14 DAY TRIAL // Steve Ballmer revealed last Friday that he would be leaving Microsoft in the next 12 months, as soon as a successor is found, even though he recently started one of the most important transformation plans for the Redmond-based tech giant.
No details have been provided on the reasons why Ballmer decided to leave, but analysts continue to believe that it’s the board who decided to get rid of the CEO.
Industry analyst Patrick Moorehead of Moor Insights & Strategy was quoted as saying by TweakTown that Ballmer was most likely fired by the board, as some members haven’t been pleased with the vision he promoted so much lately.
"He was definitely pushed out by the board. They either drove him out or put him in a situation where he felt he had to leave to save face," Moorhead noted.
And such an opinion pretty much makes sense.
Ballmer has refused to provide any specifics on his retirement, but instead pointed out that he discussed with Bill Gates before making this decision. Microsoft’s co-founder is one of Ballmer’s best friends, so it appears that he even lost his support following the latest plans unveiled for the Redmond-based tech giant.
In addition, both Windows 8 and the Surface tablet have been regarded as rather disappointing products, with the latter even causing a $900 million (€780 million) loss due to unsold units.
Whoever comes next needs to continue Ballmer’s vision, the company’s board said hinting that the transformation to a devices and services firm shall continue.
There are no details on who might replace Ballmer at Microsoft’s helm, but the company has already confirmed that it’s looking into both external and internal candidates.
Vic Gundotra, an ex-Microsoftie now working for Google, and Stephen Elop, Nokia CEO, are seen as favorite to take over from Ballmer.