????不論最終由誰接任史蒂夫?鮑爾默擔任微軟（Microsoft）首席執行官，都必須補回曾經失去的時間。因為曾經占據科技界統治地位的微軟如今正面臨衰退的困境。微軟未能抓住過去十年最大的科技趨勢——移動設備與互聯網搜索——現在，它只能在谷歌（Google，《財富》500強）和蘋果（Apple，《財富》500強）等競爭對手身后苦苦追趕。

????周五，微軟宣布正在尋找新的領導者。鮑爾默出身于一名健談的銷售員，自2000年開始執掌公司，近日宣布將在一年內退休。繼任者的人選有很多，但沒有哪位人選具備明顯的優勢。不論誰被選中，都將成為公眾關注的焦點。如何帶領一家備受矚目的公司實現復興？這將給繼任者帶來巨大的壓力，

????候選人必須精通科技，有過在大型上市公司工作的經歷。此外，候選人還必須熟悉微軟的業務。目前微軟的業務主要還是依賴Windows臺式機軟件的銷售。董事會或許會考慮從微軟內部挑選新領導人。不過，來自Facebook、諾基亞（Nokia）和瞻博網絡（Juniper Networks）等其他幾家公司的幾位高管也有可能成功上位，

????董事會到底從內部選擇還是外部選擇，將大有玄機。如果董事會希望進行適度的重組和平穩過渡，可能會選擇內部人選。而聘用外部人員通常意味著更激進的方式。以下是微軟首席執行官職位的潛在候選人，以及他們各自的優勢和劣勢。

????Whoever succeeds Steve Ballmer as Microsoft's chief executive will have to make up for a lot of lost time. The reason? Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500), once the dominant technology company, is fighting obsolescence. It failed to capitalize on the biggest technology trends of the past decade -- mobile devices and Internet search -- and must now play catch-up to rivals likeGoogle (GOOG, Fortune 500) and Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500).

????Microsoft disclosed its search for a new leader on Friday. Ballmer, the voluble salesman who has led the company since 2000, said he planned to resign within the next 12 months. There are a number of potential successors, but no obvious front-runner has emerged. Whoever is chosen must be comfortable in the spotlight along with the intense pressure that comes with trying to revive such a high-profile company.

????Candidates must be well versed in technology and have experience at a large public company. Familiarity with Microsoft's business, which still depends heavily on selling Windows desktop software, is a plus. Microsoft's board will likely consider a number of internal candidates. But there are also executives from an array of other companies like Facebook (FB), Nokia (NOK) andJuniper Networks (JNPR) who could step into the role.

????Whether the board gives the job to an insider or outsider could be telling. Boards seeking modest reorganizations and smooth transitions typically choose an internal candidate. Picking an outsider usually signals a more radical approach. What follows are some of the potential candidates for Microsoft's chief executive job, their selling points and their liabilities.