Microsoft at 50: AI, job security, and the future of the tech industry
50 years ago, on Friday, April 4th 1975, two guys from Seattle launched a software company in a strip mall in Albuquerque NM..
That business would soon relocate to Redmond, Washington… and those Lakeside kids, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, did all right. The Windows operating system would go on to dominate the personal computer industry.
Today, Microsoft is one of the most profitable companies in the world. And its presence laid the groundwork for the Puget Sound region as a hub for engineering and technical talent.
The path to where we are now had some bumps: Antitrust problems, and product flops. But after 5 decades the company endures, and thrives – as one of the biggest players in the emerging AI space.
Holding onto that status, and figuring out the next big thing in the tech world, isn’t easy.
In light of the big 50-milestone, KUOW labor and economy reporter Monica Nickelsburg recently sat down with Microsoft’s vice chair and president Brad Smith to discuss the past, and the future, of the company.
Guest:
- Monica Nickelsburg, KUOW labor and economy reporter and co-host of the Booming podcast
Related Links:
- Booming - KUOW
- Tax the rich? Not so fast, say Microsoft, other Washington state businesses - KUOW
- Microsoft turns 50: A look back at everything from the Altair to the Zune - NPR
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Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
Libby Denkmann joined KUOW in December 2021 as the host of the midday show Soundside. She’s a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington, and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio.
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Sarah Leibovitz
Supervising Producer, Soundside
Sarah joined KUOW in 2019 as senior producer on The Record. She is now Supervising KUOW’s new noon time show, Soundside. Prior to working at KUOW, Sarah was lead producer at the Seattle podcast production company Larj Media, and a teaching artist with Path with Art.
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Monica Nickelsburg
Labor & Economy Reporter
Monica Nickelsburg is an economy reporter covering labor issues, the changing nature of work, the rise and fall of industries, technology trends, and workplace equity. She has extensive experience covering Amazon, Microsoft, and other major players re-shaping the Seattle region.
More stories from Monica Nickelsburg »
