Gates Seen Taking Bigger Products Role at Microsoft

Even as Bill Gates weighs giving up his title of chairman of Microsoft Corp., he’s poised to remain involved at the company he co-founded in an area of its deepest need: crafting must-have products.

As the board prepares to appoint Satya Nadella as Microsoft’s next chief executive officer, it’s considering replacing Gates as board chairman, people with knowledge of the matter have said. Gates would remain a director and be involved in product development, focusing less on administration, the people said. He’s weighing going to work at Microsoft at least one day a week, a person briefed on the matter said.