• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Friday, January 5, 2007 12:30 PM

Microsoft is expected to lay out a strategy of "connected entertainment" when founder Bill Gates and co-president Robbie Bach deliver a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off in Las Vegas this weekend.

A three-page memo that Back sent to Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer last month called for more integration with other Microsoft units and outside partners, such as Hollywood studios. Bach will likely demonstrate some of the early work, including a service for renting movies online via the Xbox 360.

Bach came to Microsoft 18 years ago with an MBA from Stanford and made his name as one of the marketing specialists who combined Microsoft's word processor, spreadsheet and other programs into its Office product. He then pushed the software company into making videogame machines.

His latest creature is Zune, a digital music player that competes with Apple's iPod. Over the past year, he has also taken responsibility for cell phone software and the 300-person group that creates the software behind Media Center PCs.

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