Former Microsoft exec, Obama donor named new US CIO

Longtime Microsoft executive Steven VanRoekel is set to become the United States' second federal CIO, replacing outgoing incumbent Vivek Kundra. The White House announced on Thursday that President Barack Obama intends to appoint VanRoekel, who left his post as senior director of Microsoft's Windows Server and Tools Division in 2009 after 15 years at the firm to become managing director of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to the nation's top tech post.

Among VanRoekel's roles at the FCC was overseeing a redesign of the the commission's website. In April he blogged about the changes to the site, which included an intuitive design and layout "optimised for the everyday citizen."