Ericsson CEO could be vying for Microsoft job

Reuters and Bloomberg are reporting that a dynamic Swede, Hans Vestberg, chief exec at mobile telecom giant Ericsson, has surfaced as a viable potential replacement for Microsoft's outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer.

Vestberg, 48, is a former elite-level handball player, so he's got the competitive chops. He's known as something of a media-wise tech geek.

A large contingent of U.S. tech industry and Wall Street analysts expect Microsoft to stay in house, with senior Microsoft execs Satya Nadella, Stephen Elop and Tony Bates viewed as front runners to replace Ballmer.

More: Why Microsoft should stick with internal candidates

So Vestberg's name surfacing is something of a surprise, underscoring the dilemma Microsoft's board faces. Will they play it safe -- or shake things up and go with fresh, outside blood?

Vestberg worked his way up the ranks to CFO and become CEO at Ericsson in 2010. Under his watch the company has lost ground to Asian rivals.

Vestberg's shortcomings are said to include few recent successes in the rough and tumble consumer products mobile devices market, where Korea's Samsung and China's Huawei are dominating.

There appears to be plenty of time for candidates to maneuver for the top job at the world's largest software company. If Bloombergs' insider sources are to be believed, Microsoft won't name Ballmer's replacement until the last week of January, at the earliest. Ericsson and Microsoft, of course, aren't commenting.