Microsoft has announced that its keynote at the 2012
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will be its last. The company has said that it will still participate in the show, but will not be taking to the stage with announcements. Microsoft’s participation may be limited to simply connecting with partners and customers in the industry. The organisers of CES, CEA, have confirmed that Microsoft will not reserve the Central Hall exhibit space that it has used in previous years.
Microsoft Vice-president Frank Shaw confirmed this departure in a blog post. He said that timing is an important factor. The timing of the show itself no longer fits with Microsoft’s product cycles. He said, “We won't have a keynote or booth after this year because our product news milestones generally don't align with the show's January timing."
It is also unlikely that Microsoft will use this final appearance to go out with a bang. According to Microsoft, Steve Ballmer will not announce any significant news, but use the keynote as more of a wrap up of the year. The keynote will focus on the Windows phone and the Xbox.