Microsoft remains publicly committed to outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer’s vision. Is that discouraging his potential replacements?

Microsoft usually makes news in the course of the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, however the buzz typically centers on Steve Ballmer or Bill Gates giving a keynote speech that sets the tone for the approaching year’s technology trends. That’s now not the case. Microsoft is playing just a background role at this year’s show, and possible tensions in its ongoing CEO search coming to the fore.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally, who have been perceived as a number one candidate since Ballmer announced his retirement plans in August, is not any longer within the running, in keeping with an AP report published this week. This technically narrows the list of possible successors, but reports continue to signify that power struggles are playing out behind the curtain.

The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 3 that as a minimum some people that were interviewed for the job are concerned they will not be capable to lead effectively (subscription required), as a result of the sway held by Gates and Ballmer, who both hold seats at the Microsoft board. Because the CEO search began, the click has questioned whether the company’s next chief will adhere to Ballmer’s One Microsoft plan, especially its consumer-oriented aspects. Reports have suggested that some Microsoft investors are considering Gates and Ballmer’s influence not just over the choice process, but in addition over the facility of the subsequent CEO to implement significant changes, comparable to redirecting resources toward enterprise products.

[Microsoft moves to reinforce its customer relationship management software: Microsoft Parature Buy: Think Self-Service CRM.]

How this alleged discontent is affecting the choice process remains unclear. Citing a person accustomed to the board’s thinking, Reuters reported this week that Microsoft has narrowed its list to a “handful” of candidates and is just about appointing a pacesetter. However the technology site Re/code, citing inside sources, predicts the method will stretch into February, partly because Gates’s January schedule is packed.

Remaining contenders are thought to incorporate former Nokia CEO Stepehen Elop (who joined the corporate after Microsoft purchased Nokia’s device businesses), cloud and enterprise group vice chairman Satya Nadella, and several other outside candidates.

John Thompson, the Microsoft board member leading the hunt committee, said last month that the corporate will announce its decision early this year. Thompson had previously said the board supports Ballmer’s vision. However, in December, the web site All Things D reported many workers are uncertain if the company’s current leaders will stay once the hot CEO is called. It’s unknown how widespread these concerns are, however the departure of senior leaders would only complicate the continuing reorganization efforts, no matter who’s responsible.

Investors pose another potential complication. Several prominent investors have reportedly expressed misgivings in regards to the company’s direction. ValueAct Capital Management, a hedge fund that bought greater than $2 billion of Microsoft stock in 2013, has garnered particular attention. Microsoft agreed last year to grant ValueAct president G. Mason Morfit the choice to hitch the company’s board in 2014. ValueAct reportedly disagrees with Microsoft’s ambition to construct its own devices, and it remains unclear what sort of influence Morfit would have if he followed expectations and accepted a board seat. It’s likewise unclear how the board would react if the following CEO began departing from the company’s current trajectory.

Microsoft’s partners also are sending mixed signals concerning the company’s future. Recent Windows devices from HP, Acer, and Dell are more attractive and affordable than people who debuted alongside Windows 8 in 2012. But execs at a lot of these companies have spoken critically of Microsoft over the past year. Several also branching out into non-Windows platforms. Some are producing desktops that run Chrome OS or Android.

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich paid some lip service to Microsoft in his CES keynote address by saying two-in-one tablet-laptop hybrids — a main Intel marketing emphasis in 2013 — turns into more common this year. But Krzanich dedicated most of his attention to wearable devices. When he did discuss Windows, most his remarks involved Intel’s “dual OS” plan, which permits computers to interchange between Android and Windows 8 with the touch of a button. The subtext is that, though Microsoft and Intel still depend upon one another, the Wintel years are over. Intel and others within the PC business seem unconvinced that Windows Store touch apps becomes true competitors to iOS and Android, and they are adjusting their bets accordingly.

Michael Endler joined InformationWeek as an associate editor in 2012. He graduated from Stanford in 2005 and previously worked in talent representation, as a contract copywriter and photojournalist, and as a teacher.

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