Bing Overlord Satya Nadella Promoted to President of Server and Tools at Microsoft

Satya Nadella, the Microsoft exec who has been in charge of its Bing search effort, has been promoted to president of its Server and Tools Business. He replaces Bob Muglia, a longtime exec who was ousted recently in CEO Steve Ballmer’s effort to shake things up at the company and stress the company’s technical expertise.

Nokia's Stephen Elop Didn't Start the Fire–But His "Burning Platform" Certainly Lights One

Memo to tech CEOs everywhere: Now that’s how to write an internal memo. That would be the 1,300-word one that Nokia CEO Stephen Elop apparently penned for employees at the Finnish telecom giant, which inevitably leaked to the media. In it, he uses the harsh but cogent metaphor of a burning oil platform to take a bracing opening shot at turning around Nokia.

News Byte

Microsoft Plugs In Some New Presidents

For those of you scoring at home, it’s time to update your hand-drawn Microsoft org chart. Here are the lineup changes at the presidential level, as announced today: Kurt DelBene becomes president of the Business Division, which includes Office, replacing Stephen Elop, who left to head Nokia. The mobile and gaming units, which had been combined under the now departed Robbie Bach, are independent again, with Andy Lees taking the helm of Mobile Communications and Don Mattrick leading Interactive Entertainment.

Meet Nokia's New CEO: Elop's BoomTown Video (Plus His Vision Quest)!

Just as the chickens always come home to roost, BoomTown always has a video ferreted away of someone who makes it to the bigs. In this case, here is a video interview I did in April of 2009 with new Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, just a year after he had taken over as president of Microsoft’s Business Division.
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Microsoft CFO Liddell Departs (Kiwi-Lovers Mourn); Klein Becomes New Numbers Dude

Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell is leaving the software giant at the end of the year and will be replaced by longtime Microsoft finance exec Peter Klein. A Microsoft spokesman said Liddell wants to pursue jobs beyond his finance role outside the company. BoomTown always enjoyed his adorkable New Zealand accent, even when it was talking econalypse 24/7. I have no idea what Klein sounds like, but he currently serves as CFO of Microsoft’s Business Division, which is one of the company’s largest units.
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Is Microsoft Office Coming to the iPhone? Yes. Didn't You Hear Us the First Time?

Is Microsoft truly committed to bringing its major productivity applications to mobile devices? Of course it is. Will the iPhone be one of them? Absolutely. How can I say that with such certainty? Well, because Stephen Elop, president of Microsoft’s Business Division, hinted at Web 2.0 Expo yesterday that it would be. But more importantly, because Microsoft formally announced it last November.

Is Microsoft Office Coming to the iPhone? Yes. Didn’t You Hear Us the First Time?

Is Microsoft truly committed to bringing its major productivity applications to mobile devices? Of course it is. Will the iPhone be one of them? Absolutely. How can I say that with such certainty? Well, because Stephen Elop, president of Microsoft’s Business Division, hinted at Web 2.0 Expo yesterday that it would be. But more importantly, because Microsoft formally announced it last November.