Microsoft Memos: Ballmer Cloud vs. Gates Internet Tidal Wave
March 5, 2010
What a difference a decade or two makes. Back in 1995, Bill Gates wrote the famed Internet Tidal Wave memo to help turn Microsoft toward the Web. Fast forward to the present, and current Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is trying to recapture some of that old memo magic, this time saying Microsoft is going “all in” with cloud computing. Translation: Ballmer in 2009 sounds a lot like Gates in 1995. But here’s the problem: The VAR Guy knows Bill Gates. And Steve Ballmer is no Bill Gates. Here’s why.
First, The VAR Guy must point out that he respects both Gates and Ballmer. Our resident blogger interviewed Gates multiple times in the 1990s, allegedly for InformationWeek. And yes, The VAR Guy has also met Ballmer multiple times. Both are sharp. But here’s the difference.