Microsoft has acquired Winternals Software to boost system back up and recovery in Windows.

Winternals co-founder and chief software architect Mark Russinovich will join Microsoft's platform and services division as a technical fellow. Bryce Cogswell, Winternals co-founder and chief technology officer, is joining Microsoft's Windows component platform team as a software architect.

Winternals specializes in intelligent enterprise recovery, network degragmentation and systems tools.

Jim Allchinh, Microsoft's platform and services division boss, has had his eye on Mark "for some time". He said the addition of both Mark and Bryce would bring the kind of kernel-level expertise needed to "raise the quality and functionality bar on Windows on both the client and the server".

As ever, financial terms were undisclosed.®