What:The book
“Inside Out, Microsoft–In Our Own Words”
was created to celebrate Microsoft Corp.’s 25th anniversary. It is a commemoration of the company’s history and an exciting look ahead to the amazing technological opportunities of the future.
Description: “Inside Out”
was written collectively by Microsoft employees for Microsoft employees. The book contains candid first-person stories and insights that have been gathered from more than 1,000 people at all levels of Microsoft, past and present, all over the world. These stories convey revealing remembrances, secrets behind the company’s phenomenal success, tales of triumph and failure, lessons learned, facts and trivia, and some surprising glimpses into the future.
Format: This special-edition, 11×11 inch, 328-page hardcover photojournalistic book is a collection of first-person stories and insights from the people who are Microsoft. Interspersed are historical sidebars, Microsoft and industry factoids, advice, and quotes. The large, colorful photos and contemporary design make for an inviting and light-hearted glimpse into Microsoft, its people and its culture. The format allows readers to peruse the individual essays at their leisure.
Content: Among the hundreds of stories are new essays by Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and co-founder Paul Allen, as well as insights from top Microsoft executives throughout the world. Perhaps most fascinating are the predictions about the technologies and information frontiers still to be addressed by this company and the industry in general. Microsoft employees are a collection of incredibly bright people, and their stories present a compelling and optimistic vision of the future.
The book is divided into five sections, each with its own theme, style and introductory essay by Bill Gates:
Chapter 1: Think It, Build It, Bit by Bit features essays that reflect how Microsoft evolved from a small start-up called Micro-Soft into the world’s largest software company. The real stories behind the development of many of Microsoft’s major products are told in this section by the people who were involved. These stories reflect what went wrong as well as what was done well.
Chapter 2: From Inspiration to Market takes a candid look inside Microsoft, explaining the sometimes mysterious subject of what software developers actually do all day, what goes on behind closed doors, and how it all comes together to make the products that have impacted the lives of so many and will continue to do so for the next 25 years and more.
Chapter 3: What It Takes looks at theunique culture that has evolved at Microsoft and explores the principles and values that make Microsoft tick. This section reveals why Microsoft employees feel they were able to achieve incredible success up to now and what it will take for the company to continue to be a technology leader.
Chapter 4: We’re All Swimming in the Same Pool contains essays that focus on the global impact of technology and how it touches and changes lives in ways that extend well beyond business productivity. These stories examine important human events that often take place outside the rarified world of high-tech, highlighting Microsoft’s participation and contributions in areas such as philanthropy, education and accessibility.
Chapter 5: Where to Next? offers rare insights into the future of technology. Microsoft employees share their thoughts, visions and surprising brainstorms about what lies ahead for Microsoft, the high-tech industry and, most important, the consumer. Encompassing the ideas of Microsoft researchers on three continents as well as all the other employees whose innovations help create the future of technology, these essays paint an exciting picture of everyday life in years to come.
Availability: “Inside Out, Microsoft–In Our Own Words”
is scheduled to be available worldwide in mid-October. The book, which will be published in English, will be available from all major booksellers. The estimated retail price will be $45 (U.S.), 25 or 45.5 euros. Many major booksellers regularly offer discounts, which will bring the price in the United States to about $35.
More information about Microsoft’s 25th anniversary is available at http://www.microsoft.com/ms25/ .
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
