Microsoft splits Windows & Devices division

Microsoft is reorganizing its Windows & Devices division into the Experiences & Devices and Cloud & AI divisions. The head of the Windows & Devices division, Terry Myerson, is leaving.

The reorganization was announced by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who reports that his company can better respond to customer needs. For example, the new Experiences & Devices division, which will be led by Rajesh Jha, must ensure unity in Microsoft products and services. Nadella cites as an example that Windows, Office, and third-party applications and devices should be part of a single cohesive Microsoft 365 experience.

Microsoft is making Windows part of Experiences & Devices and Joe Belfiore will continue to lead it. The division also includes the Devices team, which is responsible for the Surface products, among other things. Panos Panay has already led this area and will become chief product officer here. The other two teams of Experiences & Devices are New Experiences & Technology and Enterprise Mobility & Management.

The other division resulting from the Windows & Devices split is Cloud & AI Platform, led by Scott Guthrie. The group will focus on cloud services such as distributed computing and on artificial intelligence, including the infrastructure and frameworks required for this. One of the teams that will fall under this division is AI Perception & Mixed Reality led by Alex Kipman, known for the development of the HoloLens.

According to ZDNet, Microsoft hopes with the reorganization with Windows to achieve what it has done with Office: develop subscription services around Windows 10 that should provide a steady income stream. This would enable the company to respond to the stagnating PC market and the growing market for cloud services and subscriptions to online services.