The company was briefly a stock market favourite and hovered just outside the FTSE 100 index of leading shares before doubts about its business surfaced last year, when Gotham City Research, a US fund, published a report saying Quindell was "a country club built on quicksand".
The budget for that project stretches to an estimated $6.3 billion, and the entire line will run underground, sparing businesses from surface-level construction that could drive away customers.
In each case, the same concerns about the bill — that it is unnecessary and intrusive, and especially expensive and burdensome for small businesses — have surfaced.
Mr. Sinofsky also oversaw Microsoft's decision to enter the computer hardware business with Surface, a tablet computer that has also earned mixed reviews.
Bucyrus operates in two business segments: surface mining, including the principal products of Terex Mining, and underground mining.
The Formula One (F1) industry has become a true microcosm of the world economy, as new business opportunities surface in emerging countries.
But in recent days the existence of Mr. Abrams has come into question: Mr. Sprecher disclosed that he had never met or talked with Mr. Abrams, who was apparently a prominent South African executive who died of malaria, and no obituaries, death notices or other records for him or his business have surfaced.
Facebook Graph Search could already surface businesses you Like or checked-in at, and it didn't make any noticible dent in Google for local business search.
In a sense, the business model of Surface to Air was ahead of its time.
"A Surface business model versus a fully fledged portfolio fits better with Nadella's vision for Microsoft," said Carolina Milanesi, chief of research for Kantar Worldpanel.
