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Microsoft has assembled a new 82-man team dedicated for work on “social technologies”, the firm has announced.
The Future Social Experiences (FUSE) Labs has been formed from a trio of Microsoft divisions, under the leadership of two company veteran executives.
FUSE Labs is a junction point from Microsoft’s Creative Systems Group, Startup Labs and Rich Media Labs. At its helm will be Lili Cheng of Microsoft Research and chief software architect, Ray Ozzie.
Though the composition and size of the team has been made abundantly clear, what remains unknown is the types of ‘social’ projects FUSE Labs will be working on.
“FUSE Labs’ team will explore new social, real-time and media-rich applications and services that add value to existing products, or could be released on their own,” said the firm.
“By combining these teams under a single leader and mission, Ray [Ozzie] believes FUSE Labs can achieve greater impact through tighter focus and a more holistic approach.”
A leaked memo sent from Ozzie offered a less ambiguous illustration of the division’s purpose:
“Myriad scenarios involving the notion of ’social’ have now gone far beyond communications and collaboration and are transforming experiences that are key to our customers and key to our business, in leisure & entertainment; productivity & teamwork; experiences extending how we use the OS itself.
“The three groups being combined have concrete skills and code in areas where ’social’ meets sharing; where ’social’ meets real-time; where ’social’ meets media; where ’social’ meets search; where ’social’ meets the cloud plus three screens and a world of devices.”
