Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Teflon who wrote (28560)	8/24/1999 9:51:00 PM
From: RTev	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

I know very little about Belluzzo. I don't know much about him either. I must say, though, that I'm delighted by the reaction to him if part of today's jump is because of the rumors of his hiring. I'm delighted by the jump, but a bit baffled by it. My initial reaction was somewhat like that of the Forrester Research analyst quoted in a Bloomberg story posted upstream (#reply-11055686): "Who the hell is this guy? He ran an unsuccessful company for a couple years in an industry that's not related at all," said Bruce Kasrel, an analyst at Forrester Research. "Someone who knows how to build a business around media properties' would be a better choice." That's the dark side. It's hard to see how someone from such a completely different business can come in and help steer that often-rudderless division. But there's a light side as well: Hiring someone as prominent as Belluzzo indicates that Gates, Ballmer, and the others on the executive committees might finally be ready to quit mucking about with the division and let it find and set its own course. What I've read about him in the past two days makes Belluzzo sound like the kind of guy who would be uncomfortable in a role as junior executive subject to the whims of various committees down on the main campus. Despite all the problems they've faced, the folks in RedWest and California have built some excellent web properties. Hiring Belluzzo might mean that they're going to finally have a chance to show what they can do when they're not faced with contradictory mandates from elsewhere in the company.