WebProNews

In October, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer announced that he intended to acquire 20 companies per year for the next five years.  As far as anyone knows, that remains the case.  Yet this task may become more difficult than Ballmer expected, as Bruce Jaffe, the corporate vice president of corporate development, is quitting.

Ballmer and Jaffe still have about a month and a half to squeeze in deals - Jaffe won't fully step down until February 29th.  At that point, the 12-year veteran will start his own company, according to Owen Thomas; the name and chief product or service of this undertaking remain unknown.

The Jaffe-Microsoft split doesn't seem too bitter, however, as the Redmond-based company has yet to update (or delete) his corporate profile.  Also, in an email to John Letzing, a Microsoft spokesman wrote, "Bruce's contribution to Microsoft's growth is much appreciated and we wish him well in his next endeavor."

Jaffe's replacement (assuming one has even been found) has yet to be publicly named.  Also, no official comments concerning future acquisition targets (such as Yahoo) came about as a result of this development.