Bill Gates has admitted the market share for Microsoft compatible digital music players is smaller than he would like, but added that he was confident that his company had an important part to play in the future of digital music.
Gates was complimentary about Apple's iTunes Music Store, which is getting ready to sell its one billionth download, and admitted that the 20% market share held by Microsoft based players was a "lower figure" than he would like. However, he said that the software giant and its partners had many plans for the coming years, implying that Apple's hold on the digital music space would not last forever.
Speaking to a group of students in the US, Gates said: "I don't think what's out on the market today is the final answer. Between us and our partners, you can expect some pretty hot products coming out over the next few years."
Microsoft remains committed to its strategy of making its digital music technology available to all hardware manufacturers and download platforms - a policy it says is more consumer friendly that Apple's proprietary system. That said, there have been reports in the IT press of Microsoft launching its own digital music player in a bid to take on the iPod, although neither Gates nor Microsoft have yet commented on those rumours.