Cloud computing pioneer to leave Microsoft

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s chief software architect and the executive largely responsible for guiding the company’s transition to cloud computing, plans to step down after four years in the position.

On Monday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced Ozzie’s retirement in an email to employees, saying Ozzie would depart from the company after a brief transition period when he will focus on Microsoft’s entertainment investments.

The announcement came as a surprise to many, and Ballmer did not give a reason for Ozzie’s departure. However, Ballmer did say he does not plan to replace Ozzie, noting that the CSA position was a unique one.

Ballmer praised Ozzie’s work at Microsoft. He noted Ozzie’s Internet Services Disruption memo from five years ago that some claim jump-started Microsoft’s efforts into the cloud.

“As a company, we’ve accomplished so much in the past five years as we look at the cloud and services,” Ballmer wrote. “Ray helped ensure we have a tremendously rich platform foundation that will enable app-level innovation across the company and by customers for years to come.”

Ozzie’s departure falls in line with a recent trend of Microsoft executives leaving or being forced out. Earlier this year, two of Microsoft’s top executives, Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach and Design and Development Senior Vice President J Allard, left the company after the apparent failure of Microsoft’s Kin smartphone.