Windows reorg brings more of the COSINE team under Chief Product Officer Panos Panay

Microsoft is reorganizing its Azure team and moving part of its Windows engineering team out of Azure and into the Experiences and Devices Group. The changes, which Microsoft announced internally on August 6, will result in more of Windows moving under Chief Device Officer Panos Panay.

In February, Microsoft unified the Windows Experience (client) and the hardware teams into a single unit, known as Windows + Devices under Panay. (Panay reports to Executive Vice President Rajesh Jha, who runs Experiences and Devices all up.)

Today, Microsoft is moving part of the Core OS and Intelligent Edge (COSINE) team under Panay in order to create more of an end-to-end servicing and shipping experience, based on information about the reorg shared internally. Some parts of COSINE engineering, specifically around the Windows core, are staying with Executive Vice President of Azure Jason Zander.

I'm hearing no layoffs will result from the changes announced today.

The Windows fundamentals and developer experience teams are both now under Panay. Jeff Johnson is charged with leading a newly formed Windows, Developers and Experiences (WDX) Engineering team, which combines the Windows Experiences and Developer Ecosystem Platform teams. Michael Fortin is joining Windows + Devices and will manage a new team that handles the Cosine services teams and fundamentals. 

My two cents: I really hope this consolidation improves Microsoft's end-to-end story with Windows, especially in terms of how the OS is serviced. (See the slow and painful rollout of the May 2020/2004 update if you need a reason why....)  

On the Azure side, Microsoft is creating a new Azure Core team, which will unite Compute, Networking and Storage Services and be led by Girish Bablani. The remaining part of COSINE, known as the Azure COSINE team, will be heavily focused on Azure Edge. 

Roanne Sones will become Azure Edge + Platform PM and Doug Phillips, the head of Azure Edge + Platform Dev. Long-time Windows Exec Henry Sanders will become Chief Technology Officer of Azure Edge + Platform, where he will focus on OS architecture for local and distributed systems; software and silicon; and engineering. 

There's also a new "Azure for Operators" team that's being formed, officials said. This team is about 5G/virtual networking and will include officials from Microsoft's Affirmed Networks and  Metaswitch Networks acquisitions, and Microsoft Corporate Vice President Yousef Khalidi. This team will work closely with the Edge unit.

I asked Microsoft for more details about today's reorg but was told by a spokesperson the company had nothing to share.