Posted by Brad Smith and Horacio GutierrezExecutive Vice President and General Counsel & Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft
Today, Microsoft announced its tenth license agreement providing coverage under our patent portfolio for Android mobile phones and tablets. Today's agreement is with Compal, one of the world’s largest Original Design Manufacturers, or ODMs. Compal is based in Taiwan, where it produces smartphones and tablet computers for third parties and has revenue of roughly $28 billion per year.
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Posted by Brad SmithExecutive Vice President & General Counsel, Microsoft
Did you know that only eight states in the country have a higher percentage of functionally obsolete bridges than Washington? The fact is, over the past two decades, the Puget Sound region’s transportation infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the region’s population and job growth.
Enhanced mobility across the region is an important local priority for Microsoft. With nearly 40,000 employees based in the Puget Sound region, the company and our people need an efficient transportation system. It is important to our own business, and it’s important to economic growth, job creation and the quality of life across our state.
As a company, we’re opposing Initiative 1125 on the Washington state ballot this November because it would seriously undermine improvements to our transportation infrastructure, unfairly eliminate options for commuters, and impact the state’s economy.
Posted by Laura RubyDirector, Trustworthy Computing - Accessibility Policy & Standards, Microsoft
Today, in a ceremony hosted by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski , Microsoft received a Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility in recognition of the company’s work in creating a set of Accessibility Tools and Training Resources.
The awards were presented for the development of individual mainstream or assistive technologies introduced into the marketplace, the development of standards, or the implementation of best practices that foster accessibility. The timing of the a ceremony was very fitting because October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and also marks the first anniversary of the Twenty-First Communications and Video Programming Accessibility Act (CVAA).
Posted by John SeethoffVice President & Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft
With the approach of Microsoft’s annual shareholders meeting on Nov. 15th, I am excited to take a look back at some of the recent results of Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to promote the long-term interests of our shareholders, as well as to maintain internal checks and balances, strengthen management accountability, and foster responsible decision making.
· Corporate Citizenship: In March, Microsoft was one of a select few companies named to the Ethisphere Institute’s 2011 List of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. On Oct. 3rd, we released our annual Citizenship Report describing the many activities Microsoft has been pursuing under the dual themes of “Serving Communities” and “Working Responsibly.”
Posted by Josh HenretigDirector, Environmental Sustainability, Microsoft
Today, Microsoft published a white paper detailing the results of a pilot program on our corporate campus in Redmond, Wash., aimed at using technology to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings on our campus. The paper was authored in collaboration with Accenture and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
What we learned from the pilot program (and which is detailed in the paper) is that Microsoft (and by extension, many organizations with real estate portfolios) don’t need to undertake capital-intensive retrofits to cut building energy costs. Instead, we saw buildings become dramatically more efficient by introducing software to harness and utilize the building systems already in use. By integrating powerful analytics that add intelligence to existing building infrastructure, our buildings got smarter, more efficient and less costly to operate.