Sinneck Out At Microsoft

Sinneck was recruited from IBM Global Services in January 2002. He is departing for personal reasons and moving back to the East Coast, Microsoft said.

Stepping into an "expanded role" as vice president of worldwide services is Rick Devenuti, who was worldwide CIO and will now take on both worldwide services, including Microsoft Consulting Services and Premier Support Services, as well as internal IT, said Allison Watson, vice president of worldwide partner sales and marketing at Microsoft.

Solution providers have said for more than a month that Sinneck was on his way out, but Microsoft spokespeople denied those reports.

One Microsoft executive that partners are watching is Brian Boruff, promoted last month to vice president of U.S. services.

Sinneck's arrival at Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft sparked worry among partners because of his 32 years with IBM's gigantic internal consulting arm. He allayed their concerns, and many partners credit him with easing conflicts between Microsoft's own and outside consultants.

Those same partners do not view Sinneck's departure as a positive change. One said high-profile hires from outside do not flourish at Microsoft, pointing to Rick Belluzzo, a top Hewlett-Packard executive who rose to the position of president within two years but was gone a year later.

Microsoft put the best face on the situation. "As part of our ability to link customers and partners, [Devenuti's] going to keep IT. ... I'm glad we have good services leadership," Watson said.

The fact that Devenuti will add services to his current responsibilities could mean Microsoft is deemphasizing consulting, said Matt Rosoff, an analyst at Directions On Microsoft, Kirkland, Wash.

Another partner said Microsoft Consulting has been "whipsawed back and forth the last few years. Told to partner, not to partner. %85 There's a lot of uncertainty," he said.

CRN broke the news of Sinneck's departure last week.

HEATHER CLANCY & PAULA ROONEY contributed to this story.