Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella: Where Do Channel Partners Stand?
Microsoft this week tapped Satya Nadella, a 22-year company veteran, as its third chief executive in its 38-year history. What do Microsoft's channel partners think about the company's decision?
![Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella: Where Do Channel Partners Stand? Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella: Where Do Channel Partners Stand?](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt2cddeda895b0bebe/65247ca2d2ee24fdb5541b19/nadella2_0.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Microsoft (MSFT) this week tapped Satya Nadella, a 22-year company veteran, as its third chief executive in its 38-year history. Scroll through your Google (GOOG) News (or maybe I should say Bing News), and you'll find various articles covering the new appointment, ranging from what consumers want from the new CEO to how Nadella will be different from former CEO Steve Ballmer.
While all of this speculation is great for the IT industry as a whole, it doesn't voice the opinion of Microsoft's channel partners, leaving our core readers out of the conversation.
That's why we're here. Here's what they had to say.
Computer Solutions East Marketing Manager Prashant Rao
"As an organization, we are excited about Microsoft’s decision on naming Satya Nadella as its new CEO. First, it was a good idea to pick up a respected internal candidate, who has been part of the organization through all tides and ebbs. We surely look forward to be growing as a Microsoft partner under the leadership of Satya Nadella.
"Satya while being humble about his achievements in the company, puts emphasis on innovation, pace and necessity to transform—which are the primary requisites for an organization of this stature.
"As a channel partner we feel the new CEO should take time to strengthen the trust that Microsoft partners put in Microsoft. His efforts toward developing more and more innovative products will be the key to success not only for Microsoft but also its partners."
Strata Information Technology Inc. President Pete Robbins
"I’m excited for Microsoft, and I was really happy to hear him say that he is going to first reach out to customers and partners.
"I liked his comments, 'mobile is everything connected,' 'software is embodied by our devices' and that he recognizes the 'average customer has four devices,' which I read as a continued investment in devices and mobile.
"I hope he also continues to keep engaged and invest in the channel partners."
Intermedia President Michael Gold
"For SMBs and our channel partners, Intermedia provides a one-stop shop for cloud IT services that include many Microsoft products—in fact, we're the world's largest independent provider of hosted Exchange. So we look forward to Satya Nadella's leadership at Microsoft because he's as deeply enmeshed in the cloud as we are.
"Microsoft is licensing its software to service providers like Intermedia, who then deliver cloud services to SMBs and partners. Nadella's appointment reflects the sea change in IT consumption, and we're excited to see where Microsoft goes next."
Iron Cove Solutions President and CEO Patrick Monahan
"I don’t know him, and never met him. I thought Kevin Turner should have gotten the job, he’s a bulldog of a person and Microsoft needs a bulldog!
"Like any major business out there, Microsoft has many challenges. Businesses are fickle, and with the cloud, you can have enterprise applications pretty darn quick up and running.
"I could think of 20 companies that Microsoft could buy to increase their ecosystem overnight, but I don’t have the purse strings. They have to get faster to market. They have to get ahead of the curve development wise.
"Blackberry is a major example of not reading the 'tea leaves.' Microsoft has to get better at reading the tea leaves."
CCNS Consulting Owner Karl Bickmore
"I like that they have picked a talented guy from inside the company. I feel that the Ballmer vision, or lack thereof, has needed an overhaul. I see this move as a positive one that makes the needed change but didn’t go so far outside the box that I would be nervous about radical changes that impact my business adversely. Also, he has a background in engineering management.
"I am hoping that he will be able to bring their mobility offering to be a more competitive solution. The next CEO must keep the mobility and cloud solutions at the forefront and recognize that the channel is there path to widespread adoption.
"I wonder if he is going to be frantically yelling that he 'Loves this Company.' That enthusiasm from Ballmer will be a little bit missed."
Blue Ridge Internetworks co-founder Jeff Carnejo
"As an Intermedia Gold Partner, I build my managed services business around Intermedia's hosted Exchange and other Intermedia-managed Microsoft services. It's a win-win-win partnership: My business and my customers benefit from the best software in the world, supported by the best partner program in the industry.
"So I'm eager to see how Satya Nadella, with his cloud background, will evolve Microsoft's cloud ecosystem to allow me to deliver even greater value to my customers."
Palmetto Technology Group, Inc. Marketing Director Wendy Brooks
"We absolutely think this is the right move! He 'gets' where Microsoft is going with the 'devices and services' strategy and has both the technical chops and the respect of current Microsoft staff to get the ship moving in the right direction. We think that the devices and services strategy is absolutely the right move as technology continues to shift away from just the desktop.
"Being a longtime Microsoft insider may have some drawbacks—but we believe this move will be great for the partner community as well. Nadella knows that Microsoft’s solutions are really only as good as the partners who bring them to life through customer solutions."
Palmetto Technology Group, Inc. Marketing Director Wendy Brooks
"We absolutely think this is the right move! He 'gets' where Microsoft is going with the 'devices and services' strategy and has both the technical chops and the respect of current Microsoft staff to get the ship moving in the right direction. We think that the devices and services strategy is absolutely the right move as technology continues to shift away from just the desktop.
"Being a longtime Microsoft insider may have some drawbacks—but we believe this move will be great for the partner community as well. Nadella knows that Microsoft’s solutions are really only as good as the partners who bring them to life through customer solutions."
Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella: Where Do Channel Partners Stand? Scroll through the slideshow above to find out what Microsoft channel partners are saying about the company's new CEO.
Note: Did these channel partners miss something? If you're a Microsoft channel partner and would like to provide your input, send an email to The VAR Guy Associate Editor CJ Arlotta at cj.arlotta [at] penton.com with your 2 cents. Who knows? Maybe it will make the slideshow.
Follow CJ Arlotta on Twitter @cjarlotta for further updates on the story above.
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