Summary: Another manager jumps ship shortly before next-generation Zune appears

ZUNE is one of Microsoft's most spectacular stories of failure in recent years. There is a certain sense of pride at Microsoft which prevents the firm from conceding this game to Apple, but it seems like a matter of time before Zune ends up with the fossils. Analysis of the Zune has been largely negative recently. The head of the team quit and it took ages to find a replacement for him. Another key manager has just left, even before the next-generation product saw the light of day.

Zune exec bails ahead of player's upcoming HD launch

Microsoft’s Zune general marketing manager has quit the firm.

Why did he leave at this particular stage? It's not entirely clear, not based on anyone's words anyway. He is about to join the copyright cartel (Universal), based on the Wall Street Journal. Other coverage of this names some names.

The WSJ's sources say that Stephenson will be named Chief Marketing Officer of Interscope Geffen A&M Records sometime after Labor Day, reporting to Chairman Jimmy Iovine.

These are the people who are believed to have lobbied the UK government to attack sharers with great prejudice. Stephenson essentially moves from one bad company that obeys the copyright cartel right into the copyright cartel itself. ⬆