MICROSOFT KEYNOTE AND MAJOR PRODUCT LAUNCHES KICK OFF 2010 INTERNATIONAL CES
Ballmer’s CES Keynote and Pre-Show Media Events Build Momentum on Eve of 2010 CES
Las Vegas, Nevada, January 7, 2010 –
A comprehensive keynote address from Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and
innovative product announcements from top technology companies fueled
excitement on the eve of the 2010 International CES®, the world's largest tradeshow for consumer technology. Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the 2010 International CES opened today in Las Vegas and runs through Sunday, January 10.
“Our
pre-show events created tremendous buzz on the eve of the 2010
International CES, as the world eagerly awaits the next generation of
technology innovation,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “The
2010 International CES will be a phenomenal show with more than 2,500
exhibitors, including a record of more than 330 new companies,
showcasing more than 20,000 new technology products and services. The
products unveiled this week at CES will change the face of the global
technology industry.”
In other pre-show news, CEA
released its Global CE Sales and Forecast. According to new data from
CEA and Gfk, consumer electronics sales worldwide in 2010 will generate
$681 billion in retail revenue.
On Tuesday evening, the
6th annual CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International
CES kicked off the pre-CES media events at The Venetian. The event
hosted a record number of more than 1,000 media. With 67 exhibitors,
including Lenovo, Logitech, Parrott and Samsung Mobile, CES Unveiled
featured the latest technology innovations including 3D TV, Netbooks,
eBooks and robotic devices.
Product announcements
continued on Wednesday with CES Press Day, featuring 14 exhibitor press
conferences. CES exhibitors making new product announcements included
LG, which announced an Ultra Slim 6.9 mm LED TV; Toshiba, which
introduced CELL TV, converting all content from 2D to 3D; and
Panasonic, which announced the world's largest – 65 inch – plasma 3D
HDTV.
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Corporation, delivered his second
pre-CES keynote on Wednesday evening at the Hilton Center. Ballmer
focused on the importance of changing screens for the television and
PC, cloud computing across multiple platforms and the evolving natural
user interface. Ballmer, along with Ryan Asdourian, senior product
manager for Windows, showed off a wide variety of innovative Windows
7-compatible PCs and software.
Next, Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices
Division, discussed the exclusive content available in 2010 on the XBOX
Live console. Bach wowed the audience by saying the popular video game
series Halo will come out with a new title, Halo Reach, in the fall of
2010. Microsoft also announced that Project Natal, its revolutionary
new video game that requires no game controllers, will be in stores by
the holiday 2010 season.
For the latest news and developments from the 2010 International CES, visit www.CESweb.org
About CEA:
The
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade
association promoting growth in the $165 billion U.S. consumer
electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of
CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research,
technical training and education, industry promotion, standards
development and the fostering of business and strategic
relationships. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES –
Where Entertainment, Technology and Business Converge. All profits from
CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org.
