(ix) Worldwide Labs
Although most of its researchers are based at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters, Microsoft Research has expanded globally to ensure that it can attract the richest pool of talent. Microsoft Research currently operates labs in four additional locations:
Microsoft Research Cambridge. Research at the facility in Cambridge, which Microsoft established in July 1997, encompasses programming languages, security, information retrieval, operating systems, and networking.
Microsoft Research Asia. The Beijing lab was founded in 1998. As with the other Microsoft Research labs, the talents of its researchers largely guide the research focus, which includes developing next-generation multimedia applications and Asia-specific computing technologies, such as adapted user interfaces and language- conversion systems.
Microsoft Research Silicon Valley. Established in August 2001 on the Microsoft campus in Mountain View, CA, the lab employs researchers who focus on distributed computing, including privacy, security, resource location, protocols, the Internet as a platform, reliability, availability, scalability, management, and related theory.
Microsoft Research India. Microsoft Research India opened in January 2005 in Bangalore, India. The mission will be to conduct long-term basic and applied research in multilingual systems, technologies for emerging markets, geographical information systems, sensor networks, and software productivity. Researchers also will collaborate with Indian research institutions and universities to support scientific progress and innovation.
Enhancing Alliances with Microsoft Product Groups
Unlike basic research, which is geared toward visionary discoveries that may or may not end up in actual products, and product development, which is feature-focused and geared toward solving tactical engineering problems, applied research studies the relationship and the applicability of theories or principles to the solution of a problem or an actual product or service. Microsoft Research recently formed two collaborative lab efforts with the MSN product team with goals of assisting innovation and rapidly creating prototypes of cutting-edge technologies:
Live Labs. Formed in January 2006, this research partnership between MSN and Microsoft Research complements the company’s continuing deep investment in basic research and product development. A confederation of dedicated technologists and affiliated researchers in pre-existing projects from around Microsoft focus on Internet-centric applied research programs, including rapidly prototyping and launching of emerging technologies, incubating entirely new inventions, and improving and accelerating Windows Live™ offerings. Live Labs investigates a broad and comprehensive set of research topics, such as multimedia search, machine learning, distributed computing, and data mining and will engage in rapid prototyping and the incubation of disruptive technologies.
AdLab. The Microsoft adCenter Incubation Lab (adLab) is a joint effort between MSN’s adCenter and Microsoft Research to form a state-of-the-art lab in Beijing with a mission to research and incubate advanced technologies for MSN’s adCenter, designed to improve advertisers with rich targeting capabilities. Early incubation projects include ad bar-code readers, social-network mining, and video and large-display ads.
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Contents
- Advancing the Frontiers of Computing
- Microsoft Research: Making the Impossible Possible
- Creating a Foundation for Technology Breakthroughs
- Assembling an All-Star Team of Research Talent
- Imagining What Comes Next
- Putting Innovation to Work in Microsoft Products
- Advancing the State of the Art
- Planting the Seeds of Future Innovation
- Building a Global Think Tank
