Poole Realizes His Unlimited Potential—Elsewhere
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News Brief. The rumors are true: Will Poole, a former Vista bigwig, is leaving Microsoft. But the executive shuffling doesn't stop with him. |
I contacted Microsoft this afternoon and got additional color on Poole's departure. Apparently there was a "recent" realignment in Microsoft's Unlimited Potential group, for which a spokesperson could provide specific timing.
"I can confirm that there is a realignment of UPG under the leadership of Anoop Gupta, corporate vice president, reporting up to Craig Mundie," the spokesperson explained. The spokesperson called the changes an "evolution" and "next step" for the organization.
"Anoop will be taking on an expanded role overseeing his current education organization, our technology policy mission and now, UPG," the spokesperson said. Whoa—and he's hiring! Gupta will bring on two corporate vice presidents to assist with the work.
Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer, has been Unlimited Potential's visionary speaker. Expansion of his role isn't surprising.
"The mission of UPG is one that fits naturally with Craig's charter to develop the long-cycle research, innovation and business incubations that will impact the future of technology and the role it can play in addressing societal needs in areas like health care, education and scientific discovery," the spokesperson explained.
Orlando Ayala, senior vice president for Microsoft's emerging segments market development group, will expand his role and work more closely with Jean-Philippe Courtois, president of Microsoft International. Ayala's role touches sales and marketing and Unlimited Potential, which says loads about the group's business agenda. As I've said before, Unlimited Potential isn't charity, it's business.
Courtois is a major up-and-comer, while Ayala is a major behind-the-scenes player. Courtois ranked No. 15 and Mundie No. 19 on my list of the "25 Most Influential People at Microsoft." The Courtois-Ayala pair-up shouldn't be underestimated. These men have deep sales and marketing experience that Microsoft will need to apply as the American economy slows and the company looks to strengthen overseas sales.
What does any of this have to do with Poole, who had been corporate vice president of the Unlimited Potential group? I guess his vacating his position makes room for one of those new corporate vice president hires. He "will move to a new position working for Craig Mundie," said the spokesperson, but supporting the transition before departing. "He will retire from the company in the fall to pursue philanthropic and entrepreneurial interests."
Poole's departure pretty much marks the end of an era. Nearly every Microsoft executive associated with the Windows Vista launch has left the company. Vista has proven to be a career-ending enterprise, in stark contrast to bygone days when big promotions followed the release of a new Windows version.
I wonder: Would Poole have stayed, if not for those e-mails released as part of the Windows Vista Capable lawsuit? Vistagate isn't over yet.
Comments (11)
What is your idea of success? Vista is so successful, I am seeing it on more and more laptops wherever I go. Its a success Joe, over 100 million installatons? Come on!
Another factor why its not on 300 million PCs yet is the mature PC market, the uncertainty of the economy and strength that is Windows since the release of Windows 2000 and XP in the early part of the decade.
Those two operating systems in particular defined the future of Windows. Stability is a particular case, it just works and the majority of devices and thirdparty software work with XP and to some extent 2000 Professional. Vista was more a Security answer and this in some ways affected both the developer and end user community and is seen as a transition for many to conform to a new model of computing both for development and daily use.
Its a necessary trade off that will pay in the end.
Posted by Andre Da Costa | April 15, 2008 11:13 AM
This is a riot regardless of what anyone thinks of Vista. It's indicative of the American busness mentality, "Bad soldier....now fall on your sword".
The bad press, litigation and consumer pain has to fall on someone's shoulders. The question is will this be legitimate rehab of a weak system at Microsoft or a patch that's just meant to be eyewash? We'll have to wait for Windows7 to find out.
Posted by Nick Woodson | April 15, 2008 11:35 AM
Excerpt from the post: "Windows XP fans don't want it to XPire
Petition drive aims to keep XP as option on new PCs past June 30
By Suzanne Choney"
“Windows Vista has been dogged by the traditional early adopter barriers ... yet the product is ramping toward a normal adoption curve,” IDC Research said in a recent report, subtitled “Windows Vista Momentum Picks Up Steam.”
“The death of Windows Vista has been greatly exaggerated,” the IDC report said. The operating system has “compelling features for consumers and for business users. These features will see acceptance — and potentially love — over the longer term.”
I have written about this many times and no one has ever given me an answer. I am asking, what are these "compelling features for consumers and for business users, features that will see acceptance - and potentially love - over the longer term"? What does Vista do that XP does not or cannot? I have also written before that I have had really no problems or critical issues with Vista. It has run solid, stable, reasonably fast and quite compatible with my hardware and software. But so does XP, and XP does it even faster.
So, no I do not think Vista is horrible, just as I don't think Windows 2000 is horrible, it's just that neither is as good as XP. It's bad enough that there seem to be plenty of people who are having severe problems with Vista, but add to that those who are having few or no problems, but getting nothing more than they would/did with XP, and at a slower pace.
Tom Berber wrote: "Yes, there was a time when XP was considered slow, compared with Windows 2000. But not a year and a half after XP's RTM, and a service pack. And the difference in hard disk footprint and system requirements was nowhere near as extreme as from XP to Vista. And can you tell me what Vista can do that XP can't? Something compelling? Something of real value. I absolutely admit that my PC with Vista works flawlessly. But it does with XP also, just faster."
WHY SHOULD ANYONE UPGRADE TO VISTA?
Posted by Bob Maine | April 15, 2008 4:15 PM
Andre Da Costa : wrote
"Vista is so successful, I am seeing it on more and more laptops wherever I go. Its a success Joe, over 100 million installatons? Come on!"
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Yes tell that to the all new people coming to the Linux forums asking for information on how to install Linux on their new Vista computers so they can do dual boot. People on the Linux forums are asking for information on how to install XP on their NEW Vista computers.
Tell that to the computer repair and computer refurb shops who are doing a brisk business installing XP over Vista.
Tell that Apple, since Vista's release the Mac sales has been up significantly.
Tell that to Linux, who's use is up 61% with no marketing budget, no mass ad campaigns, no brick and mortar distribution chain, and no bombastic pitchman to "WOW" them.
Tell that to the people on the Vista forums who are dogged by endless Vista problems. Vista is so successful that even in the Vista forums people there are doing dual boot with Vista and Linux. You do know there is a Linux and Apple section in the Vista forums!
Tell that to the EePC manufacturer, who's selling those small laptops with Linux and now XP. The pig known as Vista cannot run on one of the fastest growing segments of the market.
15 to 12 % of the worlds computers cannot even run Vista properly. Too bad MSFT was short sighted and myopic to see that 75% of the world's computers cannot even run Vista properly.
Tell that to the all important corporate IT companies (MSFT's bread and butter) who are holding onto XP until Vaporware-7...if it is ever released.
All is not well in the Castle of Redmond, its only a matter of time before the stockholders throw out the people responsible for the Vista mess. Stockholders do not respond well to market losses and huge business blunders. Maybe Ballmer can find a job with Red Hat...lol
Posted by Ralph | April 15, 2008 4:55 PM
Oh my god the Redmond uniblab at Redhat, hell must be freezing over
Posted by TCY | April 15, 2008 7:33 PM
Vistagate is just a manifestation of the greedy and amoral corporate legacy of Bill and Ballmer. Vista failed on many counts because as a product and managed project it hewed to that flawed legacy. The people who should be leaving Micro$oft -- they ought chased out with flails -- are Ballmer and, yes, Bill (he ain't really leaving, you know).
Micro$oft can become a decent company if it can disabuse itself of the control-freek corporate attitude that has long been ingrained into its corporate culture. Un less it does that, the conmpany deserves every failure that befalls it -- and more!
Posted by Maddog | April 16, 2008 3:01 AM
As a small IT shop, I've made a killing "upgrading" XP and XP x64 from brand new vista machines. This month alone, I've done 26 new boxes, 12 laptops; So don't tell me people are loving Vista -- New machines are indeed coming with Vista, but up here, they're not staying that way!
Posted by Douglas S. Taylor | April 16, 2008 11:49 AM
Bob Maine :
WHY SHOULD ANYONE UPGRADE TO VISTA?
Support Ballmer as CEO
Help to MS to avoid the total Vista failure, of course financially speaking(development; 10 Billion)
Help to Ms shareholders (mainly those with more shares)
Prevent the Linux advance or some other alternative.
Help to some shills to get their new notebooks
Help to Bill to does Charity with our money.
Bother yourself.
Posted by Marco | April 16, 2008 12:42 PM
@Marco
What you wrote is probably the absolute truth. And still to this day, I cannot find a single advantage to Vista - for me anyway. I would prefer that Microsoft work on a nice lean updated XP called XP SE. Keep down the bloat, make it fast, make it secure and add a few cool new technologies and features. And not stupid Aero B.S.
Posted by Bob Maine | April 17, 2008 12:37 PM
Bob Maine :wrote
@Marco
"What you wrote is probably the absolute truth. And still to this day, I cannot find a single advantage to Vista - for me anyway. I would prefer that Microsoft work on a nice lean updated XP called XP SE. Keep down the bloat, make it fast, make it secure and add a few cool new technologies and features. And not stupid Aero B.S."
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Actually they did make a nice lean XP, it was supposedly available to Corporate IT. And it was made lean to run on those older Windows 98 type machines .
Microsoft was way ahead of the game with this release and among one of their brilliant releases.
MSFT doesn't have to do anything except re-release this as "Windows Classic" and it could be a really good seller.
They could release it now with hardly any added expense, sell it for like $49. Make it available as a ISO download as well as brick and mortar, so distribution issues and promotion need cost very little. Word of mouth would be all the promotion that MSFT would need.
Recommended requirements
Processor 300 MHz Pentium class processor or higher
RAM 128 MB
Free hard drive space 1 GB
Display 800 x 600 or higher display resolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Fundamentals_for_Legacy_PCs
Posted by Ralph | April 17, 2008 1:44 PM
@Douglas S. Taylor, @Marco, @Bob Maine, @Ralph,
Rarely do I agree with consecutive posts as much as I have yours. Thank you.
May I add, that MS release this on a bootable USB as well as CD/DVD. The later for legacy hardware, the former because I think its coming anyway in future Windows, it's here in Linux distros, so why not try it out in a Windows (XP/supped-up/lean & mean) Classic release.
Mike
Posted by Mike | April 17, 2008 6:40 PM