Gates Says Microsoft Will Thrive
PC-centered computing may be waning, but
Gates said that Microsoft's position among software
makers will give it an edge when it comes to the Internet.
Software applications will be key to the growth of the wireless
device market and areas such as interactive TV, he said.
Automated applications, voice technology, and media-rich content
also are areas of focus for Microsoft, which envisions a new
approach to software in the future. (See
"We will think about software more as a service than we have in the past," Gates said.
Gates predictably championed his company's Windows 2000
operating system and Microsoft's recently released line of
enterprise server software as confirmation that the software
maker will have a place in Internet-based enterprise computing.
(See
He also announced new management software called Microsoft Operations Manager, due out next year. The chairman then presented a series of standards-based management interfaces called .Net Management Services and a partner program called the Microsoft Management Alliance.
The Microsoft Operations Manager should be out next year, and is aimed at helping the company's Windows 2000 Server and .Net Enterprise Server work better.
Microsoft's work with hardware manufacturers such as Dell Computer, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq Computer, and Unisys will help make the Windows DataCenter servers reliable and compatible across the board, Gates said.
"We need a new level of partnerships between hardware
vendors and Microsoft in creating these systems," Gates said.
After explaining the new products and Microsoft's work with
hardware vendors, Gates underscored the company's commitment to
XML, which he said helps software, Internet services, and
back-end hardware work together smoothly. (See
"XML is really the critical standard," Gates said.
