A few months before he’s supposed to step down as the chief executive of Microsoft Corp., Steve Ballmer said company must make sure the personal computer remains the “device of choice” of people.
Speaking candidly at Microsoft’s 2013 analyst meeting, he also outlined four things that the company should do right in order to remain in business.
Earlier this week Microsoft signaled its commitment to produce “many more Windows RT tablets” in the future. The company’s Windows RT and the Windows RT-powered Surface device have suffered for low sales volumes but they have their fans.
Newer RT tablets will likely feature one silicon interface, one API for all the decide and that all apps will be available for the Windows RT line, Terry Myerson, executive president in charge of Microsoft’s operating systems, said on Thursday.
However, Ballmer said that although the tablets are productivity devices they will fragment into smaller, entertainment-focused devices.
Here are the four things that Microsoft should do, according to Ballmer:
Make Office 365 and Azure succeed – New subscription-based services built into Office 365 have prompted more consumers and businesses to opt for an annual fee for the cloud-based service rather than purchase Office products every five to seven years. Ballmer said Azure and Office 365 will be “the most popular paid service” in the enterprise.
Windows PC must remain relevant – Microsoft needs to make it clear to customers that value that PC provide.
Grow Windows Phone’s share of the market – Windows Phone has “almost no share” of the market, said Ballmer. Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia is critical. The company should focus on devices and service.
Sell the cloud – Microsoft should focus in getting business to adopt cloud services and its services like SkyDrive and Office 365 to a point where organizations budget in the expense of having Microsoft manage their data.