Microsoft Pri0
Welcome to Microsoft Pri0: That's Microspeak for top priority, and that's the news and observations you'll find here from Seattle Times reporter Sharon Chan.
January 11, 2008 9:37 AM
Raikes departure: The reactions
Posted by Benjamin J. Romano
The announcement of Microsoft Business Division President Jeff Raikes' retirement Thursday caught the attention of the usual suspects. Here's my story on his departure and a short profile of his replacement, Stephen Elop, formerly chief operating officer of Jupiter Networks.
Like me, Mini-Microsoft wondered why, after CEO Steve Ballmer and Raikes praised the deep bench of business leaders at the company -- many of whom were groomed under Raikes himself -- the company looked outside of Redmond for his replacement. "I tell you, if I was a Raikes direct [report], I would seriously be considering whether I was ready for a new challenge, at Microsoft or elsewhere," Mini wrote.
I asked Raikes why Microsoft chose an outsider. His answer, and more reactions, are after the jump.
Raikes, in a phone interview Thursday afternoon, said:
"The key thing is, you know, we're always growing, and so everyone on my leadership team has great responsibility, and they are growing there, and Stephen Elop adds an additional level of skill and experience that I think really helps to complement what my team is doing. Part of the way in which you set the company up for continued growth is you add additional leadership. Sometimes that's by growing it internally and sometimes that's by acquiring it externally. That's always been our strategy, and Stephen Elop, is just a great opportunity for us to add to our overall strength of leadership."
MSFTextrememakeover, like many observers, was caught by surprise by this announcement:
"My initial reaction -- 'Wow!' Didn't see this one coming. Gates, Ballmer, and Raikes have effectively been the top echelon of the company for as long as I can remember. With Gates having already announced his retirement this year, and now Raikes as well, that leaves just Ballmer from the original troika."
Elop "seems to have the right pedigree," the blog continues. The transition period -- about eight months by the time Elop arrives in Redmond -- is "fairly decent." "But Raikes did a solid job with Office and was widely seen as the leading candidate to succeed Ballmer. So combine that with some other recent high level departures, and I don't think the market is going to respond positively to the news tomorrow."
In fact, Microsoft shares are down about a percent at mid-session, but the broader indexes are also in the red, so it's tough to tell how much of Microsoft's decline is a reaction to Raikes.
Posted by ted
11:45 PM, Jan 13, 2008
With Gates on the way out, I guess we didn't need his stunt double anymore. : )
Jul 1, 08 - 11:45 AM
Microsoft buying natural-language search company Powerset
Jun 30, 08 - 05:16 PM
Report: Microsoft to cut Xbox 360 price ahead of big industry event
Jun 27, 08 - 03:52 PM
Gates send-off: Gates has had Ballmer's back from the beginning
Jun 27, 08 - 01:09 PM
Gates send-off: Photos
Jun 27, 08 - 11:48 AM
Gates send-off: Two guys and 90,000 employees

general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Sporting goods
just listed
60" Toshiba Television - $400
An elegant and stately Brickwede orignal corner ca - $499
Antique chair original horsehair stuffed Excellent - $225
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
shopping
events for Tuesday, Feb. 9
- Sweet Tooth Classic at the Tasting Room
- Girl Power Hour
- Winter Sale at Tricoter
- Night of Wine Tasting and Film at Whole Foods
editors' picks
More shopping guides
- Steve Kelley | My treatment of Bedard has been unfair
- Is Washington's tax exemption on bullion a gold mine?
- 747-8 soars smoothly on first outing
- Super Bowl ads: Betty White, Bud Light, big laughs
- Man found shot dead in pickup truck in Seattle
- Sex, drug rumors swirl about N.Y. Gov. Paterson
- Lewis-McChord soldier charged with abusing 4-year-old over alphabet lesson
- Alaska Air dropping Jones Soda beverages, going back to Coca-Cola
- Seattle is first U.S. stop for Picasso exhibit
- Body found in landing gear of NY-to-Tokyo flight
- Seattle is first U.S. stop for Picasso exhibit
- 747-8 soars smoothly on first outing
- City, Vulcan push higher South Lake Union height limits
- Commentary: Microsoft's creative destruction
- Snap out of your photo funk: How to make sense of all those piles of images
- Belltown boulevard could be completed by early next year
- Wine Adviser | Oregon's quality pinots join the bargain ranks
- All You Can Eat | Portage chef Vuong Loc takes Cremant space in Madrona
- Jerry Large | Learning not to copy China
- Rigorous college-prep classes skyrocketing in Washington state

July
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Bill Gates, who last week ended his full-time involvement with Microsoft, was often right. He made a career, a company and an industry by looking over the horizon.



Posted by steveballmer
6:01 PM, Jan 12, 2008
Nothing unusual, I just didn't like him!