Marc Benioff, CEO of Microsoft rival Salesforce, decided to take some big shots at Microsoft's forthcoming operating system, Windows 8.
Speaking to reporters he said the redesigned operating system is going to be the "end of Windows," and it will make Windows "irrelevant." Sean Ludwig of VentureBeat was on hand to record his comments.
Benioff also said he spoke with an executive who happens to be a Salesforce client and she said she wasn't going to move her company to Windows 8. He then wondered aloud whether CIOs would upgrade to Windows 8 or look at other options since traditional computers are less important today than ever.
Treat all of these comments skeptically. Benioff likes to stir things up. He ripped Apple during the new iPad event. He said Yammer sold too soon when it had a $1.2 billion sale to Microsoft. There are more examples, but those are two recent things to give you an idea.
With his Windows comments, he seems to be speaking off the cuff. Plus, people have been calling for Microsoft's demise for years. It's a resilient company that's not going anywhere. Arguably it's irrelevant compared to Google, Apple, and Amazon.
That said, Microsoft is taking a big risk with a radically redesigned Windows 8. We've read mixed reviews of the product, and even some feedback that says it's baffling. However, people hate change. And the initial negativity around Windows 8 could very quickly dissipate once people start using it.
Update: Someone sent this story to Microsoft's head of communications Frank X. Shaw on Twitter and here's his response: "the only word that comes to mind is 'bloviate''.
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