In the days leading up to the giant CES consumer-electronics fete in Las Vegas, one thing is clear: Two of the largest players at the conference will be a company that isn?t there at all, and one that is making its last appearance, at least on stage.
Even before the conference began, a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft made news by announcing that this year would mark the last time the company?s chief executive would deliver the show?s opening keynote address. After 14 consecutive years as the headlining act, CEO Steve Ballmer will take the stage for the last time Monday night.
At future shows, the company will continue to host customer meetings, but it won?t have a booth. Frank Shaw, Microsoft?s vice president of corporate communications, noted in a blog post in mid-December that ?our product news milestones generally don?t align with the show?s January timing.?
But in a New York Times interview, a CES executive said the decision was mutual between Microsoft and CES, and that Microsoft had es ...
In the days leading up to the giant CES consumer-electronics fete in Las Vegas, one thing is clear: Two of the largest players at the conference will be a company that isn?t there at all, and one that is making its last appearance, at least on stage.
That?s right: With nearly every gadget to be hawked and gawked at during the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show Jan. 10-13, Apple Inc.? and Microsoft Corp.? will play major roles even if they aren?t physically present.
Even before the conference began, a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft made news by announcing that this year would mark the last time the company?s chief executive would deliver the show?s opening keynote address. After 14 consecutive years as the headlining act, CEO Steve Ballmer will take the stage for the last time Monday night.
At future shows, the company will continue to host customer meetings, but it won?t have a booth. Frank Shaw, Microsoft?s vice president of corporate communications, noted in a blog post in mid-December that ?our product news milestones generally don?t align with the show?s January timing.?
But in a New York Times interview, a CES executive said the decision was mutual between Microsoft and CES, and that Microsoft had essentially been disinvited from giving the show?s opening keynote as the show seeks fresh presenters. Microsoft declined to comment on the report.
Apple usually does skip the show, focusing instead on Mac-centric conferences. But it seems ironic for the show to go on without Apple ? the one company that more than any other defines the consumer electronics industry. Still, Apple?s presence will be felt as exhibitors show products to compete with Apple?s leading iPad, iPhone and MacBook Air, or show accessories designed to be used with Apple products.
As always, CES will be huge this year, with an estimated 2,700 exhibitors including 62 from Washington state, ranging from two Amazon.com? groups and multiple teams from Microsoft, to representatives from relatively small Airbiquity, a Seattle-based company that makes wireless technology for automobiles.
There also will be 140,000 attendees and 5,000 reporters and analysts ? all converging on Vegas from 140 countries. That?s more than 10 times the size of the first CES, which took place in New York in 1967.
So what will be hot this year? Look for a rundown in this week's print edition of the Puget Sound Business Journal, also available to subscribers at pugetsoundbusinessjournal.com beginning Friday (Jan. 6). Watch, too, for coverage on TechFlash.com next week.
Skip Ferderber will be blogging from CES next week and can be reached at sferderber@gmail.com.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vertical_58/~3/o2XxL7v0YTY/ces-2012-glitz-gadgets-and.html
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