Steve Ballmer talks Microsoft’s smartphone regrets

Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has opened up about the company’s continued regrets about missing out on the early days of the smartphone.

With Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 platform slowly starting to recoup lost ground on the smartphone leading likes of Google and Apple, Ballmer has revealed that missing out on the first wave of smartphone growth is his biggest regret from his time in charge of the Redmond based company.

“I regret that there was a period in the early 2000s when we were so focused on what we had to do around Windows that we weren’t able to redeploy talent to the new device form factor called the phone,” he said while addressing analysts in Washington.

Re-assessing his tenure as Microsoft CEO ahead of his upcoming retirement, the charismatic company head stated: “That is the thing I’d tell you I regret the most, because the time we missed was about the time we were working away on Vista and I now wish we had our resources slightly differently deployed during that time.”

He added: “It would have been better for Windows and better for our success in other form factors.”

Earlier this summer Microsoft confirmed that Ballmer will step down from his position as Microsoft’s leader within the coming year. While an exact date of change has yet to be set, the software turn hardware creator has revealed that the search for a replacement has already begun.

In a bid to boost its smartphone efforts, Microsoft this month announced it was to buy out the mobile arm of former smartphone giant Nokia.

“It’s a bold step into the future – a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies,” Ballmer said of the £4.6 billion deal.

He added: “Bringing these great teams together will accelerate Microsoft’s share and profits in phones, and strengthen the overall opportunities for both Microsoft and our partners across our entire family of devices and services.”

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Via: Telegraph