SYDNEY-Microsoft's global chief executive, Steve Ballmer, says the software giant is preparing for a world without Bill Gates at the helm by encouraging innovation.
Mr Ballmer's two-day Australian visit has been a tightly managed affair with media denied access to all ports of call on his schedule, which included meetings with Prime Minister John Howard, federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd and officials at both federal and state levels of government.
The 51-year-old executive was in Sydney today to speak to about 400 business leaders at a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).
He said Microsoft, the world's largest software producer, was attempting to "systematise innovation" as it moved into an era without its founding chairman, Mr Gates, who is set to pull back from his leadership position.
Last year, the billionaire, who is seen as one of the original pioneers of personal computer development, announced that he would move to a part-time role while still remaining chairman of the company in July 2008 as he moved to focus on philanthropic endeavours.
"In the past, we've kind of relied heavily on Bill Gates and a couple of folks at the top," Mr Ballmer said at the AmCham lunch.
"Bill's going to go part-time and that should get to the issue of systematisation."
He said the company made its top 200 managers come up with ideas of what they thought the future of technology would look like.
The last innovation session yielded up to 70 visions for the world in five to 10 years, one of which saw all forms of reading and writing rendered digital.
"For every one of the opportunities people brought, you'll get a whole start-up or a whole company that can build a major business around," he said.
The biggest challenge at the moment was to make current forms of digital written expression as ubiquitous as a scrap of paper.
Yesterday, the chief executive signed an agreement with the Department of Defence that reaffirmed both parties' commitment to collaborate on matters of national defence.
Notably absent from any of the statements issued through the restricted media channels were comments relating to Australia's broadband speeds.
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