Microsoft splits Zune team, merges pieces into other business groups
According to the official Zune PR blog, the Zune team is being split up and merged into other departments at Microsoft. The software group is being folded into the Connected TV Business Group (responsible for Media Center, etc.), while the hardware team is to become part of the Mobile Communications Business Group (which includes Windows Mobile and the acquired Danger). This is another sign that the next iteration of Zune won't be a standalone MP3 player like the devices of old, but instead a component of Windows Mobile and/or some other upcoming phone platform.
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What that article sounds like to me is that Zune is being obliterated. It sounds like they are dissolving the Zune team rather than adding Zune into other sections. its possible that I am just misreading the article but that is what it appears to me as.
After looking at the blog it seems more like they are having the Zune team use the other departments resources to help improve the Zune and see what it can do to get better, but it all still seems fishy to me.
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i don't think microsoft would lie about killing the zune though. They said they're moving forward with the hardware, so I expect that they will. They couldn't stiff millions of zune users anyways, that's just not right.
What that article sounds like to me is that Zune is being obliterated. It sounds like they are dissolving the Zune team rather than adding Zune into other sections. its possible that I am just misreading the article but that is what it appears to me as.
After looking at the blog it seems more like they are having the Zune team use the other departments resources to help improve the Zune and see what it can do to get better, but it all still seems fishy to me.
I think your analysis is exactly right. The Zune blog post is full of marketing spin, but I tried to filter that out when editing the OP.
However, they're still going to do something with the now-split Zune staff - probably related to developing phone hardware and/or software.
This only makes sense. Remember Microsoft is a software company, so the Zune brand is not just about the devices, mostly the software. We are probably going to see another couple of Zune devices generations but the software itself will probably live on much longer than the device refreshes. I doubt Microsoft is going to do away with the brand, it just has too much potential, and they're so deep into it. The marketplace is becoming better and better and one of Microsoft's goals are to be at the top of digital distribution.
The Zune has potential, and I'm excited to see what will become of it. I'm going to be saving up my cash, so that I could buy a later generation of the Zune
Thats very exciting!
I truly hope they come up with something really good. By the sound of these reports I may have to pull out 250$ to buy the next gen. More than likely to be due but the second half of '09, or maybe even third quarter of '09, who knows?
i don't think microsoft would lie about killing the zune though. They said they're moving forward with the hardware, so I expect that they will. They couldn't stiff millions of zune users anyways, that's just not right.
Yeah, because microsoft is traditionally known to be focused on what's "right".
Yeah uh, there definitly not going to get rid of zune. They are going to shoot out some new devices, softwares, capabilities, and also incorperate the whole "Zune" thing into XBOX and windows mobile.
Now i also don't get why everyone thinks that zune phone is not going to happen. the only logical explaination for Zunes hardware team to move over and work with Windows mobile and Danger is Zune Phone. Youve got all the magic right there. Youve got two key internal components with Zune and Windows and then Danger. There all like "hey wat do u wanna make" and then somebody is gonna be like "we should fart out a new device that uses all of us" and then they gonna be like "wat could we make" and zune gonna be like "lets make a music player" and windows is gonna say "no man we gotta do something with windows functionality" and then danger is gonna be all "yo i can make a deviice that can be a music player and have windows mobile. and yoo know wat... let's go the extra mile and make it so u can talk to all your friends since this is ""the social"". Wat do u all think" and then everybody is gonna be all happy and say simotaniously "hey that sounds groovy!!"
And so you can see, there is gonna be some zune magic!
and zune fans are going to live happily ever after.
the end
And thats about wat i think. that would definaitly feel better then the feeling that you know you all get "ug wish i could get an ipod, but i love zune. zunes are better. but everybody likes there ipod. why microsoft, why cant you just take some extra time and make a revolutionary device to blow the ****ter off those ipod fans"
Microsoft splits Zune team, merges pieces into other business groups
