THE MAN picked by Bill Gates to be his direct replacement as Microsoft’s Chief Software Architect has surprised the company by announcing his immediate departure from the company.

Ray Ozzie, who joined Microsoft when it acquired his previous employer Groove in 2005, and replaced Gates in the software role a year later, had been leading Microsoft’s shift from dominance of the home PC market to becoming a significant mover in the growing ‘cloud computing’ sector.

His surprise resignation was announced in an email to company staff sent by Steve Ballmer – Gates’ replacement as CEO – and while Ozzie will remain at the company for a transitional period, Ballmer said Microsoft would not be seeking to appoint someone new to the position.

“With our progress in services and the cloud now full speed ahead in all aspects of our business, Ray and I are announcing today Ray’s intention to step down from his role as chief software architect,” Ballmer wrote.

It is unclear where Ozzie’s future intentions lie; Ballmer wrote that Ozzie would focus on the “broader area of entertainment, where Microsoft has many ongoing investments” – meaning that he may be set to take over from Robbie Bach, who is planning to quit as the president of the Entertainment & Devices division at the company, or run one of the many start-ups in which Microsoft has invested.

As a former actor, however, he may decide to quit the tech industry altogether and return to the stage.

Ozzie’s departure follows that of the head of the Business Division, Stephen Elop, who last month became CEO of Nokia.