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Nine Reasons Microsoft's Changes Could Bring New Success To The Company

Forbes Technology Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Forbes Technology Council

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Microsoft has long been known for its Windows operating system and its suite of productivity tools under the Office brand, as well as its variety of devices. However, there are big changes on the horizon for Microsoft: It is reorganizing its software and devices business, with the aim of focusing on cloud-related and artificial intelligence applications, as well as shifting the way teams handle products and services.

So what does this change mean for the tech giant? Below, nine members of the Forbes Technology Council offer their analysis on the change, as well as touch on what could have sparked the plans. Here is what they said:

1. New Solutions

This type of change is what paves the way for new products and solutions because the shift opens up innovative thinking and disruptive change, rather than sticking to how the company saw what it did for far too long. It will be exciting to see what they come up with given such a big change. - Chalmers BrownDue

2. AI-First Modality

These changes are a logical and rational move for Microsoft. Windows has long been a client-server asset, now moving toward the cloud. Given Microsoft's cloud- and AI-first modality, it makes sense to rethink Windows in that context. Devices such as Xbox, Surface and Hololens need their own focus, particularly as they are so different from the company's core software and cloud services assets. These changes, in short, will speed the company's path toward its ultimate aims. - Michael GurauThe Beacon Group

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3. More Relevancy

With all the technology companies out there, Microsoft has not necessarily been keeping up with the changes until recently, which signals an understanding that the company must take on a new direction with the software solutions it offers. It's exciting to see what they will do. - Muhammed OthmanCalendar

4. Software Focus

Microsoft has been known as a software giant since inception. They've attempted, for a short time, to reorganize as a product company with Zune, Surface, Windows Phone and Xbox. This strategy has only paid off in certain circumstances. It makes sense they would return to software teams and remove the linkage to products and the devices group. In isolation, these products will diverge from Windows. - Tom Roberto, Core Technology Solutions

5. New Age

Microsoft is taking a very different approach. Instead of looking for growth inside of the Windows ecosystem, they are expanding by supporting every OS out there. This will help them reach a wider audience and will have more people return to Windows OS. You can already see some initial ground steps happening over the last few years, but if they do this right, they stand a chance to really turn the favor in their side, once again. - Dzenis SofticClickbooth

6. More Growth

Just look at Azure and the hosting options Microsoft provides. Splitting this into its own business would be a great benefit to all shareholders. This would allow the Windows, Office and Dynamics CRM brands to effectively grow, but not hold back anything that Microsoft is building with the Azure platform. - Joe DwyerPropelware

7. New Positioning

It’s a smart move. Microsoft understands that cloud and SaaS are the future, especially for enterprise customers, and they’re restructuring to improve their capabilities in those areas. They can’t own hardware in the way that Apple does: The PC market is too fragmented. But they can own enterprise software, and this move will help them allocate resources to cement their domination of that space. - Ben LeeNeon Roots

8. New Microsoft Experience

This recent reorganization offers the opportunity for Microsoft to be more nimble, and also emphasizes their focus to be on the forefront in the cloud and AI. By naming one of the new teams to be "Experiences and Devices," I surmise that it’s a shift from having the “Windows Experience” evolving to becoming the “Microsoft Experience.” - Peter KuangSaatchi & Saatchi Wellness

9. New Opportunities

I’m excited, personally, by the aspect of Windows separating their groups. There is a need for software applications and tools to operate agnostically to reach all users. Microsoft was weighed down previously by a need to move each platform together in parallel. By allowing these groups to untether and connect with new technology, we’ll see a re-emergence of Microsoft product acquisition. - Kyle PretschLucky Band Jeans