Nadella new Microsoft CEO
February 4, 2014In naming Satya Nadella its new chief at the helm of the company, Microsoft picked a man who'd worked for the firm for 22 years and had been very successful lately in leading its cloud computing business.
That has been a new area of business for Microsoft which has traditionally focused on software installed on PCs rather than on remote servers connected to the Internet.
Analysts said they hoped Nadella could maintain the company's momentum in cloud computing while minimizing the negative impact from Microsoft's unprofitable forays into consumer hardware.
Turning the corner?
The new 46-year-old CEO will have to oversee a lot of catching up as the firm has been late in adapting to developments in the technology industry.
Microsoft couldn't prevent Google from dominating online search and advertizing, and it had to watch Android and other devices growing aggressively, siphoning sales from the company's strengths in personal computers.
While Nadella replaces Steve Ballmer, company founder Bill Gates is leaving his chairman role, with board member John Thompson taking his post. Gates himself will assume a new role as technology adviser.
hg/msh (Reuters, AFP)