Microsoft's Raikes leaves

Office software exec will retire in September

By Austin Modine • Get more from this author

Posted in Applications, 11th January 2008 01:39 GMT

Join our expert panel in discussing application security

Jeff Raikes, head of Microsoft's Office software business is stepping down after 26 years with the company.

The long-standing executive behind Microsoft Business Division plans to call it quits in September. His role will be filled by Juniper Networks chief operating officer Stephen Elop, who resigned from his post at the network equipment maker today.

"Given the success of our business and depth of our leadership we have in place today, the time is right for me to leave the MBD business in the capable hands of our new generation of leaders," Raikes said in a statement.

Raikes joined Microsoft in 1981 and took over the Office business in 2000 — a group responsible for a large percentage of Microsoft's profits. He also recently expanded the "Office" brand to include server-oriented technologies.

But Microsoft is apparently killing that idea. The company is moving its Server and Tools Business out of MBD just eight months after putting it in. The group, which includes Visual Studios and SQL Server will now report directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Elop is joining Microsoft after a year-long stint at Juniper as the company's first chief operating officer. In a previous life he was CEO of Macromedia, and then head of sales of Adobe after it bought the company in 2005. ®

Join our expert panel in discussing application security