20 October 2009 | Author: D. Warburton Search Copywriter

Microsoft looks to restore reputation with Windows 7

Microsoft seems to be playing it safe with a comparatively low-key launch of Windows 7 this week to restore its reputation and avoid the hype that surrounded the launch of Vista in 2007. The reputation of the company's CEO Steve Ballmer is also said to be on the line if the new operating system fails to live up to expectations.

Reuters reports that the Microsoft CEO is taking personal responsibility for Windows 7, and is determined that the operating system will be well received after its predecessor Vista received much criticism for requiring too much computing power, and frustrating users with its security features and incompatibility with older applications.

According to Information Week, Vista was a notable failure in the enterprise market, as many organisations opted to retain the less problematic Windows XP, badly impacting on Microsoft's sales. However, early indications suggest that the reduced hype around the new operating system may be leading more organisations to give it a fair chance, with 18 per cent of respondents at a Windows 7 seminar stating their intent to introduce the system within the next six months and 32 per cent planning to move to the OS within a year.

With his reputation on the line, some critics are questioning Steve Ballmer's suitability as Microsoft's CEO, due to the company's purported failure to live up to promises in recent years and the plummeting stock prices that have seen Microsoft's shares drop in value by 50 per cent since Ballmer first took charge, 10 years ago. Others are defending the CEO, stating that he has performed as well as could be expected guiding a company through the recession.

Morningstar analyst Toan Tran states: "If Windows 7 doesn't do as well as Microsoft hopes, it wouldn't be fair to lay the blame on Steve Ballmer.

"But obviously he's the CEO, and the buck stops with him."

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