Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, speaking at an IT conference in London, revealed that Microsoft will unveil a new operating system, which he dubbed “Windows Cloud”, at PDC at the end of this month.  According to a post at The Register, Ballmer hinted at the new OS:

We need a new operating system designed for the cloud and we will introduce one in about four weeks, we’ll even have a name to give you by then. But let’s just call it for the purposes of today ‘Windows Cloud’,” said Ballmer.

“Just like Windows Server looked a lot like Windows but with new properties, new characteristics and new features, so will Windows Cloud look a lot like Windows Server.”

Ballmer also hinted at what would be built into the new OS, including geo replication, how to design apps intended to commingle [we think he means appeasing regulators by providing more interoperability], management modelling and an SOA model, to effectively create a new platform.

So if we’re reading this right, the new OS would be used to handle some of the issues that are unique to “cloud computing”, building in services that would have to be added or built from scratch in existing Windows Server environments.  Again, if we’re reading the Ballmer tea leaves, this wouldn’t be something you would run on your desktop, but would be a special Windows Server built to manage the special needs of services in the cloud.  Pure conjecture at this point, but we’ll know more soon.

Ballmer also took the opportunity to take a shot at Google, saying:

“If you talk to Google they’ll say it's thin client computing but then they’ll issue a new browser that’s basically a big fat operating system designed to compete with Windows but running on top of it,” he said.

“Steve Ballmer observation," machine gunned the fragrant CEO.

Of course we’ll have lots more from PDC, stay tuned.