Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer visits Hanoi

Microsoft's charismatic leader, Steve Ballmer, was in Hanoi supporting what he says will be the next generation of technology. Addressing students at the Hanoi University of Technology (HUT), he gave insight into "The Cloud".

"I want to share my enthusiasm for the next generation of technology; Cloud Computing," Ballmer shared ecstatically to an auditorium full of ecstatic students. Microsoft is hailing "The Cloud" as a product that will, "Take cost and complexity out of building an application and instantly allow it to be used around the world."

Microsoft has a vision of a "Cloud-centric" future where data centers, the internet, and devices all work together, thus, transforming the way people connect.

Ballmer lauded the students and their studies saying that Vietnam has the potential to be a leader amongst countries with computer science graduates that, "Change the world." Ballmer also announced that Microsoft Vietnam and FPT signed an MOU that will aide in accelerating the development of Cloud Computing in Vietnam. "By working with FPT, we hope to make the Cloud more accessible to organizatioins in Vietnam and offer them a hybrid approach - a mix of cloud and on-premise services," said Ballmer.

Microsoft believes that the Cloud will have five major effects on the next generation of technological advancements saying it will, 1) Create opportunities 2) Learn and help you learn, decide and take action 3) Enhance social and professional interactions 4) Want smarter devices 5) Drive server advances that drive the Cloud.

Ballmer gave an impassioned speech to a raucous crowd of students, even sharing his own story, "30 years ago, I left university to work on PC's and software. My dad wanted to know what software is and my mom asked who would ever need a computer," further explaining that while we can't fully understand the Cloud right now, just as we couldn't explain the internet when it first arrived, in four or five years, the Cloud will be common understanding throughout the globe.

Last week, Microsoft also released Office 2010 in Vietnam.