Steve Ballmer says Microsoft ‘obviously’ plans to produce new hardware

Microsoft’s grand entrance into the tablet market with Surface hasn’t gone over so well with some of the company’s traditional hardware partners. But judging by statements CEO Steve Ballmer made in an interview with BBC News, those concerns won’t stop Microsoft from expanding its device portfolio. In fact, Ballmer makes it abundantly clear you can expect to see new products in the future. “Is it fair to say we’re going to do more hardware? Obviously we are,” Ballmer said. “Where we see important opportunities to set a new standard, yeah we’ll dive in.”

Ballmer wouldn’t delve into specifics with the BBC, but his language hints he wasn’t merely referring to building new keyboards or mice. “We have committed ourselves on a path where we will do whatever is required from both a hardware and a software innovation perspective and the cloud innovation perspective in order to propel the vision that we have,” he said. We already know Microsoft is kicking around the idea of a home-grown Windows Phone device, but as for other areas Ballmer and Co. think they can break new ground, your guess is as good as ours.