Why the heck weren't we invited? I'm sure that at least some of us are MSFT stockholders, but I don't remember getting any invitation to this party.
And yes, I'd like to sit down with Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Warren Buffet, and Mike Dell, and tell them personally the problems I'm having with my desktop PC.....
For Personal Use Only
dailynews.yahoo.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
Wednesday May 19 6:21 PM ET
Gates Sees 'Digital Dashboards' On PCs Of Future
By Martin Wolk
REDMOND, Wash. (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news)
Chairman Bill Gates, speaking to an invited audience of high-profile corporate chieftains, Wednesday
outlined a future in which pervasive network connections free workers from their desks and meetings.
In Gates' vision of a world of ''digital dashboards'' and ''meetings without walls,'' the personal computer maintains its place of
primacy in the workplace, while smaller devices ranging from tiny cell phones to ''tablet computers'' the size of legal pads --
allow workers to stay in constant touch with the beating heart of the corporate database.
As more than 100 of the world's top business leaders including Jack Welch, Warren Buffett and Michael Dell looked on at the
company's third annual CEO Summit, Gates led a 75-minute tour of current and future technology products aimed at increasing
corporate efficiency.
Gates said paper documents would be ''with us for a long period of time'' to come. At the same time he demonstrated
advances in high-resolution screens, digital books and ''electronic paper'', which the Microsoft chairman said paved the way for
a more digital future.
Microsoft executives insisted the event was not a sales pitch but a chance for corporate leaders to share views on how
technology can increase workplace efficiency in industries ranging from aerospace to entertainment.
Still Gates, in his keynote address managed to work in plugs for a range of Microsoft products including the Exchange mail
system and Outlook information management program. The speech, given at the suburban Seattle headquarters of the world's
biggest software company, was piped in by closed-circuit television to a roomful of reporters nearby.
Gates acknowledged the event was to at least some degree an exercise in customer relations.
''We feel great that we can strengthen the dialogue we have with all these companies,'' Gates told the reporters, who were able
to monitor the kickoff speech but none of the other presentations.
Executives said they were impressed by the demonstration of technology including the digital dashboard -- a customized
version of Outlook providing access to electronic mail, news, stock quotes, Internet search capability and other information.
Lifestyle doyenne Martha Stewart, one of the few women at the gathering, said she would like to see a comparable product for
the consumer market.
Gates also showed how inexpensive video technology could be used to reduce the amount of time spent in meetings.
''It's not a case where you get rid of them all, but it is a case where many of them go away, many can be made more
productive,'' Gates said.
Executives said they appreciated the opportunity to discuss the impact of technology on their own business and hear from their
colleagues in other industries.
Paul O'Neill of Alcoa Inc. said he accelerated his company's efforts in electronic commerce after attending last year's summit.
''I was able to calibrate how we were doing against all the competition in the world,'' he said.
And while the event was billed as an opportunity for executives to learn from each other, inevitably there was at least some soft
selling during the breaks.
''I would like the opportunity to sell Bill Gates a new Jaguar,'' said Jacques Nasser of Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - news)
''Some of these CEOs can't help themselves,'' Gates said.
After a daylong series of presentations, the executives were to be taken to Gates' $60 million lakeside mansion for dinner and a
''fireside chat'' by Buffett, the legendary Nebraska stock-picker, and Welch of General Electric Co.
Other chief executives at the meeting included Dell of Dell Computer Corp. (Nasdaq:DELL - news), Ben Rosen of Compaq
Computer Corp. (NYSE:CPQ - news) and Michael Eisner chairman of Walt Disney Co.
Copyright © 1999 Reuters Limited.
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