If the past two weeks were all about Windows 8.1 Preview, this week was all about Microsoft’s new reorganization. Sure there was a small matter of the annual Worldwide Partner Conference, but this week is ending with all kinds of talk about Microsoft’s massive restructuring.
A rundown of the Microsoft events that mattered:
News of the Week
No bigger news than the official rollout of Steve Ballmer’s massive reorganization plan for Microsoft. The industry has applauded the restructuring, the company is vibrantly moving forward and analysts believe it could not have come at a better time. Expect some fireworks soon.
Hardware of the Week
The battle for processor supremacy on the Windows front is heating up. While Apple designs its own chips, ARM based processors have found success on Android, Microsoft’s flagship operating system is a bit of a wild west. It could all change if Intel rolls out its new Atom SoCs for tablets next month.
Closing of the Week
Another month, another service close down at Microsoft. The technology titan has announced that it will be retiring MSN TV on September 30 and also provided subscribers with relevant information about the closure. You could be forgiven if you thought MSN TV was already retired, so out of frame it is.
Statistics of the Week
Microsoft sure does back up its online division, and for all the right reasons too. Services like MSN and more importantly Bing are the strongest of competitors to Yahoo and Google Search respectively. But it comes at a cost. A recent report revealed that the online division cost Microsoft $10.9 billion since 2005.
Launch of the Week
Ask Steve Ballmer, and he’ll probably confirm that for a devices and services company the next most important thing after devices and services is adequate promotion. And Microsoft seems well aware of this fact, as it launched a new YouTube channel, Sparked.tv to highlight its latest products.
