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"Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced Monday via an internal memo that the company's chief software architect, Ray Ozzie, will be resigning from the company shortly.\nOzzie will shift his focus toward Microsoft's entertainment properties \"following the natural transition time with his teams but before he retires from Microsoft,\" Ballmer said, without citing any dates. \"The CSA role was unique and I won't refill the role after Ray's departure,\" Ballmer added.\nOzzie became an employee of Microsoft in 2005, following its acquisition of Groove Networks. He became the company's chief software architect in 2006, after Co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates stepped down from the role to spend more of his time on the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation \u2014 which he began doing full-time in 2008.\nIn October 2009, he founded the FUSE Labs (Future Social Experiences) division within Microsoft to develop more social, web-based products, such as social aggregation tool Spindex. He also been credited with driving many of Microsoft's software products, such as Microsoft Office, to the cloud.\nThe full letter is below:\n\n\"From: StevebSent: Monday, October 18, 2010To: Microsoft \u2013 All EmployeesSubject: Ray Ozzie Transition\nThis past March marked a significant milestone for the company when, in a speech at the University of Washington, I sent a message to the world that we\u2019re \u2018all in\u2019 when it comes to the cloud. In that speech I noted that Ray\u2019s Internet Services Disruption memo nearly five years ago, and his work since, stimulated thinking across the company and helped catalyze our drive to the cloud.\nAs a company, we\u2019ve accomplished much in the past five years as we look at the cloud and services. Windows Live now serves as a natural web-based services complement to both Windows and Office. SharePoint and Exchange have now decidedly embraced the cloud. And by conceiving, incubating and shepherding Windows Azure, 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.\nWith our progress in services and the cloud now full speed ahead in all aspects of our business, Ray and I are announcing today Ray\u2019s intention to step down from his role as chief software architect. He will remain with the company as he transitions the teams and ongoing strategic projects within his organization - bringing the great innovations and great innovators he\u2019s assembled into the groups driving our business. Following the natural transition time with his teams but before he retires from Microsoft, Ray will be focusing his efforts in the broader area of entertainment where Microsoft has many ongoing investments. We have tremendous opportunities in the entertainment space overall, and I\u2019m excited about what we can accomplish. Beyond that, Ray has no plans at this time. While he\u2019ll continue to report to me during the transition, the CSA role was unique and I won\u2019t refill the role after Ray\u2019s departure. We have a strong planning process, strong technical leaders in each business group and strong innovation heading to the market.\nWhile Ray will be onboard for a while, I\u2019d like to thank him today for his contributions to Microsoft, both as a leader and as a long-time Microsoft ISV. As an early ISV, Ray contributed significantly to the early success of Windows. Since being at Microsoft, both through inspiration and impact he\u2019s been instrumental in our transition toward a software world now centered on services. He\u2019s always been a \u2018maker\u2019 and a partner, and we look forward to our continuing collaboration as his future unfolds. Ray has played a critical role in helping us to assume the leadership position in the cloud, and positioned us well for future success.\nPlease join me in thanking Ray and wishing him well.\nSteve\"\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2010/10/18/microsoft-chief-software-architect-ray-ozzie-resigns/>