In a move that is designed to put Microsoft on par with Apple in terms of its actual involvement in the commercialization of its products, the Redmond company is cooking the evolution of the PC retail experience via its own branded stores. The software giant announced that it planned to open a yet undisclosed number of retail outlets worldwide and that it had appointed David Porter as Corporate Vice President of Retail Stores. Porter will be reporting directly to Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner.

“I am delighted to welcome David to Microsoft,” Turner indicated. “This is an exciting time with our strong lineup of upcoming product releases including Windows 7 and new releases of Windows Live and Windows Mobile. We’re also working hard to transform the PC and Microsoft buying experience at retail by improving the articulation and demonstration of the Microsoft innovation and value proposition so that it’s clear, simple and straightforward for consumers everywhere. David’s unique and diverse background, coupled with his deep retail roots and distribution understanding, will be an invaluable asset in this long-term effort.”

Microsoft has so far failed to share any consistent details about its future plans. The company did however emphasize that it would be Porter's job to catalyze the transformation of the PC and device-buying experience for retail consumers, as well as to plan, develop and roll out the Microsoft-branded retail outlets worldwide. For starters, Porter will have to contour the time frame, locations and specifics for the Microsoft-branded stores. Before coming to Microsoft, Porter occupied the position of head of worldwide product distribution at DreamWorks Animation SKG.

“There are tremendous opportunities ahead for Microsoft to create a world-class shopping experience for our customers,” Porter said. “I am excited about helping consumers make more informed decisions about their PC and software purchases, and we’ll share learnings from our stores with our existing retail and OEM partners that are critical to our success.”