Microsoft turns on corporate charm
InfoWorld | at | by Mike
At a time when financial scandals have left CEOs in the hot seat, Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer on Thursday went on the good corporate citizen offensive and attempted to downplay the company's enterprise agenda. Ballmer and other key executives at a Financial Analysts' day here promised a "more open, respectful" approach as Microsoft pursues a wide-ranging diversification strategy for the 2003 financial year. The plan to grow revenue by up to $1 billion and extend its dominance across a range of businesses, from the enterprise to small business and consumers, was received by analysts with guarded optimism. Microsoft CFO John Connors set the stage on the financial front, describing the $1.2 billion the company expects to invest in the business as a sign of Microsoft's belief that the coming 2003 financial year will see it break away from the competition.