Executive was critical in selling developers on the WP7 platform
While Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT) Windows Phone 7 (WP7) smartphone operating system has posted relatively abysmal sales, it has a surprisingly decent applications catalog. A lot of Microsoft’s success in attracting WP7 developers is thanks to Microsoft veteran Charlie Kindel, who joined the WP7 division in 2010 prior to its launch.
Now with Microsoft hop
ing for a turn-around with its Windows Phone 7.1 “Mango” software update and lineup refresh, it’s been dealt a blow as Mr. Kindel has announced via his personal webpage that he will be leaving the company.
He writes:
21 years later I have finally decided I need to do something different: I’m leaving to start a new company here in the Seattle area. I’m sure you’ll hear about it. I’m not yet ready to disclose details about the new venture but I can say I will be staying in the Seattle area to build it. It has to do with sports, advertising, mobile, social-networking, and, of course, the cloud. I’m insanely excited to get started.