Why a comment about Microsoft here? The first reason is because Stephen Ballmer, Microsoft CEO for 2 1/2 years now, issued a memo to the microsofties last week (You can read it here.)
In this memo (entitled "Realizing Potential"), Ballmer said that Microsoft will be a nicer company than before and he delivered the new mission statement for Microsoft.
Simply put, our mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.
The second reason is because it made the Cover Story of BusinessWeek last weekend. And I really enjoyed some punch lines that you'll find here -- out of their context, of course. Here are my favourite lines about a nicer Microsoft.
To rivals, making Microsoft kinder and gentler is like getting a tiger to not only change its stripes but become vegetarian, too.
To Jonathan Schwartz, chief strategy officer at rival Sun Microsystems Inc., Ballmer's statement signals that Microsoft hasn't changed its ways. Ballmer is acting friendly, he says, because "they've committed a few felonies and they're trying to get out on parole."
Anyway, it might happen!
Now, Ballmer feels like he's on the right track. He has lost 52 pounds in the past year. He is tanned and clearly comfortable in his CEO role.
With 52 pounds less, I'm wondering how he'll look like on his next video on Internet. I thought he could have a heart attack in the August 2001 one. If you don't remember "Monkey Boy", you can still see here, but be cautious, it's a 3MB Quicktime movie.
Source: Jay Greene, BusinessWeek Magazine, June 17, 2002 Issue
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