Microsoft New Zealand national technology officer Brett Roberts - one of the software giant’s most senior staff - has announced his resignation, sneaking in ahead of an official company announcement.

[Read also: Microsoft NZ admits restructure in wake of Roberts' departure]

Microsoft announced a new pricing structure for its Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) due to strong customer demand in New Zealand and around the world, it claims.

The cloud computing solution will be available in an additional 15 countries from next week and includes updated capabilities.

Microsoft’s Software as a Service (SaaS – no, it’s not a form of online flu) Unified Communications offering launched this month to relatively little fanfare, but the recession may speed its adoption by businesses.

Microsoft New Zealand National Technology Officer Roberts believes it’s still early days for the service, but argues the recession has accelerated the focus on it because of reliability and potential cost savings.