Microsoft should be broken up, Vanity Fair writer says

Microsoft has lost its way, says Kirk Eichenwald, who talked about his Vanity Fair piece on "CBS This Morning."

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News

Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.

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Roger Cheng

July 9, 2012 7:23 a.m. PT

Ryan Seacrest (left) and Steve Ballmer (right) at what Microsoft says will be its last appearance at CES. James Martin/CNET

Microsoft has grown too cumbersome and needs to be broken up, according to Vanity Fair writer Kirk Eichenwald.

Eichenwald appeared on "CBS This Morning" today to discuss his examination of what he calls Microsoft's downfall and Microsoft's lost decade.

"Microsoft needs to figure out what it wants to be when it grows up," Eichenwald said.

His article profiles the cannibalistic nature of the company and its struggles to keep its workforce motivated after its stock price stopped appreciating. In particular, Microsoft has used a system called stacking that ranks employees as exceptional, average, or poor performers.

Eichenwald notes that other companies dealt with the same issues of being cumbersome, including IBM and Apple, and have bounced back.

CNET contacted Microsoft for comment. We'll update the story when we get a response.