Executive Leaving Microsoft; Zunetanic’s First Victim?
Feb 1st, 2007 | By James Lewin | Category: Digital Music, iPods & Portable Media Players 
Microsoft has announced that Bryan Lee, the executive responsible for the launch of the company’s controversial Zune media player, will be leaving the company.
The launch of Microsoft’s portable media player is widely viewed as a fiasco, with more polite reviews saying the Zune is a dismal failure, and others just saying the Zune zucks. Microsoft’s official word, though, is that Lee, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s entertainment business, “has decided to retire from Microsoft to pursue personal interests.”
While at Microsoft, Lee worked on development and deployment of the Xbox gaming system, the Windows XP Media Center operating system and the company’s IP-television initiatives.
“I want to extend my thanks to Bryan from the company and from me personally, for all of his contributions to Microsoft,” said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, who hired Lee in 2000.
Lee will remain at Microsoft for a few weeks to assist in the transition. J. Allard, corporate vice president of design and development, will take over full responsibility for the Zune.
As a Microsoft stockholder, of many years, I hope that the Zune Phone is a revolutionary item and is not another example of “want to be” products. However, with the less than impressive ‚Äúwant to be an iPod‚Äù and the “want to be like OS X” operating system just released, I do not hold high hopes for a revolution. Sure, Bryan Lee can be offered as a human sacrifice to the “corporate and Wall Street gods”, but we all know that the lack of innovation by the market leader (based on revenue) runs much deeper and higher than Mr. Lee. Of course, when you are as large as Microsoft, launching a ‚Äúwant to be‚Äù products generates millions of dollars before the buying public becomes the wiser. But, be aware Bill, Steve and Microsoft stockholders … the business graveyard is full of industry giants that were slain by Davids. That is what is great about a market economy … the marketplace always sorts out a winner from the “want to be”.
Mark
Great comments.
Has Microsoft ever been in the business of being an innovator, though? It seems they are more like a Dell, specializing in taking ideas that have proven themselves and then mass-producing them.
I think this is one reason that Microsoft has to spend half a billion dollars to do a product intro….