The former head of Microsoft"s entertainment and devices division is getting back into consumer electronics again but in a new direction. The Wall Street Journal reports that Robbie Bach, who was one of the main people behind the rise of Microsoft"s Xbox business, is now on the board of directors for Sonos. The company creates high end wireless audio systems that can stream music from a user"s local library of songs. Sonos" systems also work with a number of streaming Internet music and audio services like Pandora, Spotify and others.
Bach left Microsoft in the fall of 2010 after working at the company since the 1990s. He helped to launch the Xbox game console business in 2001 which has turned into a major money making division for the company. However, not all of Microsoft"s efforts under Bach have been as successful. The Zune media player business failed to make a dent in Apple"s market share. In addition, Microsoft"s Windows Phone 7 business was also under Bach"s control until he departed.
Since he left Microsoft, Bach has been working with the boards of the the Boys & Girls Club of America and the U.S. Olympic Committee. However, he was brought back into the business world by Sonos" CEO and founder John MacFarlane. The privately held company is expected to use Bach"s experience to help Sonos improve its marketing and its retail sales. The article said that the company should see $250 million in revenue in 2011 and is expected to be profitable this year.