Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will face stratospheric expectations Thursday when he makes his first public appearance since succeeding Steve Ballmer. Here is what we wish to know.

On Thursday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will make his first public appearance since succeeding Steve Ballmer in early February. Microsoft has confirmed only that Nadella will address the intersection of cloud and mobility, but several reports claim the brand new Microsoft leader will make his mark by introducing a product on which his predecessor often perceived to waver: a version of Microsoft Office for iPads.

Given that this kind of product is both a multibillion-dollar revenue opportunity and a possible death blow to Microsoft’s Surface line, Nadella will face enormous expectations when he is taking the stage. But that might was true even supposing commentators weren’t predicting an enormous product announcement.

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Nadella was selected after a six-month search during which numerous candidates were briefly reported as front-runners. If the drawn-out process demonstrated anything, it was that whoever got the job would face impossible scrutiny. Tech visionary, charismatic leader, shrewd businessman, public-friendly brand champion — to fulfill expectations, the brand new boss would have to possess numerous rare traits, any individual of that are enough for the CEO of an easier enterprise.

Nadella is definitely respected and boasts a history of impressive technical accomplishments as a Microsoft exec. He’s one of the crucial principle architects behind Microsoft Azure, which has become the largest pillar within the company’s long-term plans. But will or not it’s enough to assuage the critics Microsoft accrued in the course of the Ballmer era, or to unify the corporate because it executes its “One Microsoft” reorg?

Nadella can have several chances to affect, first at Thursday’s press conference, after which next week at Build, the company’s conference for developers. Listed here are five things to look at as Nadella becomes the general public face of Microsoft.

1. What’s going to Nadella do this Ballmer wouldn’t?
Ballmer’s failure to release Office for iPads have been an extended-running point of controversy, so if Nadella debuts the product he already may have distanced himself from earlier leadership. But let’s get real — it’s not as if Office for iPad was cooked up within the six weeks since Nadella took excessive job. Essentially, Ballmer had already confirmed, albeit in broad terms, that the product was coming. A few of the product’s development occurred on his watch. Nadella gets credit for finally making the move, however the product isn’t necessarily a declaration of bold new leadership.

Office for iPads speaks to major questions Microsoft faces, notably the dissolving bond between the Windows operating system and the main essential software and services. As CEO, Ballmer often seemed determined to guard Windows while also advancing concepts which include Azure and Office 365. But because the ongoing struggles of Windows tablets demonstrate, this balancing act is harder than it sounds.

Azure might become for the cloud era what Windows was for the desktop PC era. Windows isn’t going to disappear overnight, or perhaps over a decade, however it won’t be as sacrosanct because it once was. Given Nadella’s background and expertise, he can be better-equipped than Ballmer to navigate this tricky path. He’ll get his chance at Build, when the corporate is not just expected to bare a Windows 8.1 update, but will even face growing tension over Windows XP’s April 8 end-of-service deadline.

2. Will Nadella unite Microsoft?
As the brand new CEO, Nadella inherits, not just Windows, Azure, Office, and other valuable Microsoft properties, but additionally an organization in the middle of a top-to-bottom reorg. He has excelled at leading engineers but now can be accountable for streamlining among the largest and most complex technology companies on the planet. Microsoft insiders Tony Bates, the manager VP of economic development, and Tami Reller, executive VP of promoting, both recently left the corporate, indicating that Nadella’s core team is shaping up. Still, Microsoft’s challenges involve, not just technology, but additionally company culture and branding. It’s going to take greater than flashy product announcements to bring every thing together.

3. How will Nadella pursue devices and consumers?
Of each of the strategies Nadella describes, people who involve devices and consumers are bound to receive disproportionate attention. Many Microsoft

Michael Endler joined InformationWeek as an associate editor in 2012. He previously worked in talent representation within the entertainment industry, as a contract copywriter and photojournalist, and as a teacher. Michael earned a BA in English from Stanford University in 2005 … View Full Bio

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