TerryMyerson
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Windows chief out as Microsoft reorganizes its business
Microsoft is reorganizing itself to be better-equipped for the future, according to an email sent to employees by CEO Satya Nadella. One casualty of the change is Terry Myerson, who has headed up the company's Windows business for the last five years. His team, the Windows and Devices Group, is essentially being cleaved in two, with hardware and software now handled by different teams.
Microsoft made a version of Windows 10 for the Chinese government
Microsoft and the Chinese government's relationship in the past hasn't been the best. That rocky past makes the news that the pair have worked together on a version of Windows 10 for government computers all the more interesting. It's based on Windows 10 Enterprise, but with a few tweaks. "The China Government Edition will use these manageability features to remove features that are not needed by Chinese government employees like OneDrive, to manage telemetry and updates, and to enable the government to use its own encryption algorithms within its computer systems," executive vice president Terry Myerson writes on the Windows 10 Blog.
Microsoft kills what's left of the old Nokia
Last week, Microsoft sold off what remained of Nokia's feature phone business while Windows Phone's market share slid below a single percent. Now, the company has taken what's clearly the last step in correcting Steve Ballmer's decision to purchase the mobile world's former number one. The Verge has secured an internal memo from Microsoft's Terry Myerson saying that the company will cull 1,850 jobs, 1,350 of which are in Finland. The company has also recorded a $950 million impairment and restructuring charge on its balance sheet, of which $200 million will be severance payouts to those employees.
Lenovo's long-promised Windows Phone might actually arrive
Like a dozing teenager promising to take out the trash, Lenovo's been pledging to build a Windows Phone handset since November 2011. Microsoft, like a patient parent trying to motivate its offspring, has now tried to inspire its partner by giving Lenovo a very public deadline. In a post on the Microsoft Blog, Terry Myerson has revealed that Lenovo will launch its first Windows Phone handset by the mid-year of 2015. The one-line announcement was buried deep in a story about Windows 10 upgrades, but there's a sting in the tail for expectant westerners. Unfortunately, the devices will only be available on China Mobile, but we can always hope that Motorola might see what its new owner is doing and take the hint. [Image Credit: Microsoft China]
New Xbox head Phil Spencer promises renewed focus on gaming across all Microsoft platforms
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the new head of its Xbox division this morning: Phil Spencer, longtime Microsoft Studios leader and Xbox game dude. In Spencer's initial letter to the legions of Xbox owners the world over, his approach comes across as scattershot. See for yourself: "This past year has been a growth experience both for me and for the entire Xbox team. We've taken feedback, made our products better and renewed our focus on what is most important, our customer. Our mission is to build a world-class team, work hard to meet the high expectations of a passionate fan base, create the best games and entertainment and drive technical innovation. As we continue forward, this renewed focus and mission will be a foundational part of how I lead the Xbox program." Given that, our first question to Spencer in a short phone interview this afternoon was one of clarification. With so many aspects of Xbox to oversee, where will he begin? "I'm gonna lead with a gaming focus and making sure that's where we're led. That's the North Star for the organization," he told us.
Microsoft sees future for ARM-based tablets, but maybe not Windows RT
The rest of the industry may have turned its back on Windows RT, but it looks as if Microsoft isn't prepared to ditch the Windows-on-ARM dream just yet. During an analyst call, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's recently crowned software chief, seemed to describe RT as a first attempt, which will be followed up by further devices in the future: "Windows RT was our first ARM tablet(sic). And as phones extend into tablets, expect us to see many more ARM tablets, Windows ARM tablets in the future." Myerson's choice of words, and in particular his reference to phones that "extend into tablets," suggests that Microsoft could be looking to bridge the divide between its smartphone and tablet divisions, and perhaps give Windows Phone a much more prominent role than the much-maligned Windows RT. Indeed, using Windows Phone as a tablet OS, or merging WP and RT, would help Microsoft to unify its various platforms and apps -- something it has talked about in the past and that is actually a key focus of Myserson's work: "... we really should have one silicon interface for all of our devices. We should have one set of developer APIs on all of our devices. And all of the apps we bring to end users should be available on all of our devices." So, who knows, perhaps Windows Phone and RT have a common future? In which case, the idea of Nokia taking charge of this unified drive -- building phones and tablets on the same platform -- would make a lot of sense.
Microsoft EVP: We bought Nokia, but we still love our other Windows Phone partners
Much like how Google bought Motorola Mobility, Microsoft's surprising acquisition of Nokia's devices and services business -- which is expected to be approved by early 2014 -- is no indication that it will cut off ties with other partners in its own little ecosystem. This is emphasized by Terry Myerson, EVP, Operating Systems, on the official Windows blog. "Acquiring Nokia's Devices group will help make the market for all Windows Phones, from Microsoft or our OEM partners," said the exec. "We collaborate with our Microsoft hardware teams in the same way we partner with our external hardware partners... We look forward to building new products together that will provide valuable business opportunity for the ecosystem and enable OEMs." In other words, Microsoft will -- surprise, surprise -- continue to license Windows Phone to other OEMs. Despite this reassurance, we highly doubt the handful of partners left are feeling totally comfortable about the situation.
Mattrick's exit from Microsoft reportedly due to impending executive shuffle
So what's next for Microsoft after the sudden departure of former Xbox chief Don Mattrick to lead Zynga? The move is reportedly related to an executive restructuring that will be announced soon, directed by CEO Steve Ballmer as part of a shift in strategy towards devices and services. Bloomberg sources suggest detailed plans of at least one possible version of the future, putting current Windows leader Julie Larson-Green at the head of hardware engineering for the company. That shift would also give Windows Phone corporate VP Terry Myerson more control over the Windows OS across platforms, and Skype president Tony Bates the lead in acquisitions and developer relations. The report claims Mattrick was a contender for the hardware post before he left, while an earlier Fast Company article tied his exit directly to not receiving an expanded role once all the new seats are filled. The Wall Street Journal has its own speculation over who may take over all things Xbox -- Marc Whitten,Yusuf Mehdi and Nancy Whitten are all name dropped -- but if the rumors are true we could find out who is leading this new direction for Microsoft as soon as next week.
Microsoft's Terry Myerson senses no urgency with iOS, calls Android 'a mess,' says WP8 is most successful in non-subsidized markets
Terry Myerson, who took over as corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Phone division following Andy Lees' departure in 2011, is helping to kick off the second day of D: Dive Into Mobile here in New York City. Right out of the gate, host Ina Fried asked where Windows Phone is seeing the most success. The response? "When you think about the world, there are markets where operators are subsidizing phones, and then there are markets where they aren't. We're seeing the most success in markets where operators are not subsidizing the phone. What happens in the subsidized market -- the market that Apple and Samsung have chosen to focus on -- is that the best innovation happens in the $650 product that's sold for $200. For us, the momentum we're building is with building a phone we can offer for less than $650 [unsubsidized]. Getting to 20 percent share in Mexico or Poland, that's the opportunity." %Gallery-185796%
Microsoft lowers hardware requirements, opens Marketplace to 23 more countries
If there was a theme for today's Nokia keynote, and, by extension, Microsoft's plans for Windows Phone, it's that the OS is being targeted toward lower-spec phones worldwide. The SDK update that'll soon roll out to developers will include an emulator for developers to ensure their apps work on devices like the Lumia 610 that only has 256MB RAM. The company's promising that nearly all apps will work on the cheaper hardware, promising that fragmentation will be kept to a minimum. Any app that runs poorly on the slimmer hardware will be flagged as unsuitable in the Marketplace. Speaking of which, Microsoft has announced it'll be rolling it out to a further 23 countries shortly including China, the UAE and much of Eastern Europe -- increasing the total market reach by up to 60 percent.
Microsoft replaces Andy Lees as Windows Phone head (updated)
AllThingsD is reporting that Microsoft is replacing Andy Lees as head of its Windows Phone division... sort of. It looks like Terry Myerson, who has headed up engineering efforts for the group, will take over many of Lees' responsibilities, though, he won't be inheriting his title. At least not just yet. In a memo seen by AllThingsD, Ballmer announced that Lees would be taking on a new position with the company, though it's not entirely clear what that might be -- describing it only as "time-critical" and "focused on driving maximum impact in 2012 with Windows Phone and Windows 8." (So, it's safe to assume he's not becoming a janitor.) The shakeup isn't terribly surprising, especially considering the CEO's own admission that Windows Phone 7 was not performing as well as expected in the market. The division's interim leader, Myerson, has been with Microsoft since 1997 and previously headed up the team in charge of Exchange. For now he will continue to report to Lees, who will remain the president of the Windows Phone group, even if that is in name only. Update: Microsoft has released the full text of the memo announcing the leadership transition and we've added it after the break. The company also told us that first assuming the responsibilities before the title is standard practice. Andy Lees himself spent a significant period of time as a corporate VP while heading up the Windows Phone division before assuming the title of president.
