Bob Muglia: Microsoft's Newest President
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News Analysis. Microsoft has promoted long-time employee Bob Muglia to president of Server and Tools. The move raises the division's status, along with his. |
The move means perhaps one more president will soon be announced. Bob joins as president Robbie Bach (Entertainment and Devices) and Stephen Elop (Business). But there is no executive of president status responsible for Windows. Microsoft separated the Windows division into two parts in July, when announcing the departure of Kevin Johnson as president.
Microsoft has a reputation for rewarding loyalty and success, and I've often wondered who in the organizational structure prevented Bob's advancement. The Server and Tools business has grown gangbusters under his tenure. The promotion was way too long coming. Bob ranked No. 10 on my early 2008 list of the "25 Most Influential at Microsoft."
Bob joined Microsoft in 1988, and he is one of the more popular executives. Way I see it, and this isn't meant as a criticism, nerd might as well have Bob's name as the dictionary definition. No one could accuse him of being cool, although he shows spunk rising above the stereotype. Bob is a ham, I understand.
Classifications aside, it's success that matters most, and Server and Tools has got plenty of that. The division's revenue grew from $8.48 billion in fiscal 2004 to $13.17 billion in fiscal 2008, with operating income rising from $96 million to $4.6 billion.
The promotion comes as Microsoft goes through its midyear evaluations (fiscal 2009 ends June 30). The question: Will there be at least one additional promotion to president? There should be, and it would be about time. Microsoft created a strange organizational incongruity in November 2005 with the appointment of presidents over the Business, Entertainment and Devices and Platform and Services divisions. But for profit-and-loss reporting purposes, Microsoft has five divisions: Business, Client, Entertainment and Devices, Online Services and Server and Tools. Shouldn't the top-level hierarchy better align with P/L?
Last month, Microsoft picked outsider and former Yahoo executive Qi Lu as president of the Online Services Business. That leaves one more president to come, if Microsoft is to align its organizational and business structures. Could it be Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group? Like Bob, Steven is among Microsoft's senior leadership and there the only candidate truly qualified for the role.
But timing is wrong. Microsoft generally hands out the big Windows promotions after a new version ships, and Steven and his team are still hard at work on Windows 7. That said, the new Windows team has made remarkably good progress indemnifying Windows Vista sins.
Whatever comes next, given midyear reviews and rumors of layoffs, more Microsoft organizational tweaking is near certainty. For now, let me offer a warm congratulations to Bob Muglia.
[Please send your tips or rumors to watchtips at live.com].
Comments (10)
Maybe they're softening him up before the layoff...
Posted by Lawrence D'Oliveiro | January 6, 2009 1:07 AM
"But timing is wrong. Microsoft generally hands out the big Windows promotions after a new version ships, and Steven and his team are still hard at work on Windows 7. That said, the new Windows team has made remarkably good progress indemnifying Windows Vista sins."
We'll fricking see, yeah right.
Posted by Mephisto | January 6, 2009 3:59 AM
@Mephisto
Putting your infantile comment to one side, and the blantant (IMO) piece of half truth propaganda you posted on the last thread, I find it ironic that although you seem to have a pro-MS stance your link to the Blizzard website is quite unfortunate, since Blizzard software runs very well through Wine and Linux, and infact performs better than through native Windows (case 1: World of Warcraft - from personal experience)
Posted by goblin | January 6, 2009 4:02 PM
@Goblin
Coming from you, this means what exactly, you self-proclaimed IDIOT.
Posted by Mephisto | January 6, 2009 7:24 PM
@goblin,
Can you give more details about your experience and recommendations related to the increased performance of running World of Warcraft via Wine vrs. on native Windows? Thanks!
Posted by Philosopher | January 6, 2009 11:31 PM
@Mephisto:
I hope you are able to read this message amongst the plethora of supporting posts youve received!?! but in answer to "Coming from you, this means what exactly, you self-proclaimed IDIOT." Id answer: Not much, but probably alot more than from someone who resorts to posting in a style I havent seen since the days of the school yard, and Id guess even you agree since youve stopped linking to the Blizzard site.
Ill let the other readers decide though. If you need any help thinking of other insults to throw, visit my site. Ive got pointers there.
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@Philosopher:
Yep sure can. For those that know of my site, there is an article there called "World of Winecraft" however in a nutshell comparing WOW on XP to WOW on Ubuntu 8.10 on a 1.8ghz system with 512meg ram, both machines performed identically in terms of framerate, however where Linux excelled was better management of the virtual memory, and unlike Windows, Ubuntu didnt come to a suddering halt everytime you went into a highly populated area.
Posted by Goblin | January 7, 2009 3:51 AM
To Goblin: Do you think that this could explain the behavior of Mephisto...his insults (and his MS' love as well?)
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany have found a genetic factor that affects our ability to learn from our errors. The scientists demonstrated that men carrying the A1 mutation, which reduces the amount of dopamine D2 receptors in the brain, are less successful at learning to avoid mistakes than men who do not carry this genetic mutation. This finding has the potential to improve our understanding of the causes of addictive and compulsive behaviors.
http://www.tfot.info/news/1094/some-people-never-learn.htm
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Posted by Marco | January 7, 2009 1:41 PM
Really he should be named Mephisto A1
It's elegant,is not it?.
Posted by Marco | January 7, 2009 1:49 PM
Great link, and sorry I have not replied earlier. Been incredibly busy with work (and as Joe can confirm by my IP in previous recent posts) have been resorting to mobile phone surfing (my pet hate) in order to post here.
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Will Mephisto make a return? I hope so.
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and what about Andre? I hope he returns as it would be nice to have him clear up the issue of if he attended the PDC or not last year (as per other threads)
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Time will tell.
Posted by Goblin | January 9, 2009 8:32 PM
i have been a victim of fraud and somebody has stolen my email(hotmail) account and password. they have emailed all my contacts for money with a storey that was robbed and need help. they have locked up my email and i cannot access it and change password. all i have is business connections and all they want is money. for the past 4 days i have tried to get help with msn hotmail and or microsft with no help whatso ever but a run around. my next step is the FBI and national tv to get somebody to understand that microsoft will not help and or msn as well. i will on national tv and let the whole world no how much bullshit i have been through. I had a heart attack last year and about to have another one with the stress your people have put me through... so let me know if you care asap.
thanks craig farley
4405543074
Posted by craig farley | February 19, 2009 6:06 PM