Former Windows Phone lead Joe Belfiore is retiring from mcirosoft after 32 years - XDA Developers

Belfiore, who worked connected Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile until 2016, announced he'll beryllium leaving Microsoft adjacent summertime aft 32 years.

Joe Belfiore, who is champion known by Windows Phone fans for starring improvement connected the level alongside Windows 10 successful the aboriginal days of the OS, has announced helium volition beryllium retiring from Microsoft adjacent summer. The quality comes 32 years aft Belfiore archetypal joined the company, initially moving connected the Windows and Internet Explorer idiosyncratic acquisition starting successful 1990. The announcement was amde via an interior email to Microsoft employees (made nationalist by ZDNet).

Belfiore started moving connected Windows Phone since 2009, starring improvement of the Metro interface that the level became champion known for, which would yet marque its mode to Windows 8 arsenic well. With Windows 10, Belfiore transitioned to starring improvement of the level connected each kinds of user devices, including Windows 10 PCs and tablets, arsenic good arsenic Windows 10 Mobile, which was the successor to Windows Phone 8.1. Windows 10 besides brought things similar Cortana from Windows Phones to PCs.

Of course, erstwhile talking astir Windows Phone, it's easier to retrieve the promises of the level and its failures successful the end. Windows Phone arsenic a level was ever connected thing of an unstable road. Despite archetypal promises made by Belfiore, Windows Phone 7 devices couldn't beryllium updated to Windows Phone 8, which burned galore customers astatine the time. Similarly, the modulation from Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile near the bulk of Nokia Lumia devices behind, contempt Microsoft primitively promising astir oregon each of existing Windows Phone 8.1 devices would beryllium supported. Belfiore yet confirmed successful 2016 that Windows 10 Mobile would nary longer beryllium receiving immoderate caller features, lone getting information updates from that constituent forward. Since then, the absorption for Windows 10 and Windows 11 has been mostly connected PCs.

Joe Belfiore demonstrates Continuum for phones astatine the Microsoft Build league successful San Francisco, Wednesday, April 29, 2 015(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Prior to Windows Phone, Belfiore worked successful assorted positions astatine Microsoft, moving connected Windows Media Center and - albeit concisely - the Zune platform. Belfiore near the Windows part successful 2020, and he's go pb of the Microsoft Office Experiences part astatine Microsoft, starring improvement connected apps that are portion of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including caller additions similar the reently-launched Designer. Additionally, Belfiore is vice president of the Experiences and Devices part astatine Microsoft.

According to an interior e-mail, Belfiore is retiring to absorption connected spending clip with his family. Before helium retires, Belfiore says he'll beryllium helping with the transition, teasing that determination is "so overmuch goodness coming". His relation volition beryllium taken implicit by Aleš Holeček, Corporate Vice president of the Office Product Group astatine Microsoft.

Source: ZDNet