Microsoft reportedly blocked data center guru's move to Apple

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Microsoft allegedly blocked its former data center manager from joining Apple after reportedly being hired by the company in April to oversee iCloud operations.



In a report released on Friday, sources close to the situation revealed that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer allegedly threatened legal action against Apple if the company went through with the reported hiring away of data center chief Kevin Timmons, according to Business Insider.



Timmons was unhappy working in Redmond and wanted badly to return to California, reportedly asking Apple for a job by offering a plan to lower the operating cost of its existing data centers. He was asked to stay by his bosses and co-workers at Microsoft, but "had an attitude" when Ballmer finally talked with him about the situation, said a Business Insider source.



Although Apple liked the pitch and agreed to hire the data guru, a rumored call from Ballmer threatening legal action ended Timmons' would-be deal.



It was reported earlier this year that Timmons had been hired by Apple in April and was thought to have been tapped to oversee Apple's iCloud at the company's North Carolina data center. But when the service rolled out on Oct. 12 there was no sign that Timmons had worked on the project. Five days later it was revealed that Timmons took a job as the new CTO of CyrusOne, an enterprise data center solutions provider owned by Cincinnati Bell.



Meanwhile, Apple appears to have hired hired Scott Noteboom, Yahoo's former vice president of data center engineering. According to his LinkedIn profile, Noteboom has been listed as a "Distinguished Gentleman" at Apple as of October.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 36
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    Apple doesn't really need gurus. They need revolutionist.
  • Reply 2 of 36
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post


    Apple doesn't really need gurus. They need revolutionist.



    Guru is more in keeping with Steve's Buddhist philosophies. Revolution has negative connotations - evolution is more palatable and more consistent with Apples measured, well thought out, and steady improvement methodology. Building upon success usually works better than tearing down and replacing, just look at HP or Netflix as a current example of what not to do.
  • Reply 3 of 36
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Guru is more in keeping with Steve's Buddhist philosophies. Revolution has negative connotations - evolution is more palatable and more consistent with Apples measured, well thought out, and steady improvement methodology. Building upon success usually works better than tearing down and replacing, just look at HP or Netflix as a current example of what not to do.



    So at the celebrating Steve event they called him a revolutionist and a rebel and other things. I guess they were wrong as well?
  • Reply 4 of 36
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post


    So at the celebrating Steve event they called him a revolutionist and a rebel and other things. I guess they were wrong as well?



    No those were his character flaws. Some might call them attributes but I think once he returned to Apple he understood that radical has to be tempered with practical to be successful.
  • Reply 5 of 36
    freerangefreerange Posts: 1,597member
    Come on guys. Let's not over think this! There is no question that Steve was a revolutionary, and led the company to develop revolutionary products. But he was also a guru in leading the company, and building and mentoring the team.



    Balmer on the other hand, monkey-boy. Spoiled little brat that throws temper tantrums with a slash and burn mentality.
  • Reply 6 of 36
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FreeRange View Post


    Come on guys. Let's not over think this! There is no question that Steve was a revolutionary, and led the company to develop revolutionary products. But he was also a guru in leading the company, and building and mentoring the team.



    Balmer on the other hand, monkey-boy. Spoiled little brat that throws temper tantrums and a slash and burn mentality.



    Steve was a revouru and a guronary. Ballmer is a zune.
  • Reply 7 of 36
    Guru is best reserved for Yogis.
  • Reply 8 of 36
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    No those were his character flaws. Some might call them attributes but I think once he returned to Apple he understood that radical has to be tempered with practical to be successful.



    Steve said Shit, fuck jack ass, kiss my ass, called people losers and so forth. Steve was a very aggressive and intimidating man when he wanted to be. Going off on a rage and firing a whole department. Now I am not trying to point out all of Steve's bad traits (to make him a bad man) but when you make him to be a loving calm mild mannered man, well that don't quite fit. He was all of them. Not just short of a monk. Really! He was very aggressive and yet he was very kind. Further more unless we lived with him we really didn't know steve. So you and my opinion doesn't make steve. Only his wife and all who worked close to him daily knew him. So when you want to make me believe who he was based on your opinion. No. I will go with what I hear from the people who were close to him. When they say he was a Buddhist Monk then I will believe it. And no I don't believe you are saying he was a Buddhist monk. But his Buddhist faith didn't make him through and through. Steve made him self through and through.
  • Reply 9 of 36
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post


    So at the celebrating Steve event they called him a revolutionist and a rebel and other things. I guess they were wrong as well?



    I think he was those things and to the great benefit of Apple. It's just not feasible to hire a revolutionary though. Maybe someone at Apple will do amazing enough work to be considered a revolutionary in the future.

    Although that might be a bit greedy.
  • Reply 10 of 36
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    No those were his character flaws. Some might call them attributes but I think once he returned to Apple he understood that radical has to be tempered with practical to be successful.



    Here Listen to this.



    http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.ne...ent/index.html
  • Reply 11 of 36
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Steve was a revouru and a guronary. Ballmer is a zune.



    +1.
  • Reply 12 of 36
    Ballmer is such a douche bag. I seriously wish that guy would have the massive heart attack he deserves and just die.



    C
  • Reply 13 of 36
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    I wonder how many chairs Ballmer threw?



  • Reply 14 of 36
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Celemourn View Post


    Ballmer is such a douche bag. I seriously wish that guy would have the massive heart attack he deserves and just die.



    C



    There is only one douche bag that I see here.
  • Reply 15 of 36
    Hiring somebody from Yahoo seems like a really bad decision. I use Yahoo as my home page and click on stories often. Not a day goes by where something on one of their pages doesn't work. Their interface is different on different stories. Daily there are server errors. At least they didn't hire somebody from AOL. That would be worse.
  • Reply 16 of 36
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Celemourn View Post


    Ballmer is such a douche bag. I seriously wish that guy would have the massive heart attack he deserves and just die.



    C



    Since he has been CEO Microsoft hasn't shown real promise. Windows Vista was a joke, and Windows 7 was the fix for Vista. Kinda like the Windows ME to Windows XP thing. When is Microsoft gonna get it. DLL OS is not worth it. They tried Linux os and they purposely made it flop. They could have made it work but there was no money in it. The Xbox 360 is a disaster. Red ring failures under developed to fail boxes. The Zune was a joke. now the Windows Phone and Windows 8. I have Windows 8 Dev pre and its a Joke. Really. All that money they have made over the years they are throwing it away in my opinion. Nothing original. Always copying some one else. Steve even said that Microsoft can't create something original. Ballmer needs to get with it and stop trying to keep up. He needs to get where the hockey put will be.
  • Reply 17 of 36
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    It's too bad he couldn't have been a bit diplomatic/reassuring to his old bosses about keeping their secrets. Apple needs some server side gurus, they are historically weak in this area. Maybe they could try poaching some Google or Amazon guys.
  • Reply 18 of 36
    For the average Joe, this story doesn't mean much. However, for us nerds out there, this story is a little interesting.



    After all, there's a high stake game going on out there involving Google, Microsoft, and Apple. As a matter of fact, it's fun to watch all these big players jockey for position.



    Ok, I digress. Back to my two cents...



    IF the facts are correct in this story, I don't blame Ballmer for making the call. Good on him. After all, did Timmons actually believe he could work for Apple without a major fuss from Microsoft?
  • Reply 19 of 36
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post


    Now the Windows Phone and Windows 8. I have Windows 8 Dev pre and its a joke. Really.



    Let me guess. You're not actually a developer and you installed it in a VM?
  • Reply 20 of 36
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Although Apple liked the pitch and agreed to hire the data guru, a rumored call from Ballmer threatening legal action ended Timmons' would-be deal.



    I call BS.



    Ballmer would have called Jobs directly without going through underlings. Who would have known about this:



    - Jobs

    - Ballmer

    - Maybe one or two lawyers on each side

    - Timmons, the affected employee



    I can't see that any of them would be talking. The only one that's even remotely plausible would be Timmons, but I can't see that, either. Knowing that he would have left other than legal action would be horrible for morale and his working relationship with subordinates.



    Sounds to me like someone is just making wild guesses again.
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