Ballmer Keynote

Transition from software from pre-Internet to Live click to run

Still a need for software development that is long term; not an end to big long projects; need various muscle types (fast twitch to slow twitch), long cycle innovation is still around but shorter innovation cycles needed

Click to run simplicity is coming

Too much integration with innovation in Vista - need to innovate and integrate, not at the same time -

He sees Vista as a 2 to 3 year Windows release cycle behind XP SP2 - interesting perspective

Hardened the interfaces, reduce the attack points as a security perspective,

Give the ability to use policy based stuff as well

People center means the end customer - Unless the business sees the value then there is no need

The IS folks are people too;

Live platform is the Microsoft consumerization solution

Search is still a evolving space - need more, especially internally. The Office 2007 product increase this search

The unstructured pieces of the process is where Microsoft with Office 2007, embracing the workflow process.

Customization in Sharepoint to fairly structure CRM model.

Need a path forward from older models of CRM from Microsoft; Oracle is trying to get rid all of the cakes but one; SAP says ignore the cake - around CRM

Gates retirement: no real change

Four principles of Microsoft (got to see this)

1. Invest in multiple in separate cores; desktop, entertainment, enterprise, etc. Broad portfolio
2. Software is innovation business. Stop innovating and die
3. Live platform is very important
4. Tenacity and long term approach; will continue to keep working and working.

Position well in the entertainment business; media center and Zune as examples

Online time replacing reading time

Competing to free: how to compete not a usual marketplace - total benefit - total cost equals total benefit. We be competing for the future - the value proposition from Microsoft must only grow (i.e. Office 2007 integration is far beyond OpenOffice)

Open vs. closed ecosystem - open ecosystems are typically chaotic; closed is ok but creates a barrier - looking at managed ecosystem where Microsoft provides management to ensure compliance

5 year view of Microsoft

1. Leading edge of defining IT; key is talent - looking to retain and get talent and then enable them
2. Live as platform is transforming event - software as a service