Parallels appoints ex-Microsoft exec as CEO

Virtualisation software specialist Parallels has named current president Birger Steen as its next chief executive.

Steen was vice president of SMB and distribution at Microsoft before his move to Parallels in September 2010 and will take over from Sergei Beloussov, who will serve as executive chairman and chief architect of the company he founded.

Steen is one of many senior Microsoft executives to have left the company in recent months following chief executive Steve Ballmer's management reshuffle.

In making the announcement, Beloussov highlighted Steen's ability to connect within partner programmes.

"'The board is confident that Birger, with his global experience and proven track record in building and developing strong partner communities, is the right leader at the right time to help Parallels scale and accelerate our worldwide growth plans," he said.

"He will enable Parallels to be the best partner for service providers at an even larger scale, and will lead the successful execution our strategy."

Parallels is best known for its Mac OS X and Windows desktop virtualisation platforms, but also offers tools for server virtualisation and automated systems for use with cloud computing platforms.

The company estimates that it currently controls 78 per cent of the desktop virtualisation market.

Parallels recently unveiled Automation for Cloud, a platform designed for hosted service providers that specialise in the SME space.