The 57 year old Ballmer will stay on until a new CEO is chosen. Microsoft’s board has appointed a special committee to find Ballmer’s successor. Microsoft founded Bill Gates is part of the committee.
Ballmer’s legacy at Microsoft is mixed bag – at best. He has endured criticism for years that the software giant was slow to adapt – and invariably late to the party on the innovations of the last decade. From mobile devices, social media, Internet services, tablets and more, Microsoft has fallen behind companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook.