The Summer Olympics are still a month away, and the torch relay never got close to Seattle. But another torch was passed in Redmond last Friday, with business implications fully on par with the world's largest sporting event.
Last Friday was the last day on Bill Gates' time card for Microsoft
CEO Steve Ballmer needs his old friend to stick around a bit longer. Microsoft is at a crossroads these days; the old ways of doing business are crumbling to dust, and the way forward is shrouded in darkness.
Sure, we're still putting Microsoft Office and Windows on our computers -- but consumers and businesses have not been too impressed with Windows Vista and keep lobbying for more support for the previous XP version. Google
One answer to that question seemed to lie in Yahoo!
So Bill picked an interesting time to play a smaller role in Microsoft's future. Ballmer needs to pick a strategy, or a basket of strategies, and get moving toward a brave new chapter in Microsoft's history. I don't think he has the luxury of making a whole lot of mistakes anymore, lest Redmond become a large footnote in the annals of business. Show your Olympian chops, Steve. It's now or never.
Further Foolishness: