Microsoft (MSFT +1.29%) CEO Steve Ballmer announced his intentions to retire last week. It's the end of an era for the tech giant. The question for the next CEO is about where to take the company's strategy. Ballmer set up Microsoft for a services-and-devices model, so it could compete with Apple (AAPL 0.29%) and Google (GOOG 0.78%) in tablets and smartphones, but is that the right path? Fool Contributor Travis Hoium gives his thoughts in the video below.
Microsoft Needs a New Start After Steve Ballmer
By Travis Hoium – Aug 30, 2013 at 6:00PM
NASDAQ: MSFT
Microsoft
Market Cap
$3.8T
Today's Change
(1.29%) $6.49
Current Price
$509.78
Price as of November 14, 2025 at 3:59 PM ET
A new CEO could set up Microsoft to be a big competitor in smartphones and tablets.
About the Author
Travis Hoium is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering solar energy, technology, and growth stocks. Before The Motley Fool, Travis was a mechanical engineer at 3M and founded a virtual reality company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.