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Drinking the Kool Aid is not Cool.

Well with the demise of Microsoft's CEO I am being praised for seeing something as if I was the only one who could guess that the disease that had set in to one of the worlds largest sofware companies was somehting unusual. REDMOND, Wash. — Aug. 23, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer has decided to retire as CEO within the next 12 months, upon the completion of a process to choose his successor. In the meantime, Ballmer will continue as CEO and will lead Microsoft through the next steps of its transformation to a devices and services company that empowers people for the activities they value most.  “There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time,” Ballmer said. “We have embarked on a new strategy with a new organization and we have an amazing Senior Leadership Team. My original thoughts on timing would have had my retirement happen in the middle of our company’s transformation to a devices

No prizes for I told you so...

Well I can guess this is not everyones light reading but in Microsoft's Earnings statement the Surface RT seems to have been as much a problem for others. So how many tablets does $900 Million buy? Cost of revenue grew $1.4 billion, or 35%, primarily reflecting product costs associated with Surface and Windows 8, including a charge for Surface RT inventory adjustments of approximately $900 million , higher headcount-related expenses and increased online infrastructure expenses, offset in part by decreased traffic acquisition costs. http://www.microsoft.com/investor/EarningsAndFinancials/Earnings/PressReleaseAndWebcast/FY13/Q4/default.aspx
Culture: An obstacle to success for law firms? Reda Bennani : Consultan t The global financial crisis that truly impacted every economy, made a lot of radical changes in the way businesses operate and generate revenue. Those that anticipated ever-demanding customer needs thrived despite competing in very tough industries. Others however lagged far behind in terms of structuring a business model that understands the realities of the global economy and corporate clients’ behaviour. There is a consensus that many big corporate law firms aren’t built to run like modern businesses. The tough reality is that modern corporations are allocating fewer resources to legal work, and establishing more strict measures to verify the efficiency and productivity of the law firm engaged. This changing environment has penalized law firms, which are already punished by their culture and structure. The Partnership structure aims to look after the partners as the ultimate financial goal. They

Legaltech 2013

Derek Giles: Timeframe Principal Last week A colleague & I attended Legaltech 2013 that was held in an old-looking , soon-to- be restored Hilton in the heart of the big apple. It was quite different from the predicted assumptions that we have elaborated throughout the years. It is easy to get frustrated at times by the gigantic number of vendors that dived into the ever-rewarding e-discovery market, and this unjustified commercialization of the concept. On the bright spot, several practice management systems were introduced to the consultants and techies ….. just to keep things interesting. Some Exhibitors showed great energy and marketed their products in a very attractive way, e.g. Thomson Reuters stand presented a unified picture of the various applications, unlike past years they seemed to be comfortable in their own skin. I firmly believe that after several years of acquisitions, the company is now linking together all the pieces to present  the technology as an act