Check out what has been happening at NERD! Recently, NERD hosted both the New England Give Camp as well as Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum Showcase to support and recognize non-profits that are positively impacting our communities. In addition, this past weekend more than 130 people converged on NERD to start their own companies, have fun & make a difference as part of Startup Weekend Boston .

Have you ever heard of a Microsoft Technology Center (MTC)? Wonder what an “Envisioning Center” is all about? How can a MTC help Microsoft customers? Sven Ingard, who serves as the Microsoft Technology Center (MTC) director in Boston, recently offered the following insights into the innovative facility: Q: Tell us Sven, what is a Microsoft Technology Center (MTC)? Sven: The 10-year-old Boston MTC was the very first center (currently 23 worldwide). Microsoft invests in MTCs because they provide a unique way to connect with our customers; each MTC is a purpose-built collaborative...

Last Friday, May 20, the YMCA of Greater Boston honored Microsoft at a breakfast event in recognition of a $250,000 grant given to YMCA Training, Inc . In February , the YMCA of Greater Boston was one of 12 organizations chosen to receive a Microsoft Elevate America Community Initiative Grant , which helps the organization offer technology skills training and job placement services to the Greater Boston community. In today’s economy, finding a job without basic technology skills can be extremely difficult. To help address this issue, Microsoft partnered with YMCA Training, Inc. to provide...

Gas prices continue to soar and the economy forces employees to do more with less, threatening the work/life balance everyone craves. With that in mind, Microsoft and Ipsos Public Affairs released a new study that assesses the opinions and attitudes of 4,500 information workers in 15 U.S. markets, including Boston, toward telework at their businesses. According to the study, Boston workers report having the longest commute out of all 15 cities surveyed, and many wish to work outside of the office to not only avoid traffic, but create a better work/life balance. The resolution for Boston businesses...

I recently attended Microsoft’s 7 th annual Health Plan Executive Forum at our New England Research and Development (NERD) Center in Cambridge. For the three previous years, the forum was hosted in Redmond, so we were particularly excited to have the event in New England because of the caliber of healthcare institutions in the Northeast and the fact that Massachusetts is leading by example in health reform. Since this was an invitation-only event for health plan leaders, I’d like to share a bit of what I learned at this forum. The overarching theme for this year’s forum...

Last Thursday and Friday, April 21-22, more than 60 kids participated in the CyberSummit, an annual event hosted by Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston , and open to clubs in and around Boston , that enables kids to learn about and interact with new technologies. Now in its 11 th year, CyberSummit includes hands-on workshops with cutting-edge technology, as well as team building opportunities and challenges from creating digital music, to building 3D scale models, and filming and editing an original video. “What I think is so great about CyberSummit is that it brings learning to life for...

Microsoft's NERD blog recently posted some best practices and learnings from Women's History Month . Also, take a look at information on an upcoming event with Microsoft Online Services Division President Qi Lu as he sits down with Xconomy’s Boston Editor Greg Huang to answer questions.

Calling all Boston business owners, looking for a way to help your business grow! Most consumers use the Internet to find out where to dine, shop or play, but it may be difficult to fully showcase the benefits of your business. Now, there’s a new tool that can help you. Last week, Bing announced the beta launch of the Bing Business Portal (BBP), available at www.bing.com/businessportal , a new service that helps business owners create and control their listings on Bing. With the new tools, business owners can customize their listings with enhanced details such as photos, logos, hours...

On Tuesday April 5, employees at our Northeast office "walked the walk" in the rain completely barefoot to experience what those less fortunate than us go through when they don't have shoes. We're proud that the various sales, marketing and services teams across the East Region also participated in this great initiative. Check out some pictures from our Waltham office below! The event, " One Day Without Shoes " benefitted TOMS Shoes , an amazing company that donates one pair of shoes to a child in need every time a pair is purchased. Many of us have not one, but numerous pairs of shoes. We...

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting with several Imagine Cup teams from the Boston area, including teams from Harvard, MIT, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Holyoke Community College. I was in awe of the students and their passion, intelligence, focus, drive and innovation. It’s inspiring to see motivated students using the latest technology to create functional applications to help solve our world’s most serious and critical issues. Let me give you a few examples. One team turned a Windows Phone 7 into a mobile malaria diagnosis lab to help address and prevent...

Microsoft held its fifth annual DigiGirlz Day at our Microsoft Technology Center (MTC) in Waltham on Friday, March 25 th (check out some pictures below). Microsoft celebrates women’s history month in March with various events held throughout the Northeast geography and we especially love DigiGirlz Days because they excite and promote science, technology and math to high school girls. Seventy teen girls attended from Dedham, Millbury, Sutton, Walpole, and Westborough High Schools. The girls began the day with a presenter from RoboTech to discuss careers in technology and demonstrate some...

The numbers speak for themselves: Following one of the biggest launches in consumer electronics history, Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360 has now sold more than 10 million games and sensors worldwide to date . In light of the recent sales success, Guinness World Records has officially named Kinect for Xbox 360 the fastest-selling consumer electronics device , which sold an average of 133,333 units per day for a total of eight million units in its first 60 days. Transforming entertainment by providing users with an active and engaging electronic experience, it's no wonder the accolades for...

Rock the vote! Today, Microsoft announced the 2011 U.S. Imagine Cup finalists, some of whom will go on to represent the United States in the global competition in July in New York City. These stellar students created innovative, tech-based solutions to solve global problems while learning valuable skills to prepare them as future IT leaders. Why is this so important? By 2014, it is estimated that one million new jobs in science and technology related fields will be added to the workforce. However, at the current pace in the U.S., only 50 percent of those jobs will be filled with qualified U...

Today, Microsoft’s Kodu Cup , a game-design competition for students 9-17 years old to win cash and prizes by creating their own video game with Microsoft Kodu Game Lab , launches for the first time in the U.S. Kodu Game Lab is a free game-design tool that enables children to design, build, and play their own games on the PC and Xbox, helping to grow childrens imagination and creativity while boosting their interest in science, technology, engineering and math ( STEM). At Microsoft, we realize the importance of STEM education to equip the future generations with vital skills they...

Last October, we told you about the launch of the beta version of Windows Internet Explorer 9 (Microsoft’s most-downloaded browser beta of all time, with more than 40 million downloads). Well good news to all of you Web browsing junkies! Announced today at SXSW, the Web is about to get even more beautiful and immersive with the launch of Internet Explorer 9 . So what’s new? By upgrading from Internet Explorer 8 , people will notice a sleek user interface, several performance improvements and a safer experience that puts the focus on their favorite websites. Check out some of the...

On Tuesday, President Obama, Melinda Gates, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited TechBoston Academy to celebrate the achievements of students and faculty in fostering a technology-rich, college preparatory curriculum, and maximizing student engagement. Check out some pictures from yesterday’s event below! TechBoston Academy, a 6-12 grade pilot school in the Boston Public Schools that was founded in 2002 with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, offers a college preparatory curriculum centered around technology as a bridge that connects the student to learning...

Tech nerds assemble! The concentration of technology geeks is usually heavy here in Boston with NERD and our Northeast offices. This week, however, we may be outnumbered. The Redmond campus is hosting the largest customer event of the year, Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Global Summit . This nerd mecca attracts approximately 1,500 of the most elite in technology, including more than 25 from right here in Mass. They descend upon Redmond to meet with Microsoft executives and product groups to provide valuable feedback, engage in hundreds of technical sessions, and deepen existing relationships...

Texas native Craig Hodges has committed to braving the New England winter as the new General Manager for Microsoft’s Northeast District. In his new role, Craig is responsible for sales and marketing to the company’s largest enterprise customers in the Northeast District. He will also lead Microsoft’s engagement with the broader New England community on issues including economic development, innovation and STEM education. While new to the Northeast, Craig comes to his new position with more than five years tenure at Microsoft. Most recently, Craig was the general manager...

Back in 2006, college student Cy Khormaee found himself participating in a Microsoft competition. Little did he know he’d find himself in the same competition five years later, competing again as a Harvard MBA student with a project that could change the future of diagnosing malaria. Each year, thousands of college students like Cy participate in Microsoft’s Imagine Cup , the world’s premier student technology competition. The goal of the contest is to demonstrate how technology can help solve the world’s toughest problems, such as poverty and hunger, widespread disease...

In attempts to level the playing field for underserved communities and provide essential technology skills for job seekers, Microsoft today announced that it is awarding more than $5 million in cash and up to $10 million in software over the next two years to 12 non-profits, including the YMCA of Greater Boston Education and Training Branch , or YMCA Training, Inc., which offers technology training to the local Boston community. YMCA Training, Inc. provides access to employment that offers family-supporting wages and benefits to unemployed and underemployed adults. Since 1984, YMCA Training...

Boston is known for a lot of things. From its historical significance as one of the oldest cities in the United States and its importance during the American Revolution with the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party , to today’s die hard Red Sox Nation and culture of culinary delights including New England clam chowder and Boston cream pies, people know us. Now, Bostonians can claim one more reason why our city stands out – it’s quickly embracing what’s positioned as the new medium for business computing – the cloud. In October 2010, 7 th Sense Research conducted...

During the holidays, we at Microsoft like to spread cheer throughout our local Boston community and give back to the organizations that devote their time and energy to great causes. As part of our efforts this past year, Microsoft Boston hosted a toy drive for the Franciscan Hospital for Children and an animal drive for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) . The Franciscan Hospital for Children provides compassionate care and education to children with special health care needs and helps them reach their full potential. Our Northeast employees came together...

On December 3, Microsoft Boston was recognized by Mass High Tech at the Tech Citizenship Awards program, which honors companies in Boston that focus on giving back to the community through contributions and employee hours. Companies that receive this recognition are particularly focused on driving science, technology, engineering and math ( STEM ) education programs, and supporting the local business community through time and volunteerism. We at Microsoft are especially thrilled to receive the "Keep on Giving" award, which means we have been recognized at least five times, with at least one recognition...

Once again, the holiday season is here, which means many of us are panic stricken at the thought of all the gift buying and deal scrounging that will occur in the days and weeks ahead. Luckily, the Microsoft News Center is currently featuring some of Microsoft’s newest and hottest products and offerings, helping you to find perfect gifts for all those special people on your list. Here are just a few of Microsoft’s holiday offerings: · Kinect for Xbox 360 – this hands-free gaming system has it all - movies, games, dancing, sports and more – perfect...

Take a look at the picture above. The software on the left is counterfeit. The software on the right is genuine. Compared side-by-side, there are subtle, yet noticeable, differences between the two versions. But what if you had only one version in front of you? It’s likely you would not be able to tell the difference before installing the software on your computer, which could make you susceptible to devastating intrusions in the form of malware and viruses. As counterfeiters produce more sophisticated forgeries that continue to blur the line between what is real and what is fake...