Microsoft continues its search for a new CEO, and while there are a few names that are said to be under consideration, some are of the view that the next head of Redmond must be a software genius.
And this is what the president of tech research firm Creative Strategies, Tim Bajarin, said in a recent interview with MarketWatch. Whoever replaces Steve Ballmer at the helm of Microsoft should have software in his or her DNA.
Steve Ballmer, according to some circles, tried hard to push Microsoft towards unexplored territory, often at the expense of its software roots. And this, as Bajarin explained, must change:
“He has to be a software genius as well as a solid manager. He needs to take them back to their roots and manage this dramatic shift to mobile in new ways that puts them on track to grow their role in the only segment of the market that is growing exponentially.”
It can be argued that the software front has been neglected a fair bit at Redmond these past few years. Windows XP was one of best products ever to come with the Microsoft label, but Window Vista was a misadventure upon release, one that was only rectified with Windows 7 later down the road.
For this reason, a CEO with a background, or at least deeper understanding of the software side of things, makes all sorts of sense.
The search for a new leader is on at Redmond. And while there are some who are said to have bigger chances to become CEO, no one is considered favorite to take over from Ballmer as of right now. Microsoft did, however, confirm that it was looking into both internal and external candidates.
