Is Microsoft’s Exit from CES a Sign of Trouble for the Megashow?
While some will point to Microsoft’s exit from CES as another sign of the company’s decline, I think it’s not that at all. Instead, I’d propose that losing a major anchor supporter like Microsoft is a sign that CES is a show past it’s prime and a sign of things to come.
So what do I mean? First off, anyone who goes to CES knows that the show is has so much “noise” now, simply figuring out what is important and what isn’t is difficult in itself. Apple knows this and for this reasons chooses to stay away, instead wisely focusing on their own shows. I think Microsoft will, much as it has with the Microsoft Store, take a cue here from Apple and will likely put more effort into its own vendor showw as the place to break news and introduce big products.
But it’s more than that. CES used to be about TVs, living room technology, audio visual. But as the PC world began to focus on digital entertainment in the late 90s, the show began to expand, and now it includes so much stuff (they have a connected car pavilion, a mobile health pavilion, and so on and so on) that the show has become almost too general.
Some would argue that something had to replace Comdex, which used to be the big general purpose technology show, but I think that instead CES is in danger of becoming the next Comdex. Too big, too general, when people can go do specific shows that have a narrower focus.
Will CES survive? Perhaps. After all, it’s still Las Vegas in January, when everyone wants to get out after two weeks with the relatives. But I think they may need to refocus and not try to be all things to all people.