Microsoft News Tracker

Today at a partner event in London, Steve Ballmer revealed that Microsoft will be releasing a Windows Cloud OS at the Microsoft Professional Developers conference scheduled for late October:

“We need a new operating system designed for the cloud and we will introduce one in about four weeks, we’ll even have a name to give you by then. But let’s just call it for the purposes of today ‘Windows Cloud’,” said Ballmer.

“Just like Windows Server looked a lot like Windows but with new properties, new characteristics and new features, so will Windows Cloud look a lot like Windows Server.”

Ballmer also hinted at what would be built into the new OS, including geo replication, how to design apps intended to commingle [we think he means appeasing regulators by providing more interoperability], management modelling and an SOA model, to effectively create a new platform.

“We’re not driving an agenda towards being service providers but we’ve gotta build a service that is Windows in the cloud,” admitted Ballmer.

Surely he means a new set of cloud services (some of which sound suspiciously like what we used to call Web Services) for Windows Server, but I guess we’ll have to wait for the PDC to find out what Mr. Ballmer is running on about.

In April 2006, Microsoft joined some venture capital firms to spin out unused Microsoft Research social networking technology into a startup named Wallop which seemed to be a poster child for their IP Ventures arm. Wallop launched a beta of their service almost exactly 2 years ago, but it is all over now as Wallop has announced that they will shut their social networking doors on Sept. 18.

All is not lost apparently as Wallop still has two Facebook/Bebo applications they are promoting. It’s just that the apps have little to do with the original Microsoft intellectual property or the Wallop intent of getting customers to "pay for pretty." This isn’t really a surprise since startups crash all the time, not just ones backed by big companies like Microsoft.

Microsoft’s online deck chairs have been in disarray since the departure in July of Kevin Johnson, but they got a new arrangement this week with veteran SVP Yusuf Mehdi picking up responsibility for MSN and Microsoft’s search properties. The best line award goes to Angela Gunn at BetaNews who opines:

Yusuf Mehdi is the new number-two for Microsoft’s Online Services division — but, as The Prisoner would be the first to ask, who is Number One?

A curious question, but par for the course of Microsoft’s online efforts.

Medhi, formerly Senior VP of Strategic Partnerships, has shifted his responsibilities from mergers and acquisitions to MSN and Microsoft’s search properties. He takes most of the job’s marketing and search tasks off the plate of Bill Veghte, the senior VP now focusing mainly on the Windows and Windows Live groups; Veghte picks up a new title, Senior Vice President for the Windows Business.

But Medhi isn’t stepping into the top spot for the online properties group, leaderless since Kevin Johnson jumped for Juniper Networks in the wake of the failed Yahoo acquisition. That leader will be…

…announced at some later date, says Microsoft. For now, Mehdi joins two senior VPs tasked with interim division leadership: Brian McAndrews, who manages the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group, and Satya Nadella, head of the Search, Portal, and Advertising Platform Group.

Until a new Online Audience Business head is hired, the three will report to CEO Steve Ballmer, who’s said to be still seeking a high-profile "get" — internal or external — for the top spot. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to BetaNews Tuesday afternoon that the search is still most definitely on for that person.

Mr. Ballmer is apparently asking volunteers to step forward and everyone is taking one step back. I’d suggest an immense signing bonus and a similar golden parachute.