TechSource: What Tech Lovers Can (and Cannot) Expect from Microsoft's New CEO

What Tech Lovers Can (and Cannot) Expect from Microsoft's New CEO

Posted: 21 Apr 2014 01:35 AM PDT

Microsoft appointed Satya Nadella as their new CEO recently. He succeeded Steve Ballmer to become the third CEO of the company. Being one of the biggest companies in the world, Microsoft chose an internal candidate to undertake the huge responsibility. They wanted someone who knew the company very well and also someone who values Microsoft's vision for the future. And, Satya Nadella was exactly the man they were looking for.

The 46-year-old is an electrical engineer who studied in India before continuing his education in the United States. Working for Microsoft since 1992, Satya took on many roles in the company, his recent one being that of executive vice president of the Cloud and Enterprise group. Many people credit Microsoft's success in the cloud to him. Considered as a "safe choice" by some critics while a deserving successor by many in the tech industry, Satya has a huge responsibility given the company's steady decline.

We, as tech lovers, have a lot of expectations from him. Despite the FOSS community's torn relationship with Redmond, Ballmer's departure was seen as a positive development by many Linux lovers. That's why, we've compiled a list of things we can -- and cannot -- expect from the new CEO.

Things to Expect from Satya Nadella

1. More Focus on Cloud Computing

Satya is a cloud-first guy. His cloud expertise is known even outside of Microsoft. It's highly unlikely that he'll lose focus on one of his (and the company's) core competencies. Expect more cloud-based services rolling out from Redmond in the coming years. Also, we can hope to see many improvements in existing cloud-based services Microsoft provides.

2. New Challenges

Microsoft will explore new markets under Satya's leadership. In fact, Satya Nadella recently announced that Microsoft is trying to build an economy smartphone for emerging markets. In other words, expect some out-of-the box thinking as well as action from Satya Nadella.

3. More Mistakes

Yep, you heard that right. Mistakes are a part of taking brave challenges. Satya Nadella is known to be a lifelong learner who constantly buys books and signs up for online courses. What does this mean for Microsoft? It means that he will go for the bold ventures very few people have thought. For the first few years of his tenure, he'd probably be doing a lot of trial and error and then learning from them.

4. More Innovation

Microsoft is not well known for innovation. Many people in the tech world call them monopolistic copycats. Even the late Steve Jobs once remarked that Microsoft lacked taste. How well is that going to change? We don't know. But given Satya's liking for innovation, we might see some creative products come out of Redmond.

"Our industry does not respect tradition – it only respects innovation." -- Satya Nadella

5. Major Shuffle in Mobile Strategy

The CEO recently announced that he would be focusing more of his efforts on the mobile front. Microsoft is already developing a mobile phone for the developing market. Expect some major changes in Microsoft's mobile strategy. Satya might be able to breathe a new life into Microsoft's mobile business that has barely managed to get the attention its other products get.

Things Not to Expect from Him

1. Microsoft Cozying up to Linux

Though there is a slight possibility of this happening, Microsoft is a company that is steadily going downhill. At this point, they can't afford to take any big risks that would hurt their market share. After all, Linux still is a Microsoft competitor, especially in the server market. We might see a version of Office for Ubuntu, but there is a very slight chance of that happening.

2. Microsoft becoming a role model for honest business

Despite how friendly and charming Satya seems in comparison to the brutal Ballmer, Microsoft still is Microsoft at its core. It's not a communist country run by a single leader that you'd expect a dramatic turnaround of core philosophies in just a couple of years. Microsoft still is, Microsoft at its core. It's a business and it will do anything it needs to do in order to keep its foothold in the marketspace.

3. Making Off-the-wall Comments

Ballmer made some pretty snarky comments during his tenure, going so far as to call Linux a cancer. He was known for his bad temper and his infamous chair-throwing tantrum. Compared to Ballmer, Satya seems to be a very positive and pragmatic guy. It's highly unlikely to see him badmouthing his competitors.

4. Doing the "developers" Dance