Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Microsoft Chief Tackles Economic Crisis

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer addressed the deepening U.S. economic crisis early and directly in his first-ever Consumer Electronics Show keynote in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening. Ballmer took over the top spot at the company -- and the opening night stage at the annual high-tech extravaganza -- when founder Bill Gates decided to dedicate the bulk of his time to philanthropy. His was an upbeat message for a crowd of roughly 4,000 industry insiders, analysts and media: "Even at a time when we may be tempted to temper our optimism and scale back our expectations... our digital lives will only continue to get richer."

The power of ideas and innovation will drive the country forward regardless of the economic environment, Ballmer said. "When people are struggling to make every dollar count... the choice that offers the most power, the most value for the money is the PC," he added. Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro, who introduced Ballmer, said that after a proliferation of "tough news," he was ready for some optimism and innovation. Microsoft delivered. Ballmer announced the beta availability of the Windows 7 operating system and partnerships with computer manufacturer Dell, social networking site Facebook and Verizon Wireless.

Ballmer's speech was not all somber. He joked that a number of people sent him messages before his big address, including Gates, who told him to make sure he was at CES, "not that other convention in Las Vegas" (the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo). He added that outgoing Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang sent him a message saying: "Why do you keep ignoring my friend requests on Facebook?" His keynote also featured a performance by Tripod, an Australian musical comedy act who sang about an epic struggle between playing a videogame and spending quality time with a woman.

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