Ballmer still loves the channel

Microsoft chief executive talks up software plus service model in keynote speech on first day of Worldwide Partner Conference

The future seems bright for Microsoft partners after a characteristically buoyant keynote speech by chief executive Steve Ballmer at the software giant’s Worldwide partner conference in Denver.

Ballmer kicked off the event with his keynote by stressing the importance of the channel to Microsoft.

“The favourite thing I get to do, absolute favourite thing bar none, is meet with our partners,” he said. “Through the first three-quarters of the fiscal year we reported very good numbers, which means you [partners] did a lot of fantastic work on both of our behalves. When the tally is ready to post on our fourth quarter, I trust and hope it will reflect that continued strong drive and fantastic work that you are doing to drive adoption and use and value for Microsoft technologies.”

The main theme of the keynote was the relatively young concept of ‘software plus services’, with two technologies in particular given airtime – Microsoft’s new ‘Silverlight’ technology which allows for the creation of applications with a simple user interface on any operating system, and also Windows Live, which Microsoft intends to open further to partners to help them develop more applications.

“Most of the business we all do together this year will continue to be on traditional customer premise software, but the era of software plus service is beginning, the time is now,” Ballmer said. “Whether you’re a training partner, a distribution partner, or somebody else I didn’t list, the fundamental transformation to software plus service that’s happening in the model of computation and user interface is upon us, and it will affect us all. I guarantee you Microsoft will lead in driving this next generation of computing and user interface.”

Ballmer concluded: “So, let’s get out there, let’s knock the ball out of the park, let’s make sure we execute very well so that we make money in the next 12 months. We’ve got the home fires stoked and burning and we’re also going to drive this next generation of software plus services.”