Ballmer Tells Microsoft Shareholders a Fundamental Shift is Underway

By David Tobia
October 15, 2012

Microsoft’s impending releases of its Surface tablet and the Windows 8 operating system suggest a fundamental shift in the company’s structure. While Microsoft traditionally worked with hardware partners, its new focus on the Surface tablet signals a renewed sense of autonomy.
“This is a significant shift,” writes Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in this year’s letter to company shareholders. “It impacts how we run the company, how we develop new experiences, and how we take products to market for both consumers and businesses.”
Ballmer stresses the fact that while Microsoft has positioned itself as a premium hardware company, it will still continue to work with partners on CE devices such as PCs, tablets and phones.
Microsoft will focus on building devices for specific needs. Ballmer highlights the Xbox and the Surface as Microsoft-made items that address specific needs in the market. Ballmer explains that Microsoft plans to “‘establish one platform’ around Windows across the PC, tablet, phone, server, and cloud,” reports The Verge.
“While Ballmer doesn’t say whether Microsoft is looking to expand Surface hardware beyond the tablet, it’s a safe assumption that if the brand is successful then it will continue to fuel additional devices in future,” notes the post.
“It truly is a new era at Microsoft,” says Ballmer. “We see an unprecedented amount of opportunity for both this year and the long term… I couldn’t be more excited and optimistic.”

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