Bill Gates to ease out of Microsoft reponsibilities

Washington, June 16 (UNI) Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates has announced plans to gradually withdraw from the day-to-day reponsibilities of the company he co-founded more than 30 years ago and built into the world's largest software firm.

Speaking at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington State yesterday, Mr Gates said he will relinquish all managerial roles by July 2008 to focus full-time on the charitable work of the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation.

Microsoft remains the world's largest software company, despite a slumping stock price that has disappointed investors and company insiders.

Mr Gates has stepped down as the chief software architect, but will continue as the company's chairman and remain in advisory roles after transferring his duties over the two-year period.

''This was a hard decision for me,'' said Mr Gates, who founded the company with childhood friend Paul Allen.

''I'm very lucky to have two passions that I feel are so important and so challenging. As I prepare for this change, I firmly believe the road ahead for Microsoft is as bright as ever.'' Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's Chief Technical Officer, will immediately assume the role of chief software architect and begin working with Mr Gates on overseeing all software technical design.

Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will now be the chief research and strategy officer and will work with Mr Gates in those areas.

Mr Mundie also will partner with general counsel Brad Smith to guide Microsoft's intellectual property and technology policy efforts.

Mr Gates is ranked by Forbes magazine as the world's richest man, with an estimated wealth of about 50 billion dollars.

That great wealth, he said, also brings great responsibility, and he repeated his oft-spoken desire to give away the bulk of his fortune to charity.

The Gates Foundation focuses on education and global health needs.

''Just as Microsoft has taken off in ways I never expected, so has the work of the foundation,'' he said.

In January 2000, Mr Gates assumed the role of chief software architect and Steve Ballmer took over the role of chief executive officer.

Mr Ballmer remains responsible for all day-to-day operations and the company's business strategy.

The world ''has had a tendency to focus a disproportionate amount of attention on me,'' Mr Gates said, when in reality, Microsoft is a company with an extraordinary depth and breadth of talent. ''Our leadership team has never been stronger,'' he said.

Under him, Microsoft has grown to more than 61,000 employees in more than 100 countries. It generates almost 1 billion dollars in profits every month, according to CBS News.

Mr Gates and Mr Allen started Microsoft in 1975. Mr Gates took Microsoft public in 1986 and was the company's chairman and CEO until 2000, the year he and his wife formed the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation, whose assets now total 29.1 billion dollars.

For the past six years he has focused on Microsoft's software development as the company's chairman and chief software architect.

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