• The Seattle Times, Tuesday, March 29, 2011 11:56 AM

Just about a year into the job, RealNetworks CEO Bob Kimball abruptly resigned on Monday. "Kimball was in the process of restructuring and rebuilding Real, which has zigged, zagged and lurched through several management changes over the last two years," The Seattle Times reports. RealNetworks said Kimball left on his own accord after largely completing the restructuring.

Yet, as The Seattle Times notes, the move comes as "the company is entering an intense several years that will test its plan to operate as a smaller company that's more focused on phone companies and other business customers, as well as games and consumer services." During Kimball's short reign, the company developed a new online media service that could now compete with upcoming media services from Google and Apple.

The company's stock, however, has floated below $4 for most of his tenure as chief executive. RealNetworks founder Rob Glaser, who resigned as chief executive in early 2010, tells the newspaper that the transition shouldn't slow the company's rebuilding efforts.

Read the whole story at The Seattle Times »