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A comment on Microsoft to Close Microsoft Research Lab in Silicon Valley.

Re:Microsoft to Close Microsoft Research Lab in Silicon Valley by arjunnarayan on Thursday September 18, 2014 @03:03PM (#8336993)
I see that this is being spun as part of the larger layoffs at Microsoft in general, but make no mistake, this is highly unusual for an institution as distinguished and well respected as Microsoft Research (both internally at Microsoft, and externally amongst academia in general)

I think there is much more under the surface than is visible here. We'll have to wait for the official PR story from Microsoft (which I'm sure will clarify nothing at all). But for now I remain puzzled at this move.

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Re:Microsoft to Close Microsoft Research Lab in Silicon Valley by tdicola on Thursday September 18, 2014 @03:50PM (#8337234)
I imagine it's tough to be a small division away from the mothership in Seattle. If they aren't constantly making their presence and existence known it's probably easy for execs to write them off as not performing.
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Re:Microsoft to Close Microsoft Research Lab in Silicon Valley by rtkwe on Thursday September 18, 2014 @03:19PM (#8337064)
This isn't their only lab location though. Microsoft Research isn't going away, just what's probably one of their more expensive locations.
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Re:Microsoft to Close Microsoft Research Lab in Silicon Valley by hga on Thursday September 18, 2014 @03:25PM (#8337097)
Yeah, as quoted in the article, a "Microsoft spokesperson" said they were consolidating west coast labs, and before that, a sign that they don't want to lose some of these people:

"[Confirms the report] and noted that an undisclosed number of those researchers will be offered jobs at other Microsoft Research labs."

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Re:Microsoft to Close Microsoft Research Lab in Silicon Valley by ZanyProgrammer on Thursday September 18, 2014 @04:37PM (#8337496)
I think there's something intangible though, about having some research presence in the middle of Silicon Valley.
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Re:Microsoft to Close Microsoft Research Lab in Silicon Valley by nobodysfool on Thursday September 18, 2014 @05:01PM (#8337604)
The 'intangibles' you speak of are housing and money.
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