Microsoft Asia Pacific President Seissat Seruda: Asian market is developing rapidly

Lead: Microsoft Asia Pacific President Seissat Seruda (Cesar Cernuda) is responsible for Microsoft's business and consumer business in Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as more than 2,900 employees, according to the Sunday issue of the Wall Street Journal's online edition. In a recent interview with the Singapore office, Seruda said that while Microsoft is known for its PC-side windows and office, the company is also focused on smartphones and tablets. Seruda, 42 years old, has been working for Microsoft for 17 years. The following is the main content of the interview: Q: The recent third-quarter results show that Microsoft's sales to business users and general consumers have grown. So how does Microsoft perform in the Asia-Pacific region? Seruda: An important change is that the world's centre of gravity is shifting to Asia, and there is no doubt that Microsoft's cloud computing and mobile operations have achieved very strong results. The cloud computing penetration is rising rapidly, and we are happy with the performance of Office 365, and our overall mobile strategy has made good progress on tablets and Windows phones. Q: What do you mean by shifting the focus of the world to Asia? Seruda: I firmly believe that we are uniquely placed to integrate digital work and digital life, while Asia has the world's largest population and the middle class is growing. Mobile devices, the Internet and cloud computing are developing at the same time. In Vietnam, for example, the number of SIM cards is more than the total population. So if you ask, why Asia? The answer lies in equipment and mobile services, where these areas of Asian markets are growing fast. Q: How is Microsoft's strategy in Asia different from other regions? Seruda: We have a consistent strategy as a company, which is simple: mobile priority, cloud computing first. There is no reason for any difference in this area. The current reality is that we have invested more than 30 years in this region. The region is rich in diversity and it is impossible to have a model that applies to all situations. For example, first you need to promote localization of all solutions and services. Currently, we are the only global cloud computing company that provides cloud computing services in China. Q: What challenges do you face in this area? Seruda: One of the challenges is that in emerging markets we face a more serious intellectual property problem, how people pay for software. Over the past few years, we've been aggressively experimenting with new ways to provide people with free services, such as the student version of Office 365, to see all the services. Q: After Seia Nadra (Satya Nadella) took over as CEO of Ballmer in February this year, what do you think Ballmer did in his new position? Seruda: First of all, I am very happy, because I personally experienced a new milestone in the history of the company's development, that is, the new CEO took office. Microsoft has been founded for 40 years, and this is our third CEO. I am proud of him. Nadra undoubtedly represents Microsoft's core priceValue, modest, smart, willing to cooperate. I think he brings a great technical background and a business background. Q: Do consumers accept surface tablets and windows phones? How do you compete in a market dominated by Apple (592.58,1.10,0.19%) and Android devices? Seruda: We are quite frankly saying that we are challengers. PC market is an important market, we are very focused on this market. However, there are many types of equipment in the new market. These devices are of various sizes, such as tablets, tablets, variants, PCs and notebooks. In this area of concern, we can see that we are not the leader, the market share is only 12% to 13%. So our view needs to change. For example, we've just released the ipad version of Office 365. We want to make sure that our cloud computing services are available to users regardless of the platform they use. This is an important decision. This means that we are very focused on investing in Windows. Q: Some people think that Microsoft's focus on the hardware business is causing trouble because the hardware business has less profit margins than software. Are you concerned about that? Seruda: This is a question about anticipation and how to start a new business. In the past, we were mainly engaged in software business and gained the profit margin of software. We are not new to the hardware business and have been developing Xbox for many years. So we know that the hardware business has different margins. It's not about how much money the hardware makes, but about how we respond to user needs. I don't think we're very worried about that. Q: Do you think Microsoft has a corporate image and some users think Microsoft's product is not cool? Seruda: This is a delicate question. In thinking about the products we offer, I am pleased with our present situation. Do I think the Microsoft product is as cool as any other company in the eyes of the user? Sometimes, users don't even know that Xbox and Kinect were developed by Microsoft. Cortana may be the same. Do people know that Skype belongs to Microsoft? Well, there are currently 400 million users using Outlook.com? We have billions of office users. Yes, I think we need to tell stories better. Because if I were to enumerate some data, you'd be amazed. Q: What's the latest on the acquisition of the Nokia (7.35,-0.10,-1.34%) equipment business and Microsoft's foray into the business? Seruda: We're very excited about that. You have seen that we have announced the final completion of this transaction. We are beginning to see that the team is working together. Does this mean that we only work with Nokia and only Nokia develops our phones? Not so. Nokia is a core part of our mobile strategy, but not the only one. Q: You recently said on Twitter that to create change, 39.02,-0.07,-0.18%Leadership is more important than authority. What do you mean? Seruda: You can be a leader, and there's no need for anyone to report to you. It's a big difference to be a leader and be a manager. People will follow the leader, not the manager. My leadership style is doing everything possible to encourage others to do good work. Q: You have a bachelor's degree in Business management and marketing, an MBA, and a leadership program at Harvard Business School. What is the most important experience you have gained? Seruda: If you think you're the smartest person in the class, it's definitely not the smartest person in the classroom. When you're with someone, make sure you learn the best from them and you need to keep learning. If you think you know everything, then you are stagnant. Q: What is your interest? Seruda: It's not an interest, it's a need. I like to spend time with my family, including my wife and children. My daughter is now 15 years old and my son is 13 years old. Like other Hispanics, I love big family gatherings. Every week, I call my 93-year-old grandmother and I have a good relationship with her. Besides, I also like golfing. Q: You lived in Madrid for some time. Are you a fan of Real Madrid? Seruda: Yes, so to speak, I am a fan of Real Madrid and a member of the club. I still hold season tickets, but I can't go to the game often. (D-Gold)