Microsoft Leaving CES After 2012 Show

Yesterday it was announced that Microsoft would be stepping down from the Consumer Electronics Show after 2012.

Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw said the company would no longer make a keynote presentation or host a booth after the one scheduled for January. For years Microsoft has been the main attraction using the keynote to try to upstage Apple's normal January event.

Lately though the early timeline has not aligned with Microsofts product deadlines and they have been rehashing past products and slightly teasing new ones. In 2011 the recapped existing products and only announced the upcoming Windows 8, while keeping details on the operating systems features secret until their own Build conference in September.

Microsoft has said they will partake in CES going forward but in a much smaller way, mainly for making business deals and connections. While Apple and Google have avoided taking part in CES all together it appears others are looking to do the same. Motorola Mobility has already canceled its conference for the upcoming show.

The cost of having such a large presence at the event compared to how easy it is to be missed in the huge onslaught of announcements made during CES has companies looking for smaller, individual events where they can control attention and hype. It seems people are trying to take a page from Apple whom for years has brought the tech industry to a still leading up to any one of it's famous keynotes.

While Microsoft has decided to pull out after 2012 this in no way means the end of CES. The Consumer Electronics Association said that they have already received interest for Microsoft's old booth space and I am sure one if not others will look to jump into that keynote spot as well.