calipia : le blog

Steven Sinofsky, le puissant patron de la division Windows de Microsoft, quitte la société, avec un départ effectif immédiatement. Celui que bons nombres d’analystes (y compris nous même) voyait comme le potentiel successeur à Steve Ballmer jette donc l’éponge, seulement quelques jours après le lancement de son bébé : Windows 8.

Celui qui avait redressé la division Windows après Vista et relancé la machine avec Windows 7, ne s’était pas fait que des amis à l’intérieur de la société, en particulier chez ses pairs, lui reprochant à la fois son caractère, son culte du secret, parfois son arrogance, mais surtout sans doute d’être le chouchou des analystes pour reprendre les reines de la société en "visionnaire". Il n’était pas rare d’entendre des réflexions du type "il se prend pour Steve Jobs"…

C’est sans aucun doute, en dépit du caractère du personnage, une grande perte pour Microsoft. On saura sans doute dans les semaines et les mois à venir les véritables raisons de ce départ si précipité (assez rare à ce niveau sans période de transitions de quelques mois).

The Verge a récupéré l’email adressé par Steve Ballmer aux équipes Windows :

Over the past few months we have delivered the foundation for a new era for Microsoft. From Office to Bing to Windows Phone and Windows Azure, to Xbox and of course Windows and Surface and everything in between, we’ve unleashed a huge wave of devices and services that people and businesses love. I simply couldn’t be more proud of the effort you have all put in to get us here and to set the foundation for our future. At the Windows launch in New York, at the Windows Phone event in San Francisco, and again at the Build event on Redmond campus, I was struck that while externally many people look at these events as the finish line, they really represent the starting line of a new era.

As we enter this new era, and with the successful launch of Windows 8 and Surface behind us, Steven Sinofsky has decided to leave the company. Steven joined Microsoft in 1989 as a software development engineer and has contributed to the company in many ways from his work as a technical advisor to Bill Gates, to leading the evolution of the Microsoft Office business, to his direction and successful leadership of Windows and Windows Live as well as Surface. I am grateful for the work that Steven has delivered in his time at our company. Effective immediately, Julie Larson-Green will lead Windows engineering. She will be responsible for all product development for Windows and Windows Live, in addition to Surface. Julie has been a stalwart leader of building compelling “experiences” from her time on Internet Explorer, through the evolution of Office and most recently to the re-imagination of Windows. Her unique product and innovation perspective and proven ability to effectively collaborate and drive a cross company agenda will serve us well as she takes on this new leadership role. All of the current Windows engineering teams will report into Julie, and Julie will report to me. Lire la suite…