On Thursday, Redmond, Wash.-based software behemoth Microsoft announced that it is restructuring the unit that includes its popular Windows operating system (OS).

The news comes just two days after the company bumped the consumer launch date of its upcoming OS, Vista, to January 2007, too late to be available for the upcoming holiday season. Microsoft’s business partners will be able to license the OS in November.

Steven Sinofsky, a company executive currently tasked with the development of Office business products, will head up the new unit, encompassing the Windows OS and Windows Live, an ongoing initiative to build the company’s Web-based products, according to the AP.

Sinofsky will largely concentrate on developing future editions of Windows, and Jim Allchin, whom Sinofsky replaces, will collaborate with Brian Valentine, another company executive, to complete Vista’s development, the AP reports.

Ben Fathi, an executive focusing on storage and file applications, will take over the company’s Security Technology Unit, succeeding Mike Nash, whose new role has not yet been released, the AP reports.

The restructuring is meant to bolster Microsoft’s online strategy, allow for faster decision making with fewer levels of executive approval required and enable the company to keep up with competitors in the software space, according to the AP.