Nadella should he stay or should he go?

[MikeSo]

Nadella is doing fine, IMO, and the current Microsoft strategy of treating phones essentially as nothing more and nothing less than a 5"+ computing device is a winning one in the long term for the company, I believe.
Microsoft has conceded the "phone market" and know they can't win there. They are now just trying to unify their OS to run on any device, so phone market share become irrelevant for them.
However, while this is good (I believe) for the company as a whole, I don't think it will be great for us as Windows Phone users. We will continue struggling to get apps that the competitors have and phone hardware will be very limited.

So it depends on how you see Nadella's role. Is it to grow Microsoft's overall business and profits? I think he has shown he can do that. Is it to make us get more banking apps? I don't think he cares that much, but we might, if Windows 10 Store pans out the way Microsoft hopes. It's not essential to the overall strategy though.

 

[anon(9738275)]

As a British and Australian Citizen, I'm anglo but less US centric. The population of the USA is 318 million and the global population is 7 billion. Analysts expect a quarter of the worlds population will be using smart phones by 2016. About a quarter of the worlds population don't have access to electricity so obviously not a market that can be reached at the moment but this will change. World population is expected to grow to 8.3 billion by 2030, but the percentage in extreme poverty is decreasing.

So as you can see there is still a lot of potential to grow and Microsoft might do better in the budget area than the premium area that Apple operates in. Iphones aren't going to be bought by people on lower incomes, Apple isn't interested in them.

Satya Nadella is Indian-American, this may give him a less American centric views. As the rise of the middle class in India (1.25 billion people) and China (1.3 billion people) go out to buy smartphones. These people are rapidly moving up the income scale and the world will be different. India particular has a lot of developers too and they will make Apps for the phones their people have.

 

[anon(9738275)]

Also history is an interesting guide. I was a toddler back then so my interpretation might be wrong. But in the 1980's IBM dominated the PC market with their own computers and operating system. Microsoft made an Operating system that could be used on multiple PC system (even bespoke ones built by me). This was a game changer and lead to Microsoft dominating the PC/Laptop market today.

Now we see Apple who only have the premium customers (from a global perspective) and all of their users are locked in like those IBM customers. It's going to be painful for them to leave but history shows that it is possible especially in a rapidly growing market. The true rival is Android, Google seem to have learnt from history and have done a similar tactic to Microsoft in the 1980s by getting all the Phone/Tablet manufacturers on their side (something Apple isn't interested in).

 

[rhapdog]

There is no "changing the direction of the market". iPhones and Androids serve both personal and business needs perfectly.

Exactly what Microsoft and Blackberry said when iPhone entered the market. Windows Mobile and Blackberry served business needs perfectly, and flip phones / feature phones served personal needs perfectly. That is, until the iPhone created a new direction in the market. It only takes looking at history over the last 50 years of computing and technology to understand that the only constant is the "change in what people are looking for" as new tech becomes available.

If the entire computing and electronics industry had that attitude back in the 1960s, we never would have had a personal computing device of any kind, because only businesses needed computers, and those were multi-million dollar mainframe computers that you had to go through an operator to be allowed to use.

Just because what we have now works doesn't mean there won't be a change in the direction of the market. History shows it happening time and time again.

Also history is an interesting guide. I was a toddler back then so my interpretation might be wrong. But in the 1980's IBM dominated the PC market with their own computers and operating system. Microsoft made an Operating system that could be used on multiple PC system (even bespoke ones built by me). This was a game changer and lead to Microsoft dominating the PC/Laptop market today.

Actually, Microsoft made that PC-DOS operating system for IBM. IBM simply licensed it from them and called it PC-DOS. Microsoft continued to market MS-DOS alongside PC-DOS, and made money for every copy sold under BOTH names. IBM had wanted to purchase the PC-DOS and all rights out right, and Microsoft would only allow them to "license" it from them. It's how Microsoft became the behemoth.

It didn't lead to Microsoft dominating it, as they were already dominating it alongside IBM.

Much of what you wrote is correct, though, and history definitely shows how technology will change directions every number of years. Those on top don't stay there indefinitely. Those on bottom can and do sometimes come back bigger than ever. Apple was being told to throw in the towel pretty much because they just couldn't break into a market anywhere. They re-invented themselves and surprised the world. Microsoft is now re-inventing themselves, and once complete, we'll see a rebirth that will be dominate, I believe.

 

[CygnusOrion]

Except MS never sold 900 million flagship devices in 8 years like Apple has.

 

[cracgor]

IPhone and Android were successes because they are good for enterprise AND general consumer. Microsoft is further behind in enterprise than it was with consumers. I am a medical professional and there are basically two half way useable apps on windows. The others have dictating apps, reference apps, calculators, and EMR apps. I'm lucky I'd my hospital even lets me get email on my phone even though it is an Exchange server. Enterprise is a harder sell and it normally puts the phone on peoples' hands so they can see how bad the apps are. The universal apps are not happening. They have been possible for a long time, since WP8. Maybe the only plus for WM10 on enterprise is the users won't waste time on snap chat.

 

[seb_r]

Microsoft is further behind in enterprise than it was with consumers.

It was just the ****** theory that W10M is tailored for business so general consumers have to deal with limitations. MSFT is behind in BOTH.

I am a medical professional and there are basically two half way useable apps on windows. The others have dictating apps, reference apps, calculators, and EMR apps.

Same here. Even simple things like the fact that Word cannot open a .txt file. Or I often get config files (with different extensions) and although they are plain text I cannot open them.

Enterprise is a harder sell and it normally puts the phone on peoples' hands so they can see how bad the apps are.

I dont think many people got convinced so much by using a Windows Phone at work that they get one for their personal use.

The universal apps are not happening. They have been possible for a long time, since WP8.

Can't help those people who really believe in miracles to happen. Since Windows Mobile we hear that the next version will be the breakthrough, gain more marketshare, tons of apps etc.

Maybe the only plus for WM10 on enterprise is the users won't waste time on snap chat.

Probably that is really the only benefit except the integration of Outlook / calendar.

 

[swanlee]

I'm still pissed off about MS losing the BOA and Chase apps. These are my two banks and I cannot upload checks on the mobile website.

MS should have acted on this and literally paid BOA and Chase cash money to keep their app on the Windows store for PC and phones.

Banks are apps that cannot be duplicated by 3rd parties and MS needs to focus and keeping them as they can easily be deal breakers for people.

MS needs to work with all the major banks and get dedicated apps from all of them even if they have to pay them out of pocket.

 

[dlcpa]

I never used anything Apple but my samsung galaxy note 2 has become very unstable even after a factory reset. I am also not happy with the way Android handled office contacts and not synching the categories field from office.

The other day I lost all my calendar events. I had them backed up from when I did the factory reset and they were there after I reloaded them after the factory reset but now they are gone and I cannot get them back in for some reason.

So I don't believe that all is lost for business users. But we have a catch 22 that Microsoft cannot seem to break into and that is getting sufficient Bank apps. That could be the one thing that keeps many people away from Windows Phones. It also looks pathetic! Maybe people don't want to be limited to Wells Fargo and Ally Bank, that has no branches.

Daydreaming that Windows 10 will solve all the problems is a fool's errand. Yes it may be a good answer but you have to be there to use it and if the bank apps aren't there and maybe some of the other apps, nobody will ever know what's in Windows 10. I'm not even sure that the concept of the Windows Phone being a smaller laptop is necessary the answer. Not only that, you're boxing Windows into a corner of the sparse app world. I think interchangeabilty of data, contacts and documents are necessary but no bank apps for Surfaces, that's progress?

If I saw anything new coming from Nadella's Microsoft, even a new Excel and Word with major changes, I'd feel hopeful. I see nothing but an arrogant guy who got his comeuppance and one who's afraid of Apple, unless he wants to do the same thing, expatriate and not pay tax here. if that's true, get him the hell out now. Would any of you buy Microsoft stock now? I see no reason to.

 

[Major Plonquer]

America is not a big market anymore now that the BIG Asian countries are taking the lead. Frankly, few people care about what happens in USA anymore.

 

[editguy]

Nadella's not going anywhere. MS stock is at it's highest level since the late nineties and is on target to surpass that. It's about double what it was when he took over.

 

[Spectrum90]

In big companies, the strategic decision are taken by the board of directors, the CEO executes the plan.

I don't like Nadella as CEO, I don't think he has the abilities for the job.

 

[Weird guy]

Nadella could go , if he can't save windows phone. From past to right now microsoft is not very transparent about their moves. Even they doesn't know what they telling and doing ! Remember that dialoge ? ''Mobile first cloud first '' windows 10 mobile also feels like childs are building up a construction. Focus big on WM or leave Microsoft .

 

[dlcpa]

Major, really, if Americans boycotted Apple, they would get their corporate tax asses back here in a NY minute. America is a standard setter.

 

[dlcpa]

Editguy, it's because of the anticipation of W10 and that's failing because Nadella is a misogynist *** and isn't doing the job to get people comfortable to commit without apps. Not doing that is failing. The Philadelphia 76ers broke their losing steak by beating the Lakers, are they back as a major player in the NBA East, hell no! By the way, all stocks are up.

 

[Pete]

because Nadella is a misogynist ***

Stop with this approach. You can (respectfully) disagree with policy and strategy, but personal insults is sinking to an unacceptable low (regardless of who it is).

 

[dlcpa]

Spectrum, I totally agree. I'm having second thoughts about the 950XL now, because of the lack of bank and business apps. Will I need to carry around my old Galaxy Note 2 for these apps? Years go by and the important app gap never gets better. If the banks are being pressured by Apple not to allow WP apps, go after Apple. What's Nadella there for? Not winning is losing.

 

[dlcpa]

Pete, it goes to his opinion and idea of what Americans are. Do you know what he said about women's salaries? This man is the head of Microsoft, who is not giving prospective WP users what they want and need to commit, so his understanding of US is very important and I believe it's his biggest weakness and failure.

 

[dlcpa]

Pete, the complete product is not there, not until the apps are there. If we don't trust Nadella's ability, then why take the leap in the hopes that the apps will come? If he told us, MS is going to get super aggressive on the banks via the public and against Apple, by informing Americans what they are and what they do to restrict competition, I'd be with him. I don't think he's got that in him.

 

[Pete]

It's not appropriate anywhere on this forum. You created this thread in the Windows 10 Mobile section, so keep things related to Windows 10 Mobile please.