Steve Ballmer takes advantage of his last meeting with shareholders to defend his strategy

Today, November 19, 2013,Steve Ballmertook the podium to give his final speech at the annual meeting of shareholders from Microsoft. After 5 years as CEO of the company, he only has a few months left in office, the time it takes for the board of directors to find a replacement for him. In his speech, he took the opportunity to defend the strategy that he has just launched in Redmond.

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Ballmer defended the One Microsoft plan and the products and services the company has developed in recent years. Without referring directly to the rumors that have surfaced recently,Ballmer used his speech to come out in defense of Xbox and Bing as key parts of Microsoft&39;s strategy."

Steve Ballmer bets on his strategy as the right one

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For Ballmer Xbox One is the spitting image of various company products integrated into the same device There are Bing and SkyDrive as an example of what the unified strategy of devices and services that it proposes for the company can give of itself. For the still CEO, Xbox One is a reflection of what is possible when a company, our company, is unified under a common vision. How to leave the console now."

According to Ballmer, the purchase of Nokia will boost Windows Phone and help improve its position in the mobile market.

"Ballmer also referred to the purchase of Nokia&39;s devices and services division. According to his plans, the deal will boost Microsoft&39;s position in the mobile market with Windows Phone. Thanks to this operation and all the services that the company has been developing in recent years, Ballmer believes that Microsoft is in a unique position to promote and define &39;the next big thing&39;."

In the round of questions Ballmer did not get rid of some doubts about this and other purchases made by Microsoft during his tenure. The first question from the shareholders was focused precisely on them, advising to be cautious in spending billions on depending on what deals. Ballmer knows this and took his share of responsibility for the mess to the company's accounts that led to the purchase of aQuantive.

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The last of the questions brought to the fore the valuation of the company&39;s shares. Ballmer believes Microsoft stock is below its true value: Our stock price is 60% higher than when I started as CEO and instead , our profits are three times higher . Ballmer is confident that if the company remains focused on long-term profit creation the share price will rise."

The search for a replacement continues

While Ballmer says goodbye to his duties as CEO, Microsoft's board of directors has taken advantage of the meeting with shareholders to meet and discuss his succession. Although the latest rumors coming from China pointed to an internal candidate like Kevin Turner to carry out a smooth transition, other new ones continue to insist on the arrival of an external leader to Redmond.

Allan Mullaly is the top ranked external candidate, while Satya Nadella gains points among internals.

Allan Mulally remains top ranked among external candidates As reported by All Things Digital, the board is considering placing Mulally in the Market Stall. The current CEO of Ford would have the profile they are looking for in the next Chief Executive Officer, someone capable of guiding the company on the right path and training potential internal candidates who could take the position in the future.

Among internal candidates the name that seems to be gaining the most traction is Satya Nadella, head of the cloud services division and for Microsoft companies. Others like Kevin Turner, Tony Bates or even Stephen Elop would be losing steam since they do not seem to be prepared in the eyes of many within the company itself.

Be that as it may, rumors about the next CEO are becoming more frequent and the same names seem to be repeated over and over again.The board seems intent on selecting a candidate before he is out of the yearand he will most likely be among those nominated

The words of an emotional Bill Gates

The shareholder meeting also had a surprise in the form of an unexpected speech. For the first time in several years, Bill Gates took the floor In a short speech he had time to refer to the search for a new CEO for the company, although without giving no clue or mention any names.The founder of the company did reaffirm the efforts of the board of directors to find the right candidate for the position.

Although the deadline seems to be the end of the year, Gates has not wanted to specify a calendar for the appointment of a replacement for Ballmer either. What he did have were good words for the latter, whom he thanked for his years of service at his side and at the head of the company.

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The two are the only CEOs Microsoft has had in its 38-year history, and Gates has been committed to finding the right person to take over a company he and Ballmer love dearly. So much so thatGates finished his speech visibly moved , assuring that he and Ballmer share a commitment that Microsoft will succeed as a company that makes the world a better place. "

Via | GeekWire | The Verge | All Things Digital