Another Microsoft Exec Steps Down

Arcanimus writes "On Tuesday, the corporate vice president of Windows Live and MSN marketing, Martin Taylor, announced that he is leaving Microsoft. Just three months ago, Taylor was appointed to his new position to manage the marketing of Windows Live. In his 13 years with the company, Taylor even worked directly with CEO Steve Ballmer."

What did he take when he left

[by Anonymous Coward]

I hope he took his chair!

Interesting...

[Cleon (471197)]

Big shake-up going on at Microsoft. I wonder if this is related to Limbo Longhorn, or if something else is in the works. Change in direction, maybe?

Re:Interesting...

[Dionysos Taltos (980090)]

Yes. I think it's safe to say a change in direction is at hand.

Wired had an article last October which spoke to this.

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,69161,00 .html?tw=wn_tophead_7 [wired.com]

As Microsoft hits 30, critics reel off a list of complaints that sounds like, well, a Microsoft commercial: stifling bureaucracy, frustrating miscommunication, different units working on overlapping technology without adequate cooperation. In short, the very ills Microsoft promises to cure with its software.

...

As it gears up to release a slew of new products, Microsoft is trying to untangle bureaucratic snags with a corporate shakeup meant to get the best ideas to market faster and increase the company's push toward over-the-Internet software and services.

...

Microsoft is facing the classic dilemma that befalls a company that grows from a small startup to a major corporation, said the analyst Garrity. There's really no way to manage thousands of employees without a strong corporate structure, but that structure will inevitably alienate some workers who remember the freewheeling early days.

sinking ship?

[EggyToast (858951)]

Either there's simply more focus on MS this year, or something is up -- why would they all be leaving prior to Vista's launch? Especially all of these "no comment" departures. Gates' reduction in responsibility makes sense, but these other guys seem to be in rather important roles ("head blogger," "exec responsible for Google competition," etc) and are bailing out. I could understand if they had people lined up for these positions, but it seems like they're just leaving.

Re:sinking ship?

[slashflood (697891)]

Xbox Veteran Adds to Microsoft Departure Toll [microsoft-watch.com]...

Re:sinking ship?

[EraserMouseMan (847479)]

"no comment departures" are a result of the HR department giving you a nice sevrance package and, in return, making you sign a document that says you won't comment.

Re:sinking ship?

[joshier (957448)]

They must have been honest in a meeting... *bill gates stands up*.. I'm sorry guys, we decided to face the truth.. vista is a pile of shit, and I for one am leaving.. thank you *bill gates walks out of room crying*

Re:sinking ship?

[jcr (53032)]

why would they all be leaving prior to Vista's launch?

Same reason so many people bailed out of Apple once the scope of the Copland disaster was realized. This was before Apple started talking to NeXT or Be, and it was pretty clear that having Apple on your resume would Not Be a Good Thing once it all hit the fan.

-jcr

Re:sinking ship?

[BasilBrush (643681)]

Or in this case fired. Monday morning being quoted in press releases, scheduled to be in a press briefing ion the afternoon. Monday afternoon escorted from the building. A senior exec with 13 years service. Must have been a very sudden decision, Friday is the traditional day for premeditated firing.

Is this good or bad?

[Theovon (109752)]

As evil as Microsoft is, I've never been able to decide whether or not Bill Gates himself is evil. My suspect, even, that Microsoft's evil behavior is an emergent property of their corporate culture. No one individual person in Microsoft (well, actually, I think Balmer is a nutball) is truly evil. It's like how one termite is insignificant, but a colony of them can destroy an entire neighborhood. :)

Still, a lot of corporate culture comes down from the top. Gates' ambition to have "microsoft products on every computer in every home" turns into overly aggressive business behavior. With him and others going, are things going to improve for the rest of us? Or have any of these guys been keeping others in check, and they're about to get worse?

Re:Is this good or bad?

[Spiked_Three (626260)]

The evil was from the marketing guy jeff raikes (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/jeff/defa ult.mspx). He was from apple. The marketing people (and to some extent the HR people) were the most evil people I have ever worked for or with in my life. No holes barred get the sale no matter who you have to kill attitude.

Raikes perfected the pre-canned answer to every question that gates and balmer soon adopted. Talking to anyone of them is like pressing buttons on a child's speak and spell toy - there is absolutely no thought behind what they say, just pr department approved pre-canned responses.

Gates was a good guy. Balmer is a hot head that is out of his league but because of his friendship with bill and bill's desire to get out of it, balmer has had the lead for a while.

But again, i reiterate, the evil is from the ruthless marketing leadership. Unfortunately they got the job done.

No HOLES barred?

[saleenS281 (859657)]

Exactly what holes did you think should be barred?

Here's a hint: that phrase pertains to fighting, and it's no HOLDS barred.

Re:No HOLES barred?

[spun (1352)]

I like his version better, 'any hole is fair game, no bars on these holes!' That's dirty. I like it. Anyway, the point is moo. You know, like the opinion of a cow. It's "moo."

In other news, noted playwright William Shakespeare was at the beach when he bent over and heard a ripping sound. Convinced he had torn his swim trunks, he asked a companion to look behind and report. "No holes, Bard" was the reply.

Re:Is this good or bad?

[SenseiLeNoir (699164)]

He is a good businesman, and he has done a lot. Microsoft has become the leading Software company and OS. And made himself a lot of money. Yes he may have had monopoly advantage. Yes things are not cut and straight. But Micrsoft is not Enron. Rememeber that.

When Microsoft started, our current "friend", IBM, was considered evil.

Microsoft has done some strange businness practices, but has also helped spawn Linux, Opensource, Firefox, etc. I dont think Opensource would have got even half the amount of exposure had Microsoft not attacked it so vigorously.

SO in the future, in hindsight, we may even THANK Microsoft.

Finally Bill Gates may have gotten most of his fortune through Monopolistic Practises, but hhe has already pledges to give away 90% or more to charity, and as funds. If he does indeed do that, well woudlnt that be equal to the amount of money that he gained from being monopolistic?

If Microsoft were more "fair" as we wish, his fortune would be probably 10% of what it is. So in a way, he is giving away for good causes, exactly what he got through ill gotten gains?

Points to consider

Windows Live

[by Anonymous Coward]

Its obvious why he left. Check his picture - he is quite obviously a vampire, and one of the undead. Putting him at the wheel for something called "Windows Live" means there is quite obviously a conflict of interest.

Jumping Ship?

[ironring2006 (968941)]

Is it just me or does it seem like a lot of people are jumping ship now? Has Microsoft finally spread themselves too thin? Have they become so huge now that they don't even know what to do with themselves under the multiple multiple layers of complexity? Anyone else forsee a large implosion in the foreseeable future? Maybe those that are smart enough realize that they are fighting a losing battle against Google, Linux, and OSS. Then again, they may just to enjoy their million$.

Re:Jumping Ship?

[mqj (949877)]

You are not the only one who thinks that lots of people are leaving.

"...look for several dozen of his closest and oldest associates to leave the company in the next four to six weeks, and look for Steve Ballmer to leave, too, within a year."

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20060615. html [pbs.org]

Not really a big deal

[Moby Cock (771358)]

I suspect that this is not really a big deal. Ray Ozzie likely want to have a chance to set up his own exec staff and this guy does not figure in that plan. I won't be surprised if other folks leave over the next couple of years as the company transitions from Gates to Ozzie.

Re:Not really a big deal

[mrchaotica (681592)]

But according to the article about Gates leaving the other day, that transition has already been in progress for a couple of years. Why does it seem like execs are suddenly leaving?

Microsoft should spin-out branches

[boxlight (928484)]

The best thing that Microsoft could do for itself is spin-out their products into separate spin off companies.

Windows, Inc.

Office, Inc.

MSN, Inc.

Visual Studio, Inc.

XBox, Inc.

The smaller companies would be more nimble and would have to be more competative. They'd be better performers as they wouldn't have the mother organization as a cruch.

boxlight

Sounds more like he was canned than resigned

[Bartman_279 (940580)]

FTFA...

"We have made the difficult decision to part ways with Martin, but we don't comment on personnel matters," the company said. "We appreciate Martin's contributions at Microsoft over the past 13 years."

That doesn't sound like he resigned to go elsewhere, but more like "There's the door, someone grab his badge and escort him out."

We'll probably never know why, but this is Slashdot, so speculation is almost as good as fact.

Tune of the day

[by Anonymous Coward]

(Music is Yesterday, by the Beatles)

Yesterday
All my competitors seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh I believe in yesterday
Suddenly, my head has half the hair that used to be
There's an office chair hanging over me
Oh yesterday, came sudlenly
Why Linux had to come
It wouldn't say
We did Netscape wrong
Now I long for yesterday
Yesterday
Monopoly was such an easy game to play
Now I need to catch up with IP
Now I long for yesterday
Yesterday

Cringely's predictions

[rduke15 (721841)]

Sounds like Cringely may have been right in his last column [pbs.org]:

"So IF THEY DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, [...]look for several dozen of his closest and oldest associates to leave the company in the next four to six weeks, and look for Steve Ballmer to leave, too, within a year."

You gotta wonder

[oahazmatt (868057)]

I wonder if in his announcement, he concluded with: "And all of the friends I've made these past 13 years can still contact me at my new address, [e-mail]."

*sounds of struggling in the background*

"We bolt them down now, Steve."

Re:Incoming Obligatories

[Red Flayer (890720)]

You're late by 4 minutes. The chair jokes are quicker because people don't even have to think to do them, they are done by pure muscle memory. Unless you're positive of getting FP on an MS-exec article, I think you should write: "Cue chair jokes in -1, -2, -3."