Emerging Market Push Reorganized

Efforts to expand Microsoft’s business in less-developed countries will have a new leader after an Apr. 2008 reorganization, and a long-time driver of Microsoft’s entertainment PC efforts has moved to the Zune business.

Anoop Gupta will lead the Unlimited Potential Group, which aims to expand sales in emerging markets through new products, such as the Windows XP Starter Edition, and new pricing models, such as prepaid subscription cards. A corporate vice president, Gupta also continues to manage strategy for the education market and incubation projects for new markets, reporting to Craig Mundie.

Will Poole has left his position as corporate vice president, Unlimited Potential Group, and plans to retire from Microsoft. Before moving to his most recent position in Mar. 2006, Poole had led the Windows Client division, responsible for all engineering and business strategy for Microsoft desktop OSs, including Windows Vista, and had driven Microsoft’s efforts in digital audio and video. Poole joined Microsoft in 1996.