The Windows Azure Cloud operating system, as well as the Azure Services Platform are nothing short of vital for the future of Microsoft, revealed the company's Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer.

During the 2008 Annual Shareholder Meeting at Bellevue, Washington, held on November 19, 2008, Microsoft's CEO emphasized the critical role that Windows Azure and the Azure Services Platform would play in continuing to fuel long-term growth and shareholder value, choosing not to focus on the now traditional Windows client, server or mobile platforms. However, giving credit where credit is due, Ballmer mentioned that Microsoft's strong growth in terms of revenue was in fact attributed to the success of its current products.

“Windows Azure and the Azure Services Platform are the result of a multi-year investment, and they are vital to the future of the company. They represent our belief that the key to delivering value today and in the future lies in combining the best aspects of software running on PCs, servers, and devices with the best aspects of services running on the Web,” Ballmer explained.

“That's what we mean by Software plus Services. The S+S approach lets us deliver technology that enables people to tap into the wealth of information that can be accessed over the web through a browser or the power of interactive experiences.”

One aspect that is no longer connected with Microsoft's future, however, is Yahoo, or a potential takeover of the Sunnyvale Internet giant. Even with Jerry Yang stepping down from the role of Yahoo Chief Executive Officer, Ballmer indicated that Microsoft was no longer interested in any way in a revitalization of negotiations.

The Microsoft CEO was clear that, despite an acquisition of Yahoo being out of the question, the Redmond company was still willing to consider a partnership in search.

“I believe that we are just at the beginning of what the full potential of software can be. Together, advances in hardware and software will be a catalyst for changes over the next 10 years,” revealed Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. “10 years from now, what we'll see in terms of software and hardware will be far more advanced compared to today, and even the advances that have taken place during the last 22 years.”