Stephen Elop is Ready for Big Change at Microsoft

With the departure of a good chunk of Microsoft's old guard and a series of big moves that have left consumers skeptical of the 800 pound gorilla of the tech world, Stephen Elop just might be the person to set the company back on the right track.

In an interview with Engadget, he dropped some surprisingly honest opinions and said "I'm looking forward to being a part of driving that change within the company in whatever capacity.” Already in charge of overseeing the integration of Nokia into the M, Elop mentioned that he thinks that Microsoft needs to catch up with the rest of the pack.

"The big moves in technology tend to come when there's a major change in the user interaction model, how you interact with the device," commenting on the rise of touch. "At a certain point, those new user interaction models are figured out and take hold, and that heralds a whole new generation of experiences. And of course, we're all working vigorously on those types of things, and you'll see us work towards those in the future."

He acknowledged that many of the "killer apps" that are the bread and butter of iPhone and Android users are just now coming to Windows Phone – the company has a long way to go, but thinks that Microsoft can still compete. Targeting both the high-end power users and entry-level consumers with the Lumia 1520 and Asha series, Nokia has demonstrated a balanced approach to expansion that, even with the introduction of a "budget" iPhone 5c, isn't quite matched by other hardware manufacturers.

If Elop really is on top of it all as he seems to be, Microsoft may just have a path to success after years of floundering about, gradually losing their user base.

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