News

Flessner To Leave Microsoft

Long-time stalwart of Microsoft's database business, Paul Flessner, will step down as senior vice president of the Data Storage and Platform Division as of Jan. 1, the company confirmed today.

However, at least for a while, Flessner will continue with Microsoft on a part-time basis, driving projects within the Platform Services Division, according to an e-mail from a company spokesperson. The move is intended to enable Flessner to spend time on “personal endeavors.”

In the new year, Flessner will be replaced by Ted Kummert, corporate vice president, currently leading the Security, Access and Solutions Division. The news broke Tuesday in an internal memo from Bob Muglia, senior vice president of Microsoft's Server and Tools Business.

Flessner joined Microsoft in 1994 as a program manager for enterprise computing, and was later promoted to general manager and then vice president for SQL Server. He is credited with helping to make SQL Server into the enterprise powerhouse that it is today. He most recently led the SQL Server 2005 development effort.

Kummert, meanwhile, has been with Microsoft since 1989 and was corporate vice president of the Business Process and Integration (BPI) Division, where he was responsible for Microsoft's BPI products, including Microsoft BizTalk Server, Commerce Server and Host Integration Server.

Flessner is scheduled to give a keynote address at Microsoft's SQL PASS conference in Seattle in mid-November.

About the Author

Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.

Featured

  • Broadcom Revamps VMware Partner Program Again

    Broadcom recently announced a significant update regarding its VMware Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) program, coinciding with the release of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0, a key component in Broadcom’s private cloud strategy.

  • Closeup of the new Copilot keyboard key

    Microsoft Updates Copilot To Add Context-Sensitive Agents to Teams, SharePoint

    Microsoft has rolled out a new public preview for collaborative "always on" agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot, bringing enhanced, context-aware tools into Teams channels, meetings, SharePoint sites, Planner workstreams and Viva Engage communities.

  • Windows 365 Cloud Apps Now Available for Public Preview

    Microsoft announced this week that Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available for public preview. This aims to allow IT administrators to stream individual Windows applications from the cloud, removing the need to assign Cloud PCs to every user.

  • Report: Security Initiatives Can't Keep Pace with Cloud, AI Boom

    The increasingly fast adoption of hybrid, multicloud, and AI systems is easily outgrowing existing security measures, according to a recent global survey by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and exposure management firm Tenable.