研发又一春

Special report:Another spring at research and development

这个春天,微软和惠普几乎同时向外界展示了两家公司对于研发的新野心——3月4日,微软在总部雷德蒙举行了2008年度的微软技术节（TechFest 2008）;两天之后,惠普在总部帕洛阿尔托宣布,已对其研发体系“HP Labs”（惠普实验室）完成了全面重塑,这也是“HP Labs”在其近42年历史中最大规模和力度的一次调整。

This spring,Microsoft and HP are almost demonstrating at the same time to the public their new ambition for the research and development,on March 4th, Microsoft held 2008 annual Microsoft Technology Festival(TechFest 2008) in the Redmond headquarter, displaying a great number of the newest research achievement of five major research institutes of Microsoft from around the globe. After two days,Hp announced at Palo Alto headquarter that they have finished the overall re-building of its R&D system'Hp Labs'.This is the adjustment of largest scale and intensity in the near 62 years' history of'HP labs', current Hp CEO,Board Chairman and President Mark Hurd even addressed in person. The passion of global top information technology company toward the technologi- cal R&D per se and its efficiency in conversion into commercial value, like warm stream raging underneath,are spreading in the west coast in a surprising as well as well-deserved fashion from Redmond in the northwest corner to the Silicon Valley, Mecca of information technology at southeast corner of San Francisco. People are going everywhere with the look that'I will change the world'.If we are to find a landmark event for it,HP's action in renovating HP Garage,vehicle of its Garage Culture, as well as spiritual birthplace of HP and Silicon Valley,might be a very meaningful implication. IBM placed its global headquarter and R&D focus near the east coast city of New York,and recently appointed John E, Kelly,7th R&D director in the past 100 years' history of the company last July.In the recent several months,Kelly is outlining new development blueprint for IBM global R&D department.This blueprint is aggressive and domineering,as Microsoft and HP are. The information technology's leader and promoter are putting on another round of'arms race'.So the influence brought about by the warm stream is obviously long and far- reaching,even directly controlling the future direction of global information technology.