Steven Sinofsky, the head of the Windows division in Microsoft since 1989, has left Microsoft. Microsoft claims it all takes place mutually, so there are no hard feelings between Sinofsky and the other executives. He had the following to say in a statement:
"It is impossible to count the blessings I have received over my years at Microsoft. I am humbled by the professionalism and generosity of everyone I have had the good fortune to work with at this awesome company."
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, meanwhile, said:
"I am grateful for the many years of work that Steven has contributed to the company. The products and services we have delivered to the market in the past few months mark the launch of a new era at Microsoft.... To continue this success it is imperative that we continue to drive alignment across all Microsoft teams, and have more integrated and rapid development cycles for our offerings"
Update 1: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has already sent a letter to all employees to explain the recent leadership changes. You can read the entire letter here on The Verge.
Update 2: Steven Sinofsky's very own goodbye letter also reached the web. Click here to read it.