The International Consumer Electronics Show kicks into full gear this week and I know my inbox will start clogging up with press releases from companies that will be showcasing some of their latest products. The good news is that over 140,000 people are expected to attend the event this year. The bad news is that this is the last time Microsoft will be giving a keynote and this year’s show is unlikely to be the place where a blockbuster product will be introduced.

Yesterday I wrote about this will be Microsoft’s last keynote presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2012. Microsoft has had a 20-year working relationship with the Consumer Electronics Association and has given 14 keynotes. Microsoft decided to end the keynotes because they have realized that their product roadmaps aren’t exactly aligned with the CES in January. The CEA Staff released this statement about Microsoft leaving:

Microsoft has announced that CES 2012 will be the last time they will be giving a keynote at the annual gadget conference. The company will continue to participate in CES, but the company will not have a keynote or a booth after this year’s conference. Why? “because our product news milestones generally don’t align with the show’s January timing,” stated Microsoft Corporate VP of Corporate Communications Frank X. Shaw. This is a big deal because Microsoft has had a 20-year working relationship with the Consumer Electronics Association. [TechNet]

NASDAQ and the Consumer Electronics Association has announced the NASDAQ OMX CEA Smartphone Index. The Index combines a portfolio of 84 companies that are working on “building, design and distribution of handsets, hardware, software, and mobile networks associated with the development, sale and usage of smartphones.” Companies include Motorola, Google, Apple, RIM, Nokia and AT&T.