Hasta la Vista Vamos

Microsoft will soon get a new boss for its Australian and New Zealand operations as incumbent Steve Vamos gets bumped upwards to an international role based in Seattle.

"Microsoft Corporation today announced the appointment of Steve Vamos as vice president, International, Online Services Group, effective April 2007," the software giant said in a statement quietly slipped out yesterday.

"Vamos, who will be based in Seattle, will be responsible for Microsoft's global subsidiary online services, in all countries outside the United States."

The vendor plans to announce a successor for Vamos's role of vice president of Microsoft's Australian and New Zealand operations before April.

Vamos has led Microsoft in Australia since February 2003. From 1998 through 2003 he was chief executive officer of Australia's largest Web portal ninemsn, which is a joint venture between Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) and Microsoft.

Vamos has remained on the ninemsn board throughout the last eight years and will continue to do so.