????在這個由谷歌(Google)和復(fù)興的蘋果公司(Apple) 引領(lǐng)風(fēng)潮的時代，微軟(Microsoft)首席執(zhí)行官薩蒂亞?納德拉正在嘗試著重啟這家公司。他的待辦事項肯定滿滿當(dāng)當(dāng)：幾乎所有的微軟產(chǎn)品都受到挑戰(zhàn)，或者落后于競爭對手。

????納德拉應(yīng)該做什么，一直是業(yè)界觀察家熱議的主題。上周四，他宣布了一項裁員18,000人的公司瘦身計劃，這是他上任后的首個大動作。盡管這一舉動的波及面不可謂不大（它將是微軟有史以來規(guī)模最大的裁員行動），但納德拉一直含糊其辭，不愿明確透露這家科技巨頭究竟將走向何方。

????上周，納德拉發(fā)布了一份3,000字的使命宣言。在這份宣言中，他向全體員工陳述了一件顯而易見的事情：微軟需要更多的緊迫感和創(chuàng)新。隨后，在科羅拉多州阿斯彭召開的《財富》科技頭腦風(fēng)暴大會(Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech) 上，納德拉同樣令人難以捉摸。他著重強調(diào)這家公司的巨大潛力，但問題是，這位微軟掌門人并沒有勾勒他打算如何實現(xiàn)這種潛能。

????從漸進到激進，分析師給微軟開了很多處方。幾乎所有人都同意，重振一家龐大如微軟的公司需要時間，如果這項復(fù)興大業(yè)有望完成的話。

????“對于一家規(guī)模如此巨大，對消費者做出如此多承諾的公司來說，哪怕輕微地轉(zhuǎn)身，也是一件極其困難的事情，”Reticle Research研究公司獨立分析師羅斯?魯賓說。

????沒錯，憑借Windows電腦操作系統(tǒng)和Office辦公套裝軟件，微軟曾經(jīng)是高科技產(chǎn)業(yè)的王者。但面對日新月異的世界，微軟顯得老態(tài)龍鐘，變化緩慢。如今的微軟已處于劣勢，因為它沒有預(yù)料到消費者會如此迅速地放棄臺式電腦，轉(zhuǎn)而使用移動設(shè)備。現(xiàn)在，它開始奮力追趕。

????這家公司仍然是一個龐然大物，本財年頭九個月創(chuàng)下了高達(dá)635億美元的銷售額。同期利潤也令人印象深刻，達(dá)175億美元，但僅比去年同期上漲了3%。

????作為微軟立身之本的軟件業(yè)務(wù)正面臨谷歌和蘋果的強力狙擊——這兩家公司的軟件版本基本上是免費贈送。對于微軟來說，在這樣的環(huán)境下競爭，至少從長遠(yuǎn)來看，如果它未能作出重大改變，敗局已定。

????今年早些時候，在蘋果iPad風(fēng)行世界多年之后，微軟終于發(fā)布了面向這款平板電腦的Office軟件。業(yè)界普遍認(rèn)為，這種延誤已經(jīng)讓微軟損失了大量潛在的銷售良機，無異于把這一市場拱手讓與他人。到目前為止，人們早已習(xí)慣使用沒有安裝Office軟件的平板電腦，現(xiàn)在可能看不出花錢購買這款軟件的理由。

????“微軟獨家提供的軟件跟許多其他的免費選項究竟有何區(qū)別？”Jackdaw Research公司獨立分析師賈恩?道森說。

????Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, has his hands full trying to reboot his company in the age of Google and a resurgent Apple. Nearly all of its products are under attack or trailing the competition.

????What Nadella should do has been the subject of great debate among industry watchers. On Thursday, he took his first major step by announcing plans to cut 18,000 jobs to help streamline the company. Despite the scope of the move—it would be Microsoft’s largest-ever wave of layoffs—Nadella has been vague about what may be in store for the technology giant.

????Last week, he released a 3,000-word mission statement to employees in which he stated the obvious: that Microsoft MSFT 1.02% needs more urgency and innovation. He followed it up with an equally elusive appearance at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, Colo. during which he emphasized the huge potential of his company. One problem: Nadella did not outline how he planned to achieve it.

????Analysts have a number of ideas for Microsoft, from incremental to radical. Nearly all agree that reinvigorating a company as big as Microsoft will take time, if it can be done at all.

????“It’s very difficult for a company of that size and that many commitments to customers to turn on a dime,” said Ross Rubin, an independent analyst with Reticle Research.

????Microsoft, of course, once dominated the technology industry with its Windows computer operating system and Office productivity software suite. But the world quickly changed, and Microsoft was slow to change with it. Today, Microsoft’s position is weak because it failed to anticipate the shift by consumers from desktop computers to mobile devices early enough. Now, it’s scrambling to catch up.

????The company remains a behemoth with $63.5 billion in sales during the first nine months of this fiscal year. Profits during that period reached an impressive $17.5 billion, but they gained only 3% from a year earlier.

????Microsoft’s software business, the company’s cornerstone, is facing a difficult fight with rivals like Google GOOG -1.53% and Apple AAPL -1.78% essentially giving their versions away for free. For Microsoft, competing in such an environment, at least in the long term, is a losing battle if it fails to make major changes.

????Earlier this year, Microsoft released a version of Office for Apple’s iPad, years after the tablet had become a blockbuster seller. The delay is believed to have costMicrosoft a large number of potential sales and left the market wide open for others to fill. So far, people have managed just fine without Office on their tablets and may now see little reason to spend money on it.

????“What does Microsoft uniquely provide that is differentiated from other options, many of which are free?” asked Jan Dawson, an independent analyst with Jackdaw Research.