We founded Microsoft Research in 1991 because we felt that the growth of the PC software industry and Microsoft in particular created a unique opportunity to do basic and applied research in computer science which could make a positive difference in people's lives and set new directions for the field. We started small, with a handful of scientists working primarily in natural language technology and programming environments. MSR has since grown to include over a dozen research groups and over 100 researchers in areas as diverse as speech recognition, decision theory and 3D graphics and animation. Our impact on Microsoft's products has already been felt. If you use Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Office 95 you have likely taken advantage of features which have been enhanced by technology developed within Microsoft Research.
The Microsoft Research group, led by Director of Research Dan Ling, is part of Advanced Technology, led by Vice President Rick Rashid.
We also participate actively in the research community. You can find our technical reports at this site as well as information on various journals and conferences that we are involved in. A more complete list of our activities may be found using our search page or by browsing our home pages. Here is a very brief sampling of our professional activities:
For your enjoyment we have included fun drawings throughout our space. If you like this art please feel free browse and/or download them from the MSR Art Gallery.
Please report any problems with our pages to 'msrwww@microsoft.com'. Unfortunately we are not equipped to answer mail unrelated to our server. Be sure to check with the Microsoft Web server, accessible from the MS Home button below, for general information about Microsoft.