RE: Raikes to leave Microsoft in September

The post-Bill-era exodus begins! This is not surprising. Bill was a tough competitor (so much so, that Microsoft still hasn't dug itself out from anti-trust troubles – on two continents no less). But there is something almost ruthless about the Steve-Ballmer-and-former-Sam's-Club-leader-Kevin-Turner combo. Walmart and Sam's Club are notorious for brutal business practices. Ballmer is notorious for, well, lots of things. Whereas good old Bill dominated the market the old fashioned way – through monopolistic practices that would have made J.D. Rockerfeller proud, the sneaky scandals surrounding OOXML are just one example of the kind of business practices we might expect to grow under the B/T duo's rule. Will Microsoft be able to recreate its lost image as a cool company with desirable products? Or are they just another CA -- a company far more interested in domination than in creating a valuable user experience. (And in CA's case, leading to jail time for the CEO that succeeded its founder.) Time will tell. The shift of power in high places may mean that the industry won't have to wait long to find out.

Specifically, Microsoft announced Thursday that Jeff Raikes (pictured right, top), president of its business division, would be leaving the company in September and will be replaced by Stephen Elop, the former chief operating officer at Juniper Networks. Raikes follows the resignation of Bruce Jaffe (pictured right, bottom) on Wednesday. Jaffe, corporate vice president in charge of mergers and acquisitions (including the $6 billion aQuantive deal), said he will leave the company at the end of February.

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