Microsoft's decision to part ways with Steven Sinofsky was surprising, but it wasn't sudden.
Former Microsoft employee Hal Berenson says on his blog that he heard months ago Sinofsky was going to leave after the launch of Windows 8.
Berenson also has some gossip about why Sinofsky is out. His friend told him Sinofsky "had alienated most of Microsoft’s senior leadership, if not the bulk of the executive staff."
He also believes Sinofsky tried to grab control of the Windows Phone group, but was shot down. Berenson thinks that if Sinofsky had gained control of Windows Phone, Microsoft's top mobile executives would have left.
For what it's worth, Kara Swisher at All Things D says Sinofsky's personality led to the departure of Stephen Elop, Ray Ozzie, Robbie Bach, and J Allard in the last few years.
Because of these departures, Sinofsky was "tearing the company apart from the inside," says Berenson.
Ballmer was happy to back Sinofsky in all of those previous clashes. At some point, things changed for Ballmer. Perhaps, there's only so many people Microsoft can afford to lose.
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