With hope fading that Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 8 software will reignite computer sales, attention is already shifting to the company's next big effort to regain relevance: Windows Blue.

Microsoft has yet to formallydefine the software project. But Windows Blue is expected to mark a major change in the company's development methodology, replacing major launches of products every several years with frequent updates of features in operating software and applications such as Office.

That model is common in Internet services and apps, markets where Microsoft is determined to play a larger role. Some analysts think Windows Blue will help bring together efforts such as Windows 8