Office Exec Eschbach Leaves Microsoft

Eschbach, recruited from Adobe Systems for Microsoft's Information Worker effort (aka Office and related products), "left Microsoft in November 2003," according to a terse addendum to Eschbach's bio posted to Microsoft's Web site.

CRN first reported Microsoft's recruitment of Eschbach and Peter Rinearson to its Information Worker group in August 2002, just as it happened. At the time, a company spokesman said it was "building the bench" for that all-important effort.

Eschbach, who helped spearhead Adobe's Acrobat and ePaper efforts, was brought in to help do the same for Office, SharePoint Team Services and related business tools. Those products and services were the foundation of what became Microsoft's Office Systems or "iWave" push.

However, there was no public sign of him at the big Office 2003 launch in New York late last month. At that event, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and group vice president Jeff Raikes were front and center.

In the past six weeks, several sources close to Microsoft have said they didn't think Eschbach was long for the Microsoft world. ISV and solution provider partners said it was clear to them that he did not understand Microsoft's partner-centric focus.

A Microsoft spokeswoman reached for comment said the company is sad to see Eschbach leave and that Chris Capossela, a Microsoft veteran will step in to head up Office marketing efforts. Capossela has worked on the Microsoft Access PC database, Project, and Windows 98.