can anyone else envision the "I'm an iPhone" "I'm a Windows Phone" ads?
That certain European nation which boasted their regime will last for a thousand years. . . . well, someone in OSD would claim in meetings about that great national heritage and then use that as a stated excuse to break into a vituperative tirade against the rest of the team. 99.99% of the time the rant will be about something which has purportedly tweaked this individual's HUGE ego. After a few times, this behavior has become counterproductive and irritating. While not open but this individual's behavior is bordering on racist narcissism.
Would it help gently asking HR to counsel this individual?
The first Xbox lost, what..4 Billion? The 360 has been, according to the videogame press at least, a huge success. But...I'm looking at the quarterly reports since it was launched and..I'm not seeing it.
Are you looking just at hardware sales or are you including what MS makes on each sold game? I don't think the XBox hardware in itself ever going to pay itself back. Don't think that was the original idea either.
To me this number was always presented as the overall loss of the business unit. That is, loss from hardware sales and other operational cost, plus any profits from licensing and publishing.
(Part 2 of 2)
* Always having to think about career impact
At Microsoft you always have to be careful what you say or do and consider the impact on your career. The slightest mistake heard by the wrong person, or a conversation in a hallway that is "misunderstood" or spun the wrong way can become a huge issue.
* Pay
Microsoft advertises that they pay 75% of what the industry pays, above average pay. But I am constantly told that the normal / expected work week at Microsoft is 50 hours, 25% more hours. Do the math.
* Adjusting expectations
This is my first job where the term managing expectations was used so much discussing projects and telling management how the project was going. "Crock of shit" turns into "a vessel that promotes growth".
* Free drinks
The free drinks in each kitchen are a definite plus saving me both time and money.
* Your ideas
Seeing your ideas implemented is great. But you have to be careful with who you discuss your next fantastic product. If you tell a coworker about your idea, it may end up as "their" idea with no mention of your input. The system is set up to encourage individual stars, not group effort. If you DO submit to something like ThinkWeek and get positive feedback, you will still have to drive the idea forward.
* Positivity
You must never tell management that you have a problem, only a solution or opportunity. If you present problems then you are not seen in a good light.
* Reviews
10% / 70% / 20% have to be subjective, otherwise a superstar team of 10 couldn't rate 10, 70 and 20. If you are in a group of superstars then you might be the one getting the 10% even if in other groups you would be a 70% or even a 20%. And the 10%, 70% and 20% aren't equally distributed across groups. If your manager is not strong your group could end up with more 10% and less 20%.
* No path to help employees maximize their talents
Like many companies, if you have talents that would be better utilized in other areas of the company then it is up to you to find that job. There is no Microsoft way to help you make better use of your talents.
* Decisions are in the employees' best interest, not the companies
Many decisions at Microsoft are "how will this help my career", not how it will best help the company. If a higher up has a pet project that isn't going so well, they will make sure that the feedback about the project that their management hears is all good. Better not be a naysayer or you will suffer.
* Competition inside the company
In some ways the competition between groups might be good, but what I have seen it ends up as destructive to the company. There is no "for the better good of the company", there is only did I win over you, will this help me.
You can argue with any of the above, but this is my experience at Microsoft. Just another job, just another company. Not great, but overall not the worst. Mediocre is a good description. You might ask why I don't attend Lisa B's feedback tour and talk about the above. See the section "Feedback". I don't feel that what I say could be:
* Easily phrased positively
* Won't come back as a negative impact on my career
You could also accuse me of being an anonymous coward. One person that tried to give feedback on the Windows Mobile phone before he left was blasted. CLM. Blasted even from higher level management with rights protected e-mails so he could not share them with others. His feedback was not well thought our or phrased but it was still not taken in the spirit in which it was offered.
I will give credit to the highest levels of management, they recognize that things aren't perfect and have tried to make changes. Unfortunately there is no follow through, I know of a senior director that didn't know what the MEC is.
Thank you for reading and any feedback you may have.
(Breaking into two comments because of 4,096 character limit)
Subject – Just Another Job, Just Another Company
I have been reviewing my career of several years at Microsoft. I started at Microsoft drinking the Kool-aid, thinking that this is the company I would retire from. Over time my attitude has been readjusted. Retiring from a company ended with IBM in the late 70's. Microsoft is a great place to work because its products positively and negatively impact millions of people, but many of my previous work also impacted millions of people. In the end it is just a company. The company has to make a profit and answer to stock holders. Here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of working for Microsoft.
For those that do not have the time to read everything, the LT points are:
* A Microsoft job is just another job
* Microsoft is just another company
Remember the Microsoft mantra – It is not enough that you win; you need to make sure the other person loses. This mantra applies equally to Microsoft competitors and to fellow workers and other groups.
* You are not special
As much as Microsoft wants us all to believe that we are special, we are not. A large number of qualified applicants will apply for your job when you leave. When your project is done you better have your next job lined up, the best you will get is 60 days to find a new job and by then it is probably too late. Microsoft is a business, it is all about the bottom line and payroll is the biggest expense.
* Health benefit
The medical and health benefits are unmatched. The membership to the Pro Club is above and beyond.
* The politics
Anybody that is a M2, M1 or IC is a pawn. You are on a chess board within a chess board within a game. And you are expendable. Ever get the feeling that you do not have the whole truth? Not in the huge "we are being transparent" meetings, but the day to day conversations you have with your management? You probably don't.
* The connector bus
The connector bus is great at saving money, the environment and sometimes time.
* Making sure you shine
Having to always make sure that you look better than others, or at the very least pointing out faults in a carefully phrased backhanded way so that you don't seem negative.
* Cafeteria lunches
Lunch is generally good and relatively cheap. Compared to outside restaurants and the Commons anyway. And of course Microsoft doesn't have 30,000 employees leaving campus wasting time waiting at off campus restaurants for lunch.
* Feedback
Be very careful with feedback. Even if your management is directly asking for feedback make sure that you are not jumping on any hot buttons and consider what feedback they want to hear.
* Towels in the locker room
The fact that we have locker rooms is unusual. The towels in the locker rooms are great.
* Management
The management I have experienced at Microsoft is the worst management in the last 20 years of my career, but others have said that my Microsoft management is average. This is also only the second time in my career I have been obviously and directly lied to by my management.
* Swag
I have two GREAT coffee cups. The swag is OK but has been cut back due to cost cutting measures.
makes on each sold game? I don't think the XBox hardware in itself ever going to pay itself back.
Another round of stealth layoffs happened yesterday. A good frined, and some people from a couple of other groups were given severance packages.
Microsoft layed off ten people a few weeks ago, not 1,000. Do you think any of these products can save Microsof? Microsoft's Desperate Search for a New Market to Dominate
Stealth layoffs in MSN ops last week. Two layers of management were let go.
>>>
One person that tried to give feedback on the Windows Mobile phone before he left was blasted. CLM. Blasted even from higher level management with rights protected e-mails so he could not share them with others. His feedback was not well thought our or phrased but it was still not taken in the spirit in which it was offered.
>>>
BVV?
Some quick question about MYCD. After this mid year discussion, I was requested to complete some survey about FY10 Midyear Career Discussion. I wonder if it means that my result is not good or not related to result at all. Thanks.
Anyone have an update on the status of Craig's legal challenge?
Mini said:
Yes, we realize now that the consumer market is worth pursuing vs. making the IT department happy with limiting features. People find cool technology now outside of work and bring it into the workplace (e.g., the iPhone)
This is a curious observation regarding the company whose software powered those little desktop machines that people dragged into their workplaces to get things done in order to work around the rules of the IT overlords. People have been finding cool technology outside of work and bringing it into the office ever since the Apple II and TRS-80.
I think Microsoft knew this all along, but was seduced by the fact that if they gave big business what they wanted, big business would write them big checks. It was simply easier money to go after in the short-term, and somewhere along the way, that caused a de-emphasis in the consumer market where dollars take more effort to acquire, other than in the E&D space.
They followed that strategy so long that it took the human element (the "cool" factor) out of product design. Software is more than a set of feature checkboxes. And, errr, so is software development.
"So let me get this right. Microsoft lays people off that for thw most part were either redundant or incompetent and then hires them back as vendors (often times paying "more" for their services!!?? WTF?!"
Vendors can be fired for any reason or no reason. Many of them (us) are. Canning an FTE and hiring him back as a vendor converts a fixed cost to a variable cost.
"I have worked with many vendors over the years and have been completely underwhelmed. Generally I feel that they are mediocre at best, with attitudes...."
Again a function of disposability. Nothing like never knowing when you will be fired to sour your disposition. Remember, many vendors were once blue badge, so it's not like we are genetically different.
Ray Ozzie just got cut...
do anybody knows that which company got terminated from Microsoft Vendor Agreement Recently..?
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