4. It's Time For A New Microsoft Icon
Only a moron would suggest that Gates hasn't been an effective leader. But according to some solution providers, Bill Gates role as a business icon at Microsoft has been diminishing for years, and it's time for someone else to step up.
"Gates has been inspiring, but it's time for him to pass the torch. I don't know that it's necessarily Ballmer. I think Ozzie could be more visible and that would be a good thing for the company," said one solution provider who requested anonymity.
"I look at Bill's role as a technology visionary and architect, and I don't see other worlds for him to conquer. He is at the top of the mountain, and I'm not sure there's anywhere else to go," said Jeff Middleton, a Microsoft solution provider and Small Business Server MVP in Metairie, La.
