Thank You, Satya Nadella

Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s new CEO, recently published a blog post titled “Bold Ambition & Our Core” that I had the pleasure of reading. My initial reaction can be summed up in one word—FINALLY! This was the thought ringing in my head as I read this post. I have been waiting years (feels like decades) to see that passion and life come out of Microsoft, the kind that only a changing of the guard can produce. Nadella speaks with passion and heart and he couldn’t be more right about Microsoft’s need to rediscover its soul! In a world of innovation, Microsoft has become the company you loved to hate, seen by many as a company that hindered innovation and embraced a legacy way of doing things in the fast changing world of technology. As Google, Amazon, and Apple have flourished, Microsoft seemed to stay flat, fighting to regain its once dominate reputation. As a partner, this impact has been felt, especially in the Silicon Valley where INFINIT Consulting is based.

INFINIT has always been a dedicated Microsoft partner (note our Partner of the Year awards) and a big believer in Microsoft’s products and solutions, however it wasn’t until Microsoft introduced its cloud services that we really began to flourish as a Microsoft partner and leader in our segment and region. That being said, in my eyes and many others Microsoft was still clinging to old ideals and legacy ways of doing business. In a mobile-first and cloud-first world, legacy methods of software licensing, customer segmentation, regional segmentation, and partner segmentation didn’t always make sense, and at times hindered partner’s ability to do business. Nadella’s post is inspiring, as hearing the commitment to innovation, a new way of thinking, and a bringing real change to how Microsoft conducts business and innovates is refreshing!

To say that I am happy to hear that Microsoft has changed its core description of itself from a “devices and services” company to a “productivity and platform company for a mobile-first and cloud-first world” would be an understatement. Microsoft has always been a productivity and platform company, and as a young engineer this is what I did—I implemented productivity and platforms for 100’s of companies of all shapes and sizes—all with Microsoft products and solutions and it was always to increase productivity and build a stable platform to grow on. Even today, I consistently see productivity increase from a business perspective leveraging Microsoft solutions. Take Office 365—I don’t think anyone can say they have a more robust, complete, amazing communications and collaboration suite. Plus the power of Office 365 at that price point is just amazing. I view this as Microsoft getting back to its roots with a full scale, ground up approach to how they will drive innovation in their products.

I love it, I really do, thank you Satya Nadella for the breath of fresh air, it couldn’t have come at a better time for Microsoft or its partners! You can tell that the new CEO speaks from the heart, he brings real passion to the table but it is passion combined with a strong technical acumen and acute understanding of technology today and the technology of tomorrow and beyond.

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