Five ways Microsoft could change after Gates

Bill Gates has left the building and the question on many people's lips is: will Microsoft change as a result? What influence will Steve Ballmer have and how will the company's strategy alter without Gates?

Here are five ideas about what could change at Microsoft now Gates is no longer at the helm in Redmond...

1. A greater acceptance of open source:

Microsoft has been coming under increasing pressure from open source software, especially as more and more web-based activity relies on open standards. The company risks looking increasingly out of touch if it continues to keep everything to itself.

One of the signs that this will take place is Moonlight -- the Novell-sponsored, open source, Linux-based implementation of the Silverlight web application development platform -- which Microsoft helped build.

Nobody's suggesting Microsoft will release code for its big name applications in the near future but some industry watchers are speculating that post-Gates, open source and interoperability will become increasingly part of the Microsoft culture.

Gates was the person who drove the adoption of Windows as the de facto global operating system by guarding code fiercely. But with him gone, the influence of others should come through more strongly. And although Steve Ballmer may not be as keen as some, the collective will coming from some parts of the company could well make a difference.

2. A new approach to Windows releases:

Vista has only been about for 18 months but talk has already turned to Windows 7 with shaky video shots of the OS in development emerging on the internet. Microsoft has said it plans to launch Windows 7 approximately three years after Vista -- in January 2010.

But the way it will be released could be significant. Previous OSes have been launched as single all-you-can-eat applications but there is speculation Windows 7 could be modular. For example, Windows Server 2008 already allows the chopping and changing of applications depending on users' requirements.

There are suggestions that elements such as mail, photos and video could be available as an option on Windows 7 meaning customers could buy a version which supports what they want to do, without the loads of extra stuff they won't use or need.

This could be music to the ears of those who have criticised Redmond's approach of putting everything into Windows so other players offering services didn't get a look in.

3. Secure new revenue by buying big:

The $44.6bn bid that Microsoft tabled for Yahoo! back in February was a big shift for the company which traditionally has shied away from massive acquisitions preferring more organic growth and smaller piecemeal acquisitions.

This indicates Microsoft is really keen to build a better position in the online advertising market. Currently Google has a massive lead in this area.

Significantly the bid seems to have been led by Steve Ballmer rather than Gates. And while Yahoo! rejected the bid and all seems to have gone quiet on that front, the size and audacious nature of the bid shows Microsoft was deadly serious.

So don't discount another big acquisition bid -- it seems Microsoft is very keen to get its mitts on one of the prime online advertising companies, so sooner or later something will have to give.

4. Taking the web seriously through interoperability:

This includes moves such as Microsoft announcing in May that it will implement the Open Document Format "sometime next year" meaning documents can be processed and worked on different platforms. This shows the company is obviously thinking about how it can improve interoperability.

And the work on Live Mesh shows Microsoft is seriously thinking about the Internet by allowing synchronised access to data whatever device you're using, meaning you're not tied to a single desktop computer -- the kind of cloud computing play that many of its rivals.

These moves show Microsoft is adjusting to a world where its products aren't always the default option. For this to work, obviously the platform needs to be as open as possible, especially if it plans to compete on the same level as Google.

5. More Microsoft than Gates:

Gates was the face of Microsoft for so many years and for many synonymous with the company. Execs such as Ballmer, although well known in the industry, are unlikely to have the global visibility Gates had. In addition, it's likely more people will be part of the strategic decision-making process.

The corporate behemoth may well become faceless with Microsoft's activities less attributed to the influence of an individual and more to the corporation itself. Gates was the one that made Microsoft into the world's most famous tech company due to his technical and business brilliance.

Without Gates Microsoft runs the risk of becoming a faceless super-corporation focusing on sales rather than developing the tech that could give the company an edge.