I read with interest Steve Ballmer's letter to staff on Techcrunch (the letter is near the end of the post).  Its a carefully crafted document.  It starts with the concept of "Software plus Services" - this is he wants to merge the cloud with the rich applications available on a PC (ie protecting its software base and its developers). This is the concept I blogged about a month ago about the fatter client with cloud services.  Details are still unclear but I still suspect a Microsoft fatter client is always going to be more complicated than a Google gears type solution.

He then announced the creation of office in the cloud (ie much like Google Docs).  He then moves on to how Microsoft can help enterprises to the platform which keeps it anacronym of ASP but changes its name to Azure Services Platform. 

Finally at the end of the letter he reaches the consumer and then in a single paragraph is this statementon phones

"With the mobile phone and other devices, it’s the ability to take action spontaneously-to make a call, take a picture, or send a text message in the flow of our activities."

For such a carefully crafted letter this is such a weak statement.  To be fair he then mentions Live-Mesh described as a multi-device personal data sharing between the PC and other devices.  But even this does not seem much of a strategy.  I do think that Microsoft has lost its' way with Mobile.