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Janet Ong at Bloomberg News reports that Microsoft will add 1,000 engineers in China to the 3,000 it already employs there. About 10% will be in research and the remainder in product development. No word on which products.
Reuters observes that Microsoft’s current total employment in China is 5,000 and Todd Bishop notes that Microsoft currently has 35,000 employees in the Redmond area. No word yet from the labor union trying to organize Microsoft employees and temps, but I’m sure they will have something to say.
Catching up on some news beclouded by the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA, Microsoft’s appeal of a patent lawsuit judgement against it delivered by an East Texas jury was rejected on Nov. 16 by a federal appeals court:
Microsoft Corp. must pay more than $140 million for infringing on software patents owned by a Michigan-based technology company, a federal appeals court has ruled.
Z4 Technologies Inc. sued Microsoft and Autodesk Inc., maker of drafting software, in 2004, claiming the technology they used to activate newly installed software and deter piracy infringed on patents created and owned by David Colvin, the owner of privately held z4.
Paul McDougall has more on the issues at InformationWeek and Susan Decker has more on the eastern Texas venue at Bloomberg News, but as these things go, it looks like a fair cop.
However, Microsoft had some solace on Nov. 15 from the spanking handed out to notorious patent troll Acacia Research Corp. in another East Texas courtroom:
Today, Verizon Wireless opened up its cell phone network with the announcement of an “Any Apps, Any Device” initiative and Microsoft voiced its support via Senior Vice President of the Mobile Communications Business Pieter Knook:
“Microsoft is very excited to see Verizon Wireless make such a bold move to satisfy the demands of wireless consumers. As people’s mobile needs become more sophisticated and varied, they will require smarter and more adaptable mobile devices. We are proud to support any open access that puts more power in people’s hands to connect them to the information they want when and where they want it.”
Most everyone supports motherhood and apple pie, but the devil is in the details and specifically what Verizon is proposing is:
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