Reorganization Focuses on Developers, Windows Server

Microsoft has reorganized Jim Allchin’s Platforms Group, which oversees all versions of the Windows operating system (OS), the .NET Enterprise Servers (such as SQL Server and Exchange), and developer tools. The Platforms Group just finished shipping Windows XP, and this reorganization will help it focus on two new goals: encouraging developers to adopt the .NET Platform and accelerating the adoption of Windows servers in the enterprise. To help meet these goals, Microsoft has combined marketing and development teams for the .NET Platform and Windows servers under single leaders.

In unrelated organizational moves, the company also renamed a division and appointed a new vice president of advertising sales for MSN.

Rudder Leads Developer Evangelism

The biggest change is the creation of a new Developer and Platform Evangelism Division (DPED) under Senior Vice President Eric Rudder. Rudder has been a technical advisor to Bill Gates for several years; before that, his highest position in the company was general manager of Visual Studio.