Steve Ballmer has sent his final letter to shareholders. In the annual letter, released mid-afternoon Monday, Ballmer updated shareholders on Microsoft's transition to being a devices and services company and explained the motivations behind its reorganization.

"As I think about what’s ahead, I’m incredibly optimistic about what Microsoft will deliver," Ballmer wrote in the letter. "We are accelerating as we bring to market Windows 8.1 PCs and tablets with our partners, Surface 2, Xbox One and new phones; advance our enterprise services including Windows Server, Windows Azure, Microsoft Dynamics and Office 365; and innovate on new high-value activities."

He then slipped in some performance touting numbers during his tenure:

"We have seen incredible results in the past decade — delivering more than $200 billion in operating profit," he wrote. "I’m optimistic not only as the CEO but as an investor who treasures his Microsoft stock."

Lastly, he concluded with an emotional note: "Working at Microsoft has been a thrilling experience — we’ve changed the world and delivered record-setting success — and I know our best days are still ahead."

Ballmer will retire within a year as soon as the company settles on a replacement CEO.