Christopher Payne, who has recently served as vice president of Microsoft’s Windows Live Search group, is leaving the software company, according to people familiar with the situation. Apparently Payne’s departure is taking place when Microsoft continues to wrestle against Google in Internet search even though the company has tried to overhaul its search site with a new look and features.
According to the reports, Payne is leaving this company to start his own technology company. He has spent more than 13 years at Microsoft. The sources informed that he had made the decision several weeks back. Payne had rejoined Microsoft in 2001 after a three-year stint at Amazon.com, played a key role in persuading the company to develop its own search engine instead of relying on Yahoo. Before Amazon, Payne had spent eight years at Microsoft.
In the online search engine market, Microsoft still struggles to plant a foot hold after years of stint with this technology. Google had 54 per cent of all search queries in January, followed by Yahoo with 23 per cent and Windows Live with just 9 per cent.
The officials at Microsoft declined to speak on the departure of Payne. Moreover, Payne would become the second person from Microsoft’s Internet arm in the last week planning to leave the company. Blake Irving, a Microsoft vice president who was in charge of the company’s AdCenter system that sells ads next to search results, announced his plans to retire.
