Ballmer unbounded
In a free-ranging discussion with the Washington Post yesterday (see video here), Microsoft (MS) CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed that talks between MS and Yahoo continue, said he was puzzled by Google, and predicted that all media will be delivered via the net within the next ten years.
Ballmer denied any contact with Carl Icahn prior to his purchase of a stake in Yahoo. “Obviously, he’s talked to some of our folks since then.” he continued. Ballmer refused to speculate why Yahoo rejected the MS offer. “Maybe some of these lawsuits will turn up interesting e-mail, but I don’t think otherwise there will be any way to do the forensics of what was the real motive.”
What’s Google up to?
“That recent thing where [Google] went in with Sprint and WiMax guys is very confusing to me,” Ballmer admitted. “It’s unclear to me why any of us would like to jump in and go compete with rest of the cable, mobile and telecom industry – at least we don’t think we do,” he concluded uncertainly.
The future for media
“There will be no media consumption left in ten years that is not delivered over an IP network,” Ballmer said. “There will be no newspapers, no magazines that are delivered in paper form.” But, he continued, “there are going to be far more producers of content than exist today. We’ve already started to see that in the online world, but we’ve just scratched the surface.”
As to TV, Ballmer mused that his son stays up all night playing Xbox Live with friends all over the world, yet he himself could not have the same kind of a social interaction around a basketball game or golf match. “It’s just because one is delivered over an IP network and the other is not.”
How to stay rich
Ballmer predicted ad-supported internet content would marginalise fees and subscriptions. In a rather startling comment from a multi-millionaire, he said he watches ‘Lost,’ his favourite programme, on the net because it’s free. “I have to admit that I’m annoyed by the [ads],” Ballmer concluded, “but not annoyed enough to pay a buck.”
