Microsoft has lost one of its major software engineers to perhaps its biggest rival, Google. The New York Times reports that Blaise Aguera y Arcas, who joined Microsoft in 2006 after his company Seadragon Software was acquired by the Redmond giant, will now reportedly work on machine learning projects at his new Google gig.
While at Microsoft, Aguera y Arcas was a major developer behind several Bing-related projects, including Bing Maps and Bing Mobile. He also was head of development for Photosynth, which allows for the creation of 3D panoramic images by merging a number of separate photographs together. Microsoft just launched the third generation version of Photosynth last week in a public preview.
In a statement sent to the Times, Microsoft said, "He was a great colleague and we wish him the best in his future endeavors." In a post on his personal blog, Aguera y Arcas said that while it was "tremendously exciting" to take on a new job at Google, he also stated that leaving Microsoft was "The hardest decision of my life." He added, " It’s painful to leave behind so many wonderful ongoing projects, and even more so to leave behind such a great team."
Source: New York Times | Image via Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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