6 things that Satya Nadella has to do right now

The new Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, has a long to-do list covering long-term plans that will take months and years to complete, but there are some things that he could do right now and make a positive contribution to the company and strengthen himself as a leader.

1) Launch Office on iPad

MS Office is one of the most popular software packages, and it has a huge potential market - iPad users. Yes, they can now use Office365, but paying Microsoft's annual tribute is the last thing they would like to do. They just want to buy software, install and use it.

This is a huge opportunity for Microsoft to maintain the popularity of this product among people who intend to get away from using their products. But it does not seem that these people have no alternatives in the form of Google Apps and Apple applications. And it’s hard to say that Microsoft’s “killer” iPad - Surface2, “lures” some users to the iPad (despite the fact that it comes with Office).

It's hard to imagine why Microsoft hasn't done it yet. There are rumors that Microsoft is delaying the release of the finished version for the iPad. Now is the time to release it.

2) Find the answer to the question "Why should I buy devices on Windows Phone?"

So far, no one has found a convincing answer. In the last quarter, the share of device sales on Windows Phone was only 4%, compared with 77% for Android devices and 18% for iOS (according to ABI Research). Although the increase in the share was 104% compared to last year, in absolute terms it is very small.

Since Nadella announced: “Mobility and the clouds are the first thing”, it is important that buyers of Windows Phone phones have access to Microsoft’s cloud services.

In connection with the acquisition of the main supplier of these phones - Nokia - Microsoft, it is important to convey to people that these are devices with good hardware and a convenient interface. The problem is to show potential buyers what to do with these devices. It will become smaller if users can access cloud services (access to documents, mail servers and applications in the cloud, which may be attractive to business users).

The problem is that they do not want to use Windows Phone, unlike Android and iOS. This problem is like the question “What was the first - a chicken or an egg?”: People will buy phones if there are applications for them, developers will write applications if there are those for whom to write them. Nadella needs to somehow break this vicious circle, which brings us to the next point ...

3) Contacting the developers

Nadella was fit enough to do this, given that he led the development teams at Microsoft for many years.
What he can say to developers is based on technical knowledge, and will be more effective than, for example, the famous "Developers, developers, developers ..." Ballmer.

Microsoft urged developers to write applications for Windows 8 even before Windows 8 became available to users, but the efforts were generally insufficient.

Nadella will have the opportunity to contact developers in April, when the company will host the Build Developer Conference in San Francisco. He must make it clear that investing temporary resources is advisable. This is his great advantage over Ballmer. He can speak the language of developers, understand their problems and effectively motivate them.

4) Take advantage of the benefits of Windows 8

Judging by the slow growth in the share of Windows 8 and 8.1, they did not inspire users, and users are in no hurry to buy them, despite the end of the period of support for Windows XP. The proportion of XP users is falling, the proportion of Windows 8 / 8.1 users is growing, but many previous XP users are switching to Windows 7 instead of 8 / 8.1.

For many, it turned out to be too difficult to get used to Windows 8, especially for those using environments that are sharpened by mouse and keyboard. It would not be so difficult for conservative people if it could be easily switched from a touchscreen interface to a desktop one. The simple fact is that for most tasks, a touch interface is not needed. And since Windows 8 was planned to be used both in touch devices and in classic ones, both interfaces should be available.

Microsoft took a step towards this when moving from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, but these steps should be more pronounced.

5) Meet Elop

Nadella was chosen by the CEO of Microsoft, but Elop was not. Since Microsoft also acquires Elop with Nokia’s acquisition, Nadella needs to meet with him and decide if there is a “war ax” that needs to be buried and buried ( an ax, not Elop ).
Nokia and its phones and phablets are a valuable part of Microsoft and it is important for Nadella and Elop to work together. They should develop mobile devices that would satisfy the needs of users, as users switch from PC to tablets, and add to them those features that show uniqueness in terms of “mobility and the clouds are the first thing”.

The Elop team is having difficulty after being taken over by Microsoft. Their chief designer chose not to work for Microsoft and leave the company. Elop doesn't need even more pressure from Microsoft CEO.

6) “Feel” promising developments

Microsoft has development and research in many areas that are not tied to a specific product in a business plan. Nadella needs to figure this out, choose some great features and “squeeze creative juices” with support from the “top”.

Bill Gates spent time with production teams to find nuggets, and he is good, but Nadella himself must find the time for this and demonstrate the importance of these tasks.

The company is often criticized for its conservatism, stillness and non-innovation. And this may be an opportunity for Microsoft to remove such a seal from itself and, perhaps, to bring something really new to the market.

Link to the original in English (6 things Satya Nadella should do right now).