Today, I’m pleased to share that we have signed an agreement to acquire Intentional Software, a company that has been focused on creating a platform for a new generation of team productivity apps. At Microsoft, we aspire to help people and organizations be more productive, wherever they are. The reality is we live in a hyper-connected world that requires the ability to collaborate across geographies, disciplines and organizations, which is why we continue to push ourselves to think about new ways to empower people. You’ve seen this with the recent launch of Microsoft Teams, a chat-based worksp ..read more

Joshua Lawrence went from being a structural steel draftsman to his dream job of being a commercial photographer. Ros Harvey wants to help farmers “feed the world without wrecking the planet,” and she’s on her way to doing just that with an “internet of oysters.” A Seattle radio station that helps listeners discover new music through videos of live acts that perform at its on-site studio now can integrate artists’ movements using Kinect sensors. What a week; let’s go! YouTube Video Click here to load media Running his own drafting business, Joshua Lawrence produced detailed drawings for weld ..read more

Buildings 16 and 17 are two of the biggest at Microsoft headquarters – sturdy, brick-and-glass tributes to the practical 1980s, when the company was focused more on manifesting Bill Gates’ vision to put a computer on every desk and in every home than on the architectural prowess of its campus. Inside, however, is a different story. There is light, air and art. There are new, retooled work spaces and vibrant common areas. Once fortresses of winding corridors, fluorescent lighting and private offices, the buildings were recently gutted and radically redesigned not just to be more interesting an ..read more

I’m pleased to announce that Microsoft has acquired Mobile Data Labs, creator of the popular MileIQ app and an innovator in intelligent productivity solutions for mobile professionals. This acquisition is the latest example of Microsoft’s ambition to reinvent productivity and business process in a mobile-first, cloud-first world. In the US alone, there are over 55 million small business employees, entrepreneurs and other mobile professionals. This “self-directed workforce,” as Mobile Data Labs calls them, are always seeking ways to reduce time and effort spent on administrative chores like mil ..read more

High school juniors and seniors in TEALS classes at the public Boston Latin Academy last year took this photo to thank their TEALS volunteers for the computer science education instruction they provided. The universe expanded in new ways, yet got more personal, this week at Microsoft. For one thing, CEO Satya Nadella announced a new commitment of $75 million to help young people around the world study computer science. Also announced: Microsoft’s strategic partnership with Salesforce will grow. And if you’re ready to help “The Martian’s” stranded astronaut Mark Watney get off the Red Planet, t ..read more

Words matter. They define, they shape, they influence, they have power. But most importantly, they evolve as our understanding of them and the world evolves. And so it is with the word “productivity.” In the world of technology, the word productivity has often been narrowly defined – usually referring to work that involves a document, spreadsheet, presentation, or to do list. But in its broader historical context it’s a word that has always had a bigger meaning – as a way to describe or measure what a person, team, organization or company accomplishes relative to the effort they put in. In oth ..read more