Microsoft Loses A KIN Manager To Yahoo
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Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) has hired John Matheny, one of the managers behind the KIN, which Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) abruptly shut down a month-or-so after it was launched. Matheny was directly responsible for the part of KIN that was universally liked the most by reviewers, the KIN Studio, which beautifully backed up data from the device to the cloud.
SEE ALSO: Microsoft Suddenly Hangs Up On KIN
His departure was reported first by All Things Digital, which confirmed that Matheny is now SVP of Yahoo’s communications products and communities unit. Matheny’s background at Microsoft can be found on his LinkedIn page here.
The most troublesome part of Matheny’s departure was that the executive was recently appointed to the Windows Phone 7 team, where he headed up the App Studio and was responsible for creating an experience that differentiated the Windows Phone 7 platform. Not only did he not stay around long enough to see the phone launch (an event that could have brought up bad memories), but the app store will be a intensely competitive playing ground for years to come, where Microsoft will have to work hard to catch-up to Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and others. Bringing some of the style from the Kin Studio would have been a nice and fresh approach in mobile.
At Yahoo, it appears that Matheny will be among various other ex-Microsoft executives, including new Chief Products Head Blake Irving.
Posted In: Industry Moves, Mobile, Companies, Microsoft, Yahoo, john matheny
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