Microsoft senior vice president of the Windows Core Operating System Division, Brian Valentine, departed the company after 19 years and just a few months short of Vista’s announced launch date.
Valentine had been the leader for Windows Vista development. That project has run years behind schedule. Microsoft has been insistent that its launch dates of November 2006 for businesses and January 2007 for consumers are on track to be met.
When Vista does leave the starting gate, Valentine will be at a place that will be rooting for customers to purchase the software, and maybe some books about Vista, possibly even a new Vista-equipped computer when the OEMs begin placing those in the supply chain.
Microsoft’s corporate reorganization may have had Valentine in limbo, as he was supposed to move to an unspecified position within the company after Vista hit store shelves. Rather than waiting to see what that might be, he has moved on instead.
This was an amicable breakup on the corporate level, though, with Microsoft praising Valentine and wishing him well, the article said. That is a sharp contrast to the departure of Martin Taylor, a marketing executive; Microsoft tersely said “we don’t comment on personnel matters” of Taylor’s abrupt vanishing from the company.
Microsoft will now rely on executives like Steven Sinofsky and Jon DeVaan to lead the company through Vista’s final release, as well as any issues that could cause yet another delay in the release schedule.
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David Utter is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business.
