Microsoft Moves High-Level Executives To Security Effort

Microsoft's security group is getting some high-level reinforcements from within the company's executive ranks.

Gordon Mangione, formerly vice president of SQL Server, and Rich Kaplan corporate vice president for the Content Development and Delivery Group are moving to Microsoft's Security Business and Technology Group, Microsoft confirmed Monday. The news was first reported in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Four key SQL Server players, Bill Baker who heads the database's business intelligence push as well as James Hamilton, Peter Spiro and Dave Campbell, who had reported to Mangione, will now report to Paul Flessner, senior vice president of the Microsoft Server Platform Division, a spokeswoman said. All four of those men are deeply involved in the development of the critical, and much-delayed Yukon release of SQL Server, now dubbed SQL Server 2005.

In their new capacities, Mangione who will head up security products and Kaplan, who will lead security marketing efforts, will report to Mike Nash, corporate vice president of the Security Business Unit.

That unit has been charged with what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has called the company's top priority: Fortifying its software against attacks in its own development efforts and partnering with other vendors and customers to strengthen security overall.Article appears courtesy of CRN.