Microsoft shakes up ranks to shoot for the cloud

Microsoft on Thursday announced a big managerial shakeup including the departure of the head of its Windows group as the technology pushes deeper into a future in the cloud.

Restructuring moves laid out in a memo from chief executive Satya Nadella included the departure of longtime Microsoft executive and Windows head Terry Myerson.

"With change comes transition, and one transition we have been planning for is for Terry Myerson to pursue his next chapter outside Microsoft," Nadella said in the note.

"Terry has been instrumental in helping me arrive at this new organizational structure, and I deeply appreciate his leadership and insight as we've worked through the opportunity that lies ahead."

In a post at LinkedIn, Windows and Devices Group executive vice president Myerson described it as "an emotional day" sharing news of his departure after 21 years at Microsoft.

Microsoft is creating two new engineering teams, one focused on experiences and devices, and the other devoted to artificial intelligence and computing capabilities hosted in the internet cloud, according to the note.

The US tech colossus—which has slipped from being the world's largest company— also established an internal committee to make sure technological advances, particularly regarding machines thinking for themselves, take into account ethical concerns.

"With all this new technology and opportunity comes a responsibility to ensure technology's benefits reach people more broadly across society," Nadella said.

"It also requires that the technologies we create are trusted by the individuals and organizations that use them."

As it has been overtaken by the likes of Google and Apple, Microsoft has been rebooting as consumers shift away from Windows-powered computers to mobile devices.

This has pushed Microsoft to focus on the internet cloud, artificial intelligence, and services for connected "internet of things" devices.