Microsoft Reorganizes Corporate Structure

[Zanzibar]

This article from Yahoo! business news (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050920/ap_on_bi_ge/microsoft_reorganization) describes how Microsoft has reorganized itself to 'better compete against its rivals':

Under the changes, Ray Ozzie, a highly respected software veteran who came to Microsoft when it acquired his company, Groove Networks, will be charged with helping the company coordinate and improve Internet-based service offerings. These include Windows Update, the company's online tool for issuing security fixes; its MSN consumer online unit, including Web-based e-mail, instant messenger and search technology; and its Xbox Live online videogame service.
Micro$oft is TEH DOOM3D!!11ONE!

[fitbabits]

Micro$oft is TEH DOOM3D!!11ONE!

What does this mean? What language do you speak?

[Taco]

I think he said Microsoft secretly funded the development of Doom.

[Ernst_Jager]

Micro$oft is TEH DOOM3D!!11ONE!

Haha I never get tired of seeing people put a $ instead of a s in Microsoft. Even better is when they replace it in just MS. Now that is some classic trolling that never gets old!

Can't look down on a company that is trying to better themselves. People give Microsoft shit but honestly, I have been more happy with their products than unhappy. Which I probably can't say about very many.

[novicius]

Who cares? Microsoft re-orgs yearly if not quarterly. :rolleyes:

[fitbabits]

I think he said Microsoft secretly funded the development of Doom.

:D Thank you!

[Taco]

This is more of a re-organization than usual. I believe the clusterfuck that is the development of Vista is what spawned it.

[Kelegacy]

Or Google fucking with their profits and stealing their employees.

!Viva la Google!

[Grimgrock]

I think he said Microsoft secretly funded the development of Doom.

...or perhaps he said development of microsoft software is doomed. :)

There's more to say but I have no interest in being accused of trolling.

[fitbabits]

Micro$oft is TEH DOOM3D!!11ONE!

Haha I never get tired of seeing people put a $ instead of a s in Microsoft. Even better is when they replace it in just MS. Now that is some classic trolling that never gets old!

Can't look down on a company that is trying to better themselves. People give Microsoft shit but honestly, I have been more happy with their products than unhappy. Which I probably can't say about very many.
And I thought I was the only one who had respect for Microsoft.

I find it funny/sad how people conveniently forget that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (http://www.gatesfoundation.org) has donated over $28 Billion (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/) to worthy causes.

If you're interested, Bill Gates recorded an interesting piece for NPR's (http://www.npr.org) 'This I Believe'. You can find it here (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4853839).

[Taco]

A little bit. But I read a few weeks ago that this was going to happen and it was because of infighting and decision making issues that has plagued Vista. Balmer was royally pissed.

Part of the change though is to allow them to come up with a new product and get it to the market more quickly. I'm thinking MS is still smarting after Google owned them with Desktop search. That was a wakeup call. Google went to battle on MS's turf and won.

[Nimos]

And I thought I was the only one who had respect for Microsoft.

I find it funny/sad how people conveniently forget that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (http://www.gatesfoundation.org) has donated over $28 Billion (http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/) to worthy causes.

If you're interested, Bill Gates recorded an interesting piece for NPR's (http://www.npr.org) 'This I Believe'. You can find it here (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4853839).

Yeah Bill Gates is a saint and Microsoft is some kind of heavenly church.
Gimme a break. Microsoft is a monolithic organization whose aggresive monopolistic tactics are legendary. Since it's very beginnings Microsoft's policy was : "If you can't beat them, copy them... if you can't copy them, buy them."

[fitbabits]

Yeah Bill Gates is a saint and Microsoft is some kind of heavenly church.
Gimme a break. Microsoft is a monolithic organization whose aggresive monopolistic tactics are legendary. Since it's very beginnings Microsoft's policy was : "If you can't beat them, copy them... if you can't copy them, buy them."
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but that doesn't mean it's right!

Bill Gates has never been canonized, btw.

What about $ony? Defend them if you can. Or any other multinational corporation.

[Kelegacy]

Yeah Bill Gates is a saint and Microsoft is some kind of heavenly church.
Gimme a break. Microsoft is a monolithic organization whose aggresive monopolistic tactics are legendary. Since it's very beginnings Microsoft's policy was : "If you can't beat them, copy them... if you can't copy them, buy them."

I've always enjoyed Sony's products, never had a bad one, but people here hate their living guts. They made gaming what it is today (for better or for worse) but there are practices I don't enjoy about them. I don't overly like Microsoft, but I dont exactly hate them either. It's their business practices that makes me enjoy seeing Google become their official sparring partner.

It's company loyalty that makes you like someone or not. I've not had a bad experience with Sony so I still enjoy them. I love Google and like Microsoft for their catering to the gamer with the XBox...but I'm always leery of MS because of what they could potentially do to gaming if they come out on top. Microtransactions are only the beginning.

[Zanzibar]

My 'leetspeak' was in jest, of course. I'm one of the biggest MS fans here, I was just throwing it because I knew that's what the MS haters would say.

[Ernst_Jager]

I was giving you some shit. The Xbox is still my favorite console to date (of course this is after the mod chip) I have a Sony Wega TV that is the best tube television I have ever owned, of course then again I owned a Sony DVD player that must have been designed in the inner circles of hell. No business is perfect. Hell I know people that know absolutely nothing about computers and bitch about Microsoft and sing the praises of Apple.

[Xerxes]

Maybe MS can get some google on xbox live. Finding games lately is taking to freaking long.

[Voodoo]

I work for a not-for-profit company here in Daytona Beach and Microsoft just about gives us their products (Windows 2003 Standard for $89, Windows XP Pro $18). I used to think of Microsoft as MICRO$OFT until I worked in the NFP sector. We can even get network/server support for very low cost.

[Tennistoad]

Google is just 2 short years away from having a Google os that just works and knows everything you want.

Googlesoft,,,, You heard it here first.

[Taco]

I work for a not-for-profit company here in Daytona Beach and Microsoft just about gives us their products (Windows 2003 Standard for $89, Windows XP Pro $18). I used to think of Microsoft as MICRO$OFT until I worked in the NFP sector. We can even get network/server support for very low cost.

Heh, they don't do it out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it for the same reason they give it to other Governments and schools for free/cheap. To make sure you don't use a competitor's product(Linux). They have a whole budget set aside for this. I'm not bashing them, but that's the truth of the matter.

[RMan]

They have a whole budget set aside for this. I'm not bashing them, but that's the truth of the matter.
That, and it's software, they will get what they can for it. It costs them virtually nothing to supply copies to anyone, and they may even get tax write offs for it.

[Voodoo]

Heh, they don't do it out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it for the same reason they give it to other Governments and schools for free/cheap. To make sure you don't use a competitor's product(Linux). They have a whole budget set aside for this. I'm not bashing them, but that's the truth of the matter.

Exactly correct.

But, if you can, please provide me with a product which runs on Linux and is GPL which behaves like Exchange server. For SQL, there is an alternative... For Office there is an alternative... But for Exchange, unless you are a master Unix email admin, I can't find a great alternative.

Basicly I feel that Microsoft has its place and Linux has its place as does any other OS/App available on the market. But at a not-for-profit where most of the employees have a hard enough time using Windows XP, I couldn't even imagine attempting to have them use a Linux desktop. What an IT support nightmare that would be.

BTW, the Google OS will be called Goose. You heard it here first. LOL.

[Voodoo]

That, and it's software, they will get what they can for it. It costs them virtually nothing to supply copies to anyone, and they may even get tax write offs for it.

Exactly correct. But, then again, you could virtually say the very same thing for any "good will" that any company does in the US or worldwide. Hell, even the not for profits work in this fashion in order to stay in the not for profit realm.

[RMan]

Exactly correct. But, then again, you could virtually say the very same thing for any "good will" that any company does in the US or worldwide.
True, but in this case I'd call it maximizing profits, since it's an IP based product any given sector/territory ultimately pays what it's willing to pay. I'm not trying to demonize them, just saying that to me I'd hardly call it "good will" since I don't think an effort to do good was a motivation.

[Thenetcase]

Actually any company that doesn't reorganize will die. CompUSA reorganizes once a year, Google has reorganized a dozen times. What does this prove? Only that people are still sane in Microsoft... at least a leeetle bit.

[31 Flavas]

Heh, they don't do it out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it for the same reason they give it to other Governments and schools for free/cheap. To make sure you don't use a competitor's product(Linux). They have a whole budget set aside for this. I'm not bashing them, but that's the truth of the matter.Yea, is it any wonder that Microsoft doesn't donate CASH to these "worthy causes" and instead donates Microsoft products? That'd like Anheuser-Busch or Miller donating Beer to Hurricane/Natural Disaster victims. Instead of say, clean water or CASH to Red Cross.

[Achilles]

Heh, they don't do it out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it for the same reason they give it to other Governments and schools for free/cheap. The reason they do that is to increase the minority employee base by educating inner city kids. (I seriously doubt you're going to believe that but it doesn't make it any less true) And individual employees at MS give millions to charity every year through their company, why's it so hard to believe that as a company they like to support NFP agencies and schools?

[Taco]

Listen. I am not doubting they do things for charity. But giving away software is a business decision. Apple did the same thing with Macs in the 80's and early 90's. This is a well established fact.

[h3resy]

Found this on Slashdot:

http://minimsft.blogspot.com/

This guy works at MS and writes about the restructure.