Microsoft delays 2008 WinHEC event by six months
Conference for hardware engineers will be moved from next spring to the fall
November 16, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- For 2008, Microsoft Corp. is delaying by about six months its annual conference for hardware engineers at PC makers and other system vendors.
The Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), where Microsoft typically reveals its upcoming software plans to system builders, is usually held in the spring. For example, WinHEC 2007 took place last May. But the software vendor said on its Web site that next year's conference won't occur until the fall.
Microsoft didn't say why it was making the change, beyond attributing the decision to "industry feedback." It was also vague about the planned location for WinHEC 2008, saying the conference would be held somewhere on the West Coast.
The company added that it plans to hold a series of "technology-specific" events throughout 2008 to keep hardware makers and Windows driver developers up-to-date on its technology plans.
Microsoft used this year's WinHEC, in part, to announce the official name for Windows Server 2008 and to demonstrate the upcoming operating system, which had been known by the code name Longhorn Server. At the 2006 conference, the company offered one of the first glimpses of what would become Windows Vista.
In addition, Microsoft usually discusses its long-term vision for the PC industry at WinHEC. The executives who spoke at this year's conference included Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates as well as Craig Mundie, the software vendor's chief research and strategy officer, and Mike Nash, its corporate vice president for Windows product management.