Microsoft Exec Opens Up About Research Lab Closure, Layoffs

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday October 23, 2014 @11:28AM from the story-behind-the-story dept.

alphadogg writes It's been a bit over a month since Microsoft shuttered its Microsoft Research lab in Silicon Valley as part of the company's broader restructuring that will include 18,000 layoffs. This week, Harry Shum, Microsoft EVP of Technology & Research, posted what he termed an "open letter to the academic research community" on the company's research blog. In the post, Shum is suitably contrite about the painful job cut decisions that were made in closing the lab, which opened in 2001. He also stresses that Microsoft will continue to invest in and value "fundamental research".

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Re:Bull by SeaFox · 2014-10-23 12:24 · Score: 3, Informative

Short-term it might make more profit, but long term it's like selling one's investments for cash.
This is a terrible mistake for Microsoft.
Yes, but not for the people running it.
By the time the brain drain has it's long term effects, the executives will have jumped away, in come cases into retirement, with their golden parachutes. It's only the long-term investors and loyal employees who will have to deal with how it ruins the company.