Synchronicity - the curtain falls on WinFS and Bill Gates

So, Microsoft's integrated filesystem and database, WinFS, won't see the light of day now; well, not in its current form anyway. Some pieces will appear in appropriate products, but it is clear that the grand vision is no more.

I can't help but note how close this announcement is to Bill Gates's announcement that he is effectively retiring from Microsoft to concentrate on his charitable pursuits. Add to that the recent loss of the Windows Live! boss, Martin Taylor, and it sounds like a changing of the guard. Old projects stop, old leaders move on, and the new guard has both the freedom and the serious challenge to find new directions that can support the company for the next decade or two.

Sun Microsystems is in the midst of no less significant a change, with the passing of the baton from long-time CEO Scott McNealy to Jonathon Schwartz.

It will be interesting to see if these two companies can find some new directions to bolster their business. It's not that only small companies have good ideas, but sometimes big companies can squander the good ideas of their staff as they struggle to hold on to their legacy business models. The challenge is to balance both old and new, and it's not an easy challenge.

Note: I am not an investment advisor, and this is not investment advice.