Moving And Shaking At Microsoft

"E-biz guy" Ted Kummert is shifting from his perch atop the Business Process and Integration Division into the security products group. It is unclear what his title will be, but nothing less than the corporate vice president label he already has.

(Note: Wednesday morning, Microsoft confirmed Kummert's new title: corporate vice president of the new Enterprise Access and Security Products (EASP) group.)

Kummert took the helm of the BPI group, which fields the E-commerce and Biztalk Servers, in early 2004, just before company decided to scuttle plans for an integrated e-business server suite.

Meanwhile, Robert Wahbe, who at one point was general manager of XML Web Services, is reportedly moving into the ebiz group. Microsoft would not comment on these moves, but sources close to the company said they have been discussed openly. Kummert's bio on Microsoft Presspass remains un-updated as of Tuesday evening, however.

Microsoft would not comment on this news.

But the company did acknowledge that Dan Leach, group product manager for Information Worker stuff has left to go to sea. Well, kinda. He's taking a captaincy exam for the Coast Guard, his Microsoft buds say.

Leach was a master of the non-comment comment when it came to Microsoft Office scoops--real or imagined. How many ways could one man say "it's too early to talk about Office 12, we're focusing on the current product,"? Leach at least delivered his spiel with humor.

In other news, The Seattle Times reported Monday that Hadi Partovi, a respected MSN manager resigned last week.The Times quotes him saying his departure doesn't relate to a recent reorging of MSN into another group and that he wants to start his own company.

And blogger miniMicrosoft reports that Don Gagne, top Office development poohbah, is also departing.

Not good news for the Redmond team.