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Report: Microsoft management changes in the works

Changes to Microsoft's senior management could be just around the corner. A new report says CEO Steve Ballmer plans to make adjustments later this month.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn
2 min read
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Microsoft is said to be on the brink of another shuffle among its senior management.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer plans to make changes to the company's senior management in order to improve the company's competitive edge in Web services, smartphones, and tablet computers, according to a Bloomberg report that cites unnamed sources.

Those changes, Bloomberg says, will be announced "this month."

What remains unclear is whether the changes will bump out any of the existing division heads, in place of talent from within or outside of the company, versus changing the number of business units and their executive make-up. Bloomberg did say that a central part of the company's plan was to "promote managers who have engineering chops and experience executing on product plans," which would imply moving someone at the top to make way for that promotion.

A Microsoft representative declined to comment.

Microsoft has a long history of making changes to its management structure. While Ballmer has stayed at the helm for a little more than 11 years now, the company has made drastic changes to the number and depth of its business units.

Microsoft's last big management shuffle took place back in October, with Ballmer naming Kurt DelBene to the head of Microsoft's Office Division, Don Mattrick to the head of the Interactive Entertainment Business, and Andy Lees to the head of Microsoft's Mobile Communication's business. That was following the departures of Stephen Elop, who left to become the CEO at Nokia, as well as Robbie Bach, who retired from his spot as the president of the Entertainment and Devices unit last May.

More recently, the company had a shake-up in its Server and Tool Business, with the company announcing the planned departure of Bob Muglia, who had served as president for the division. Muglia had been promoted just two years prior as part of Microsoft's elevation of the server unit into a larger part of the company's business.

Updated at 4:20 p.m. PT with additional background information and links to previous coverage.