BALLMER TO RETIRE FROM MICROSOFT

Final Ballmerism: 'There's never a perfect time, but now is the right time'

Steve Ballmer is leaving identity crisis-hit Microsoft.

The software maker's chief announced his intention to retire from MS within the next year.

He said: "There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time."

Whomever the new boss of Microsoft will be, he or she has a big job ahead of them in forcing the company to swallow a business strategy that wraps itself around devices and services - something Redmond has failed to achieve to date.

Microsoft, in recent months, has undergone one of the biggest restructures in its life as the Seattle-based company attempts to shake off the fact that it is still best known for selling shrink-wrapped packages of software.

The hunt is now on for a replacement and Microsoft said a special committee would direct the transition from Ballmerism.

Microsoft shares are already up nearly 9 per cent as this article is published following the announcement. ®