Credit: Mike Blake/Reuters Microsoft’s senior vice president of its Windows Core Operating System Division, Brian Valentine, on Friday tendered his resignation and told the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant that he’d be moving into an executive position with Web retailer Amazon.com, SeattleTimes.com reports. Valentine oversaw the development and launches of the firm’s last three major operating system (OS) upgrades, and his announcement comes at a time when Microsoft’s oft-delayed Windows Vista OS seems to be on the brink of release, according to SeattleTimes.com. Earlier this week, Microsoft released its Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) to millions of testers for input and feedback, and it said it will stick to the planned release schedule for Vista’s final version of November for business users and January 2007 for consumers.Valentine was brought onto the Windows OS development team in the late 1990s by Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to prepare Windows 2000 for its launch, according to SeattleTimes.com.Analysts suggest that Valentine’s move may be a sign that a final version of Vista is indeed nearly ready for widespread release, as he seems to have left the firm on good terms, SeattleTimes.com reports. Valentine previously reported to Windows Core Operating System Division Co-Presidents Kevin Johnson and Jim Allchin. Jon DeVaan, who shared the SVP role for the division with Valentine for the past half-year, will take over complete management, according to SeattleTimes.com.Patty Smith, an Amazon spokeswoman, said Valentine will join the company as a senior vice president but did not provide further detail on what role he will play, according to SeattleTimes.com. Forty-six-year-old Valentine is a graduate of Eastern Washington University, SeattleTimes.com reports.Related Link: Testers: Microsoft Windows Vista RC1 Seems StableThis article is posted on our Microsoft Informer page. For more news on the Redmond, Wash.-based powerhouse, keep checking in.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content Feature Industry clouds prove their business value Born of partnerships and ecosystem-centric by their nature, cloud solutions aimed at specific verticals are taking root, forming a complex, rapidly evolving market CIOs must be strategic about entering. By Paula Rooney Mar 24, 2023 7 mins Cloud Computing Feature What is data governance? Best practices for managing data assets Data governance defines roles, responsibilities, and processes for ensuring accountability for and ownership of data assets across the enterprise. By Thor Olavsrud Mar 24, 2023 10 mins IT Governance Frameworks Big Data Data Mining BrandPost Stay in Control of Your Data with a Secure and Compliant Sovereign Cloud By Stan Kwong Mar 23, 2023 6 mins Cloud Security Cloud Computing News Accenture to lay off 19,000 to cut costs amid economic uncertainty Technology services giant Accenture will continue to hire but meanwhile is cutting staff to streamline operations in the face of economic headwinds. By Anirban Ghoshal Mar 23, 2023 2 mins IT Consulting Services Technology Industry Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe