Why Microsoft Is a Clumsy Innovator

Dick Brass, a former vice president at Microsoft who was briefly the toast of the town about a decade ago for his e-book efforts in Redmond, has an interesting opinion piece in The New York Times this morning. In a rare public expose for a former executive, he talks about why he thinks Microsoft is a "clumsy, uncompetitive innovator."

The primary culprit in Brass' telling is that the dominant product groups (Windows and Office) are allowed to stifle threatening innovation, even when the innovation seems to have the support of top management. He shares some personal examples, including infighting between the Tablet PC group Brass was involved with and an unnamed vice president of Office.

In support of his fairly devastating conclusion, Brass writes, "It's not an accident that almost all the executives in charge of Microsoft's music, e-books, phone, online, search and tablet efforts over the past decade have left." It's a worthwhile read.

Posted by Scott Bekker on February 04, 2010 at 11:58 AM