Andrew Herbert, managing director of Microsoft Research Cambridge, was busily reading e-mail when I passed him in the hall a few minutes ago, so I doubled back and asked him to provide a brief statement about the value of TechFest for his lab and for the larger organization. His response:

"The value to us is two things. It's making contact with people here in Microsoft's Redmond product groups. Obviously, being based in Cambridge, it's not so easy for us as it is for our colleagues here in Redmond. The other great thing is to see what people in the other labs are doing with their research, seeing how we can join our ideas together to build even more fascinating technologies."

And for Microsoft Research as a whole and Microsoft as a company?

"It's great for Microsoft Research, because it really is the thing that drives our technology-transfer agenda. And I'm sure, for the company, it's great to show all the employees what Research is doing and some of the exciting things that we'll find in Microsoft products in the future."

Andrew Herbert, managing director of Microsoft Research Cambridge and a Microsoft distinguished engineer.