Microsoft Netherlands

This afternoon I went to Microsoft Head Office in the Netherlands at Schiphol. It is their new Office I not yet had the chance to visit. Microsoft Netherlands held an presentation about the new way their magazine is going to be in the future. Microsoft will focus on content (articles) itself, since it is all technology and out sources the publishing aspect to Array publications that also publishes Software Release Magazine, Optimize and so on (all Dutch ICT magazines). A couple of Microsoft employees form a editorial group that will review each incoming article on its content. Layout magazine (which will be restyled ), advertisement and so on is done by Array.

I met a couple of people that have written article(s) too for this magazine in the past (6 years) like myself. Some of them I met for the first time like Randal van Splunteren, Dennis Doomen and Mark Willems. Very nice professionals I had a good conversation with.

I like the new environment where Microsoft is working and hosting their guests. Just when I wanted to leave I stumbled into my life-long friend Abe Anonymous (not his real name), who gave me a complete tour around the office (every floor, where guests are not suppose to be at all so that is why I can not reveal his real name).

I must say this tour of their office space is amazing, working spaces or glass cubicle to work in silence, X-Box areas, relax spaces, separate sleep area to take a nap (usually people with a jet-lag). I really liked it and gave me the opportunity to catch up with him, since he is working for Microsoft I do not see him that often.

The pictures you see here in this post are taken from the six floor, Microsoft EMEA meeting area with an excellent view of a part of Schiphol Airport.
It gave me a satisfying feeling of what I have accomplished so far during my 10 years now in IT. I started out 10 years ago a junior programmer for KLM and used to be around Schiphol a lot, so it quite exciting to stand in Microsoft Office Netherlands over viewing a place, where I more or less started my IT career.

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