Belluzzo not just a hardware guy

Richard Belluzzo, the former CEO of SGI (NYSE:SGI), officially signed on with Microsoft Thursday morning.

Belluzzo, who reportedly developed close ties with Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) during his stint at SGI, will be in charge of the Microsoft Network as well as the Redmond, Wash., company's WebTV and cable businesses.

There, he will be expected to bring to bear his market-building abilities, shown during his long career with Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HWP), and his turnaround artistry, shown during his stint at SGI, according to Microsoft President Steve Ballmer. "I have known and respected Rick's management skills for more than 15 years. His reputation for managing tough challenges effectively is well-deserved," Ballmer said in a statement.

Challenge of 'execution'
Belluzzo sees the new job as a challenge. "The challenge we have [in improving Microsoft's Internet-related businesses] is mostly one of execution," he said.

Belluzzo, in his short stint at SGI, executed on a number of strategies, which helped realign the company with its traditional customer base and develop new products, including Windows NT workstations and servers using Linux. Belluzzo, who joined SGI in January 1998, resigned to take the Microsoft position at the beginning of last week.

Before he joined SGI, Belluzzo, now 45, spent 22 years with Hewlett-Packard.

At HP, Belluzzo built many businesses, including HP's Printer Division, which manufactures LaserJet and InkJet printers. He finished his career there as an executive vice president and general manager of HP's computer business.

At HP Belluzzo proved that he's not just a hardware guy, but a marketer and a salesman as well -- all hats he will likely wear in his new job at Microsoft.