Microsoft's greatly respected engineer and software designer, Blaise Aguera y Arcas has reportedly left the software maker to join its rival Google.
Aguera y Arcas had been involved in a variety of development projects at Microsoft including some on augmented reality, wearable computing and natural user interfaces and was also heading the development of Bing Maps service.
According to the New York Times, the engineer would now be working on machine learning at Google.
The reason for quitting the software maker hasn't been disclosed, but Aguera y Arcas confirmed that he has joined Google.
The report said that defections of prized personnel to Google could be a sore spot for Microsoft as the search giant had earlier hired former Microsoft VP Kai-Fu Lee to run its research facility in China.
Aguera y Arcas joined Microsoft in 2006 through its acquisition of his start-up, Seadragon Software, the report added.