After 17 years, Microsoft pulls plug on employee innovation program
What's the story
Microsoft has announced the closure of The Garage, a series of popular maker spaces where employees worked on experimental projects and developed innovative apps and hardware. The company made the announcement in an internal FAQ to employees, which was seen by Notepad. "We're winding down The Garage program as a centralized function," Microsoft said in the internal FAQ to employees.
Creative space
The main Garage space was located at Microsoft's Redmond campus
The Garage was more than just a workspace; it was a platform for Microsoft employees to collaborate, innovate, and turn their hobbies into full-fledged products.
The main Garage space was located at Microsoft's Redmond campus in Washington.
It served as the central hub for around 15 other Garage locations across the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA), and Asia.
Impact
Many successful projects were born in the garage
Over its 17-year history, The Garage has been the birthplace of many apps and services.
One of the most notable is Seeing AI, an app that narrates the world around you for people who are blind or have low vision. It was developed during a 2015 hackathon event and launched 10 years ago.
Other successful projects include Mouse Without Borders, which lets you control multiple PCs with a single mouse and keyboard.
Notable project
Xbox Adaptive Controller was also developed in The Garage
The Garage also contributed to the development of Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller. The accessibility-focused device was a collective effort by employees across Xbox and Surface teams.
It started as an experiment at a hackathon event where employees were trying to build a gaming device using Kinect motion-sensing technology.
Despite budget constraints, the project was approved and became the star of Microsoft's 2019 Super Bowl commercial.
Event changes
Hackathon event could also be scrapped
The closure of The Garage will also impact Microsoft's annual employee hackathon event, which could potentially be scrapped.
"As we look to the future, the hackathon team is reimagining the program to meet the needs of today's employees, customers, and technology landscape. We'll have more to share at a later date," says Microsoft's internal FAQ.
This move has been viewed by some employees as another cutback from Microsoft.