Microsoft has finally chosen Satya Nadella as its CEO,
succeeding Steve Ballmer, who announced his retirement plan four months ago. Microsoft is indeed a fortunate one. Although
it remains cocooned in its own glorious past; it still has the time and loads
of cash to move forward. Unlike the not-so-smart-or-lucky
Nokia and Blackberry, when the ‘smart’ storm swiped, they’ve been blown out.
Yes, just like that!
New Microsoft Chief: Satya Nadella |
Microsoft was born and boomed in the so-called personal
computer era that never meant for personal use, instead fully loaded with
office software. The only widespread of personal functionality was its computer
games. Maybe that’s the perception Microsoft had that sparked the xBox.
Microsoft is a household brand name but its products never actually enter deep
into any household level.
The era that allowed the should-be-stealthy operating system
to charge every computer extravagantly has dwindled when personal computing
power was liberated by smartphones. Microsoft seemed stuck in its Office Suite.
When Amazon stirred a retail industry revolution by
deploying the Internet technology, it sells consumer products that are meant
for everybody. The strategy is crystal clear. But later on when Amazon ventured
into cloud computing, it sells cloud platform that meant clearly for
enterprises, only the meticulous service concept was being brought in.
Cloud or Cloudy? |
In response to the call for change, Microsoft brought in
Nadella, prior to his appointment, was the head of Microsoft’s cloud and
enterprise division. Which means, Microsoft will continue to stick to its office
solutions.
I’ve never underestimated the potential of office and cloud
solutions, but unlike enterprise software solution giant, SAP, I think Microsoft
will never draw a line to step away from producing consumer products. However,
the lack of user-experience DNA in Microsoft would deter them from producing
any great consumer products.
The challenge for Microsoft is clear. The IT industry is now
spoiled with the astronomical choices of fast, cheap, easy to use personal
stuffs that reduce consumer tolerance rate to almost zero. The intolerance
attitude soon will be extended to office and enterprise solutions.
The adoption of cloud computing in enterprise solution is
just good for structural change, but to be successful, the providers have to
rethink and provide solutions that absorb all the superfluous micro-troubles
that they conveniently left for the ‘grumpy-yet-tolerance’ users in the past. That
should be the gist of its transformation.
So, the challenge for Microsoft is clear. And for FingerTec and TimeTec as enterprise solution provider as well, we’ll bear that in mind, and will keep on strengthening our gist of transformation at all times.