Microsoft’s Ballmer Calls Google One Hit Wonder, Mocks Management Skills & Criticizes Future Growth

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO, spoke at Stanford University the other day, calling Google a one-hit wonder, mocking Google’s personal time concept and calling their growth expectations “insane.”

• Ballmer questions business strategy of Google from Tech World reports Ballmer saying Google is “really just one business, a search and advertising business” and they are “trying to make it into a second one, that’s right and we’ll see how they do.” He then compares how Microsoft has went from PC software, to server software, to Internet Explorer and even the Xbox.
• Microsoft CEO Says Google A ‘One-Trick Pony’ from CBS5.com reports that Steve Ballmer said “a random collection of people trying to do their own thing—that doesn’t create value, in my opinion.” Which, in a sense, mocks Google’s management skills – the same ones that have come up with Google AdSense and many other successful products. Of course, many of the concepts and projects from the 20% time, has also launched some failures.
• Ballmer takes a potshot at Google’s ‘insane’ growth from The News Tribune reports Ballmer saying, “They’re going to double in a year. That’s insane, in my opinion.”

Postscript From Danny: Looking At Microsoft’s Continued Long Game In Search covers similar quotes Microsoft execs have made in the past over the years.