The State of R&D At HP, IBM, and Microsoft

jcatcw writes "Computerworld surveys the R&D efforts at HP, IBM and Microsoft ($17 billion annually) and raises the question: Are these companies supporting more long-term basic research, or just the usual short-term, product-oriented work? HP is consolidating its focus on a few 'big bet' projects in five major research areas — information explosion, dynamic cloud services, content transformation, intelligent infrastructure, and sustainability. IBM has four 'high-risk' basic research areas — nanotechnology, cloud computing, integrated systems and chip architecture, and managing business integrity through advanced math and computer science. Many of the 272 research projects named at Microsoft Research's Web site are structured with major product lines like Windows, Office, or Xbox in mind, but many also seem to have no likely application to anything the company sells today."

Comments

Cloud computing

[Anonymous Coward]

Dear fucking god, my boss comes in at least once a week and asks me if our flagship app could run on cloud computing. Give me a gun and one bullet please.

Re:Cloud computing

[vilgefortz]

You should heed dilbert's advice and take away all industry magazines from your boss.

Re:Cloud computing

[peragrin]

sure it is. it needs to be a really big bullet though and you need to super heat it before it hits the clouds. Fire it from space. The cloud will dissipate around it.

Re:Cloud computing

[bryce4president]

Not if you are a PHB

Re:Cloud computing

[Eighty7]

Hans? Is that you?

Re:Cloud computing

[sjames]

That's easy, one day when he's out, connect wall current directly to the motherboard of his computer, Apply an etherkiller as well just to be complete.

Tell him you tested the app with cloud computing as he asked, but it was so powerful it turned into a thunderhead and nearly burned the building down. Luckily it grounded itself into his PC.

Tell him you'll be trying again soon, but need to requisition a few electricians to rewire the building first.

If he balks, come back in a couple days and tell him you've figured out how to do a small scale test. Have him order everyone in the office to hop on one foot over a rubber mat patting their heads and rubbing their bellies at the same time (to generate an intermittent ground wave of opposing static charge). Video tape his orders and the results, be sure to get his whacked out explanation to the staff.

Now, call mental health services and submit the video anonymously to his boss.

Bonus points if your story about the experiment magnetizing him and attracting cosmic rays actually convinces him he feels little pinpricks periodically. The random twitching and slapping himself should seal the deal.

Lather, rinse, repeat endlessly.

Article fails to mention...

[Anonymous Coward]

...that $35 million line item in Microsoft's budget that reads "EVIL (misc.)"

Re:Dynamic Cloud Services?

[drinkypoo]

Grammar nazi's are the WORST waste of human space there is online.

That's "Nazis". HTH, HAND.

Re:Dynamic Cloud Services?

[SilverEyes]

I think what you mean to say is: "Grammar [corrected as above] Nazis are the WORST waste of human space there [b]are[/b] online." However... as I read on in your post, I think you're trying to be ironic. I applaud your hilarious use of (but not limited to); run-on sentences, missing subjects, improper abbreviations (PHD should be PhD), using the wrong conjugation ("OR proof" should be "OR prove"), extra commas ("...have to contribute, so their stupidity..."), and wrong plurality ("...underachievers there is online today.").