Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer, has recently been appointed to Sonos' board of directors. Chairman Mike Volpi announced Panay's appointment as part of the premium audio hardware maker's board. He said in a press release, "Panay's comprehensive background in developing tightly-integrated hardware and software platforms, coupled with a track record of innovation in product design and development, makes him an exciting addition to the Sonos board."
As The Verge points out, the optics might be a bit weird from Panay's perspective. Microsoft seems to be in good standing with Google recently, with the company close to releasing a Microsoft-branded, Android 10-powered smartphone in the Surface Duo. Meanwhile, Google and Sonos are still in the midst of a legal battle over accusations that Google stole its smart speaker tech. Those issues aside, Panay will be bringing years of expertise when it comes to hardware to Sonos.