Inside Microsoft's Massive Headquarters

microsoft is one of the most influential and high-tech companies the world has ever seen but have you ever wondered what it's like to work there microsoft's sprawling headquarters is no vanilla corporate office instead it's more of a miniature city with its own transit system shopping mall tree houses and even a grimy lake for dunking cocky senior executives and that's before we get into the secret underground tech labs where the very future of our online lives is being developed or the hallway where high fives are mandatory so join us today as we don our trusty lanyard and delve deep inside the microsoft headquarters covering an area of just over 500 acres in the seattle suburb of redmond washington microsoft headquarters is quite rightly known as a campus and just like a university or college campus it comprises dozens of buildings over a hundred all told as well as sports fields woodland trails and secluded courtyards for taking well-earned breaks the company moved on to this site a former chicken farm in february of 1986 just a month before going public and commencing its meteoric rise to the top of the tech sector initially just six buildings were constructed with a capacity of 800 employees today by contrast some 50 000 people work on the redmond campus those first six buildings were numbered rather than named as befits a nerdy software outfit and that naming convention has continued right up to the present day employees navigating microsoft's rambling campus using its own dedicated fleet of hybrid minibuses have to constantly keep track of what number building does what if you're paying them a visit chances are you'll swing by building 92 first as it's home to the microsoft visitor center inside you'll find a company museum telling the rich history of the tech giant you'll no doubt seize the opportunity to play with up to the minute versions of microsoft software like the forza racing series or recent acquisition minecraft there's also a chance to judge up your linkedin profile another microsoft subsidiary and try out the freshest gadgets microsoft reckon will be revolutionizing your workplace in the not too distant future and if you want there's even a microsoft apparel store with a whole section dedicated to bing merchandise if you visit building 16 be sure to make your way into the courtyard where walk of fame style panels have been installed in the flagstones to commemorate the great microsoft product launches of the past building eight is where a reportedly young shy executive by the name of bill gates met his future wife melinda the story goes that both were working overtime as per usual nervous bill summoned all the courage he could muster to go say hi to the pretty girl who was also hacking away late into the night the rest is quite literally history a word of caution concerning building seven if anyone ever suggests you meet them there be sure to politely decline because building seven doesn't even exist though an integral part of microsoft's internal folklore and vibrant prank culture nobody can say for sure why there's no building 7. some say city permit restrictions forbade it others suggest the ground here is unsound still others imply it was just overlooked during the heady days of microsoft's breakneck late 90s expansion just as mysterious in its own way building 87 is where some of the company's most advanced hush-hush research happens there's no way of knowing for sure what goes on in there but teasing references to an orwellian sounding department of human data or the hypnotic noise suppressing anechoic chamber provide plenty of fuel for speculation around whatever willy wonka madness they're up to inside elsewhere and a little more visible in terms of what it does is the maker garage referencing the company's humble beginnings back in the gates family's albuquerque carport the garage is a workshop set aside for employees to try out ideas they've been tinkering with in private it's fully equipped with laser cutters 3d printers soldering gear and every kind of tool you can imagine the garage also hosts regular challenge nights where staff explore the possibilities of the internet of things and even the futuristic science of biohacking but it isn't all work and no play at redmond far from it the campus also provides lots of opportunities for stressed engineers to unwind including not one but two soccer pitches a basketball court softball nets a green for playing balls variant bocce ball and a handful of beach volleyball nets there's even running trails or if that sounds a bit too strenuous inside several of the labyrinthine office buildings you'll encounter random pool tables and college campus classic ping pong to help employees put in the long shifts necessary to keep microsoft on top in a fiercely competitive marketplace the company has provided the ultimate shared amenity the commons first introduced to the redmond campus in 2009 is a two-story 1.4 million square foot mall with ample retail space and dining options microsoft makes a point of supporting local seattle business which is why hungry punters who visit the commons can sup on their pike place coffee as they nibble on their flying pie pizza in terms of retail there's everything here from guitar stores to bike repair workshops a hair salon an auto body shop and several cell phone retailers although don't expect to find the latest iphone anywhere around here microsoft strive to make the most of washington state's glorious natural setting recently a cluster of tree house offices and meeting rooms are constructed on the campus allowing staff to get up in the canopy for a refreshing lungful of inspiration and that's what among the original clump of low-rise 80s offices is a famous body of water staff called lake bill after well you've guessed it according to company tradition managers and even top-level executives like gates and co-founder steve balmer plunge into the murky pond whenever a new product launch exceeds their expectations or overcomes their initial skepticism all this is designed to foster a culture of collaboration and a sense of family at microsoft and if you're lucky enough to visit the microsoft campus yourself be sure to play along especially when you pass someone in the famous high five corridor what could be more fun than that

Channel: Tech Vision

Views: 1,426,425

Keywords: microsoft, bill gates, microsoft ceo, microsoft headquarters, microsoft hq, microsoft work, microsoft jobs, microsoft it, microsoft washington, microsoft campus, microsoft hq location, redmond, seattle, washington, microsoft campus hq, where is microsoft hq, who owns microsoft, what is microsoft, steve ballmer

Id: lOTmYcxCxjU

Length: 5min 35sec (335 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 08 2020