During this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft's new eHome division is coming out of its research closet to show off prototype products leveraging Windows XP and infrastructure from the Microsoft's .Net software-as-a-service strategy. In this CNET story, editor Joe Wilcox interviews Mike Toutonghi, vice president of Microsoft's eHome division, to learn more about Microsoft's vision… of “Windows everywhere”. Wilcox writes . . .

“Microsoft founded the division 11 months ago as part of the Windows group and charged it with using the operating system to deliver new products and services to the home. If successful, consumers could find themselves running a variety of appliances and consumer electronics devices on their computers. And Microsoft would be recasting a new role for the PC: an entertainment device at the center of the home, rather than just a beige box used for work or surfing the Web.”

“Mike Toutonghi, 39, vice president of eHome, spoke with CNET News.com about the division's strategy and some of the technologies consumers are clamoring for. Interestingly, much of the messaging is similar to that touted by Apple Computer, which is delivering new consumer products at this year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.”

“Q: What is the major goal of your division?
A: We're focused on bringing entertainment, communications and convenience to consumers' homes. That's really our mission. To do that, we're going to work on connecting PCs across the network with devices, including consumer electronics, and work on providing simple entertainment and communications scenarios and providing a way for partners…to deliver value through that environment.”

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