Articles about Office

Report puts Seattle among leading global innovation cities, but it needs more premium office space

The latest edition of commercial real estate firm JLL’s Innovation Geographies report reveals that while Seattle is outpacing traditional hubs like New York and London in talent migration, a shortage of “investment-grade” real estate is creating a bottleneck for the city’s next era of tech expansion. Read More

OpenAI inks huge lease in Bellevue, doubling down on Seattle region near Microsoft and Amazon HQs

The company is taking an additional ten floors at City Center Plaza in downtown Bellevue, boosting its footprint to nearly 300,000 square feet. Read More

Office vacancy hits another record in downtown Seattle despite new tech leases

Seattle’s commercial real estate market continues to struggle amid remote work and broader pressures including tech layoffs and companies using AI to operate with leaner teams. Read More

Microsoft’s big lease renewal in Redmond helps buoy Eastside office market near Seattle

Microsoft’s decision to renew a large swath of office space in Redmond is emerging as a key stabilizing force for… Read More

Is 5 days in the office key to startup success? OpenAI’s big Statsig acquisition is a proof point

An unusual aspect of Seattle-area startup Statsig — which announced its pending $1.1 billion acquisition by OpenAI on Tuesday — is… Read More

Acumatica opens new HQ in Seattle region with plans to grow headcount 20% globally in 2024

At a time of shrinking office footprints and ongoing cutbacks across parts of the tech industry, the news Thursday morning… Read More

Seattle office market continues to struggle as vacancy rates rise for ninth consecutive quarter

A new Q1 report from Kidder Mathews shows regional vacancy rates in the Seattle area rising to 15.1%, up from… Read More

Car and foot traffic data show impact of Amazon’s return to office mandate on Seattle commutes

Amazon workers are back. And so is the traffic. Data from transportation analytics provider Inrix shows average commute speeds dropping… Read More

Meta and Microsoft are ditching office space in the Seattle area

Meta and Microsoft are both giving up office space in the Seattle region amid the shift to hybrid work and… Read More

Are tech workers coming back to downtown Seattle — and does it even matter?

Sean Turner was on his phone in the lobby of a downtown Seattle hotel last year when a woman slapped… Read More

Microsoft’s new Designer app integrates OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 image generator for graphic design

Microsoft will release a new standalone app called Microsoft Designer, tapping into the larger trend of bringing advanced graphic design… Read More

Tracking back-to-office plans: Seattle tech companies in holding pattern as Omicron surges

As the Omicron variant appears likely to surge across the U.S., back-to-office plans are now in flux as companies rethink… Read More

Microsoft’s standalone ‘Teams Essentials’ service poses new challenge to Zoom and others

Microsoft launched a new standalone version of Teams for small businesses on Wednesday morning, the first paid version of its… Read More

Seattle startup Worksphere helps manage process of returning to and running offices after pandemic

If and when workers return to offices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new Seattle startup called Worksphere… Read More

Microsoft adds automatic transcription to Word on the web — here’s how it works

Microsoft is adding automated transcription to Word on the web, giving Microsoft 365 subscribers unlimited transcriptions of recordings made through… Read More

REI looks to sell brand new Seattle-area HQ as pandemic forces retailer to rethink remote work

REI was set to move more than 1,000 employees into a brand new headquarters complex this summer, built on an… Read More

Why former Microsoft exec Steven Sinofsky has been using PCs from the 1980s again

Next time you’re grumbling about figuring out the settings to join a video call, consider what Steven Sinofsky has been… Read More

Microsoft rebrands Office Offline to simply ‘Office’

Microsoft is rebranding its web-based Office product from “Office Online” to simply “Office.” It is also ditching the word “Online”… Read More

‘Plants vs. Zombies’ creator PopCap and parent EA put down new roots in Seattle, and tease next game

When Ken Moss started at the video game company Electronic Arts a little more than four years ago, he was one… Read More

Uber expanding Seattle engineering office, scooping up space with room for 750 people

Ride-hailing giant Uber is expanding its engineering office in Seattle to fit up to 750 people, which is more than… Read More

Microsoft will renovate Silicon Valley campus into its ‘smartest, greenest office yet’

A week after announcing plans for a historic redevelopment of its original Redmond, Wash., headquarters, Microsoft this morning unveiled plans… Read More

New numbers show how Microsoft’s biggest businesses are really doing in the cloud era

Numbers released this week put Microsoft’s new era into clearer focus. The takeaway: The big Microsoft businesses that have shifted… Read More

Microsoft’s Julie Larson-Green leaves key Office exec role for health reasons, remains with company

Julie Larson-Green, a longtime Microsoft engineering executive, has stepped down from her position as leader of the Office Experience Organization as she… Read More

Microsoft unveils ‘Teams’ chat tool for Office 365, challenging Slack

Microsoft unveiled a new “chat-based workspace” for Office 365 Wednesday, dubbed “Microsoft Teams,” confirming its plans to challenge Slack and… Read More

How Microsoft Office will work on Apple’s new MacBook Pro Touch Bar

Microsoft’s Office team knows a few things about toolbars that show different buttons depending on what the user is doing at any given… Read More

This is the new Microsoft: Windows slips to No. 3 amid shift to the cloud

A small footnote in a new Microsoft filing reveals a big trend: Windows, the PC operating system that fueled the company’s rise as a… Read More

Startup Spotlight: Airlift sells in-office grub using high-tech ‘micro markets’

In-office perks can provide a recruiting edge and boost employee morale, but not every company can afford to foot the… Read More

By the numbers: How LinkedIn will fit into Microsoft after $26.2B acquisition

Microsoft says LinkedIn will “retain its distinct brand, culture and independence” under the surprise $26.2 billion acquisition announced this morning… Read More

China’s Xiaomi to buy 1,500 Microsoft patents, preinstall Office and Skype on Android devices

Device maker Xiaomi has agreed to acquire nearly 1,500 Microsoft patents and pre-install Office and Skype on its Android-based smartphones and tablets,… Read More

Working Geek: Andreessen Horowitz board partner Steven Sinofsky is a productivity machine

When emailing or texting with Steven Sinofsky, one sometimes gets the impression that he has a team working on his behalf, responding… Read More