Breaking: Microsoft's Steve Ballmer stepping down in 12 months

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is one of the most polarizing executives in technology today. Since he took over from Bill Gates in 2000, Ballmer has been the exuberant, often bombastic cheerleader for all things Microsoft and while a series of high-profile firings and resignations have resulted in Redmond losing some of its more promising executives in the past three years alone, Ballmer has remained the one constant. This will change a year from now when Steve Ballmer retires from Microsoft.

“There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time,” Ballmer said in the company’s release. In the meantime, Microsoft's board will have to find a suitable CEO to fill the position. Microsoft has seen a tumultous decade where it has lost momentum in key industries where it was once a leader because of the rise of Apple and Google for mobile as well as the sharp decline of PC sales. Steve Ballmer has managed to serve and steward the company throughout some of the more difficult periods for the company.

Hit jump for the full PR from Microsoft.

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Feature: The Basics of BYOD

By Mandi Rogier 

BYOD, or bring-your-own-device, is a new type of policy that’s gaining popularity in businesses across many industries. Nearly every type of business uses technology in some form or fashion, whether it’s a cell phone that keeps account managers in touch with clients or a tablet that helps a designer sketch new projects. BYOD policies allow employees to use their own personal devices for these professional purposes.

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Skype calling on Outlook.com available for North America and UK users

Great news for Outlook.com and Skype users in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, and France: you now have the ability to make Skype video calls from Outlook. Your Skype contacts are going to appear grouped within your Outlook contact list. You just need to install a plugin before you can video call someone. The browsers supported include Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox. 

Source: Outlook Blog

Microsoft retiring Zune Marketplace on Aug. 22

Joining the impending demise of Microsoft Points, the Zune Marketplace is also going to be retired by August 22. Microsoft posted a FAQ on the Xbox site talking about the upcoming changes and encourages its users to use up their remaining points as there would be no use for them past the 22^nd. For future service, Microsoft wants users to turn to Xbox Music and Video.