Betting Big On The New Frontiers Of High-tech

Exclusive extracts from the chapter: BEYOND THE CLOUD

- Harper Collins

Originally, I thought of this book as a collection of meditations from a CEO in the midst of transformation. As someone both navigating a corporate transformation and creating transformational technologies, my aim was to share these experiences in real time rather than look back on them years later. The Microsoft transformation, of course, is ongoing. In the face of global economic and technological uncertainty, we reset our mission, reprioritised our culture, and built or rebuilt strategic partnerships in order to solidify the foundation of our business. We also needed to hasten our innovative spirit and place new, bold bets. This is what has made Microsoft a trusted tech brand for more than 40 years.

We looked beyond the PC and the server to drive success in the cloud. But we also had to look beyond the cloud. Forecasting technology trends can be perilous. It’s been said we tend to overestimate what we can achieve in the short run, but underestimate what can be achieved in the long run. But we are investing to lead in three key technologies that will shape our industry and others in the years to come—mixed reality, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. These technologies will inevitably lead to massive shifts in our economy and society.