Former Microsoft MacBU chief now running entertainment client software
Craig Eisler, the former head of Microsoft's Mac Business Unit (MacBU) has a new job heading up "entertainment client software" for the company.
According to Microsoft's Web site, Eisler -- whose new title is Corporate Vice President for the TV, Video and Music business -- will lead "the planning, design and development of client software across Windows, the Xbox video game system and Windows Mobile."
Remember the "three screens" messaging we've been hearing from Microsoft lately? That it will offer a unified entertainment experience across PCs, phones and TV? It sounds like Eisler, in his new role, will be instrumental in delivering those goods. (And no doubt will play some kind of role in the launch of the new Zune HD players expected this fall.)
Eisler was appointed head of MacBU in June 2007. Eisler joined Microsoft in April 2007 from America Online's AOL Wireless unit, where he was Senior Vice President and General Manager.
In October 2008, Microsoft announced that Eisler would be taking on a new job in President Robbie Bach's Entertainment and Devices business unit, but wouldn't say what that role would be. The new head of Microsoft's MacBU is Eric Wilfrid, a former MacBU Product Unit Manager.
In other completely unrelated personnel news, Microsoft has lured long-time IBMer Lee Nackman to head up its Identity and Security Division (which is where the Forefront team resides).
Corporate Vice President Nackman was with IBM for 26 years and most recently was Vice President for Product Development and Customer Support for IBM's Rational software division. He also was the VP in charge of app-dev tools for WebSphere earlier in his career, and managed IBM's compiler and Java virtual machine efforts, according to his new biography page on Microsoft's Web site. Nackman also is credite with initiating the technology that evolved into the Eclipse open-source effort.
For the past year, Nackman was an independent consultant, working with Morphormics, a spin-off of the Medical Image Display and Analysis group at University of North Carolina.