Ahead of the learning curve

REDMOND, Wash. — Although Bill Gates’ massive philanthropic foundation tends to get the most attention for its efforts to transform education, the company he co-founded also is paying close attention to the world of academia.

Microsoft Corp. sponsors technology contests, partners with academics, runs extensive research centers around the world and donates products to educators.

While many of its competitors have similar programs, academics and analysts say the Redmond company’s extensive involvement, especially through its Microsoft Research centers, seems to go further than most.

“Microsoft certainly pays a lot of attention to the education space,” said Jeffrey Young, a senior editor with the trade publication The Chronicle of Higher Education.

But it’s not a purely altruistic endeavor. Through academia, Microsoft hopes to convince young minds to become loyal to Microsoft products, help influence university and government research — and perhaps ensure it doesn’t miss out on the next big technological wave.

“As a whole, it’s an investment for us, but it pays off in a pretty big way,” Gates said in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press.

Analysts say another, less tangible goal may be to win the respect of researchers, who have traditionally shunned the company’s consumer- and business-focused products. Open-source technologies and other competitors, including Apple Computer Inc., have traditionally thrived in the academic setting.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has had to overcome reputation problems stemming in part from the monopoly position of its Windows operating system and the aggressive competitive practices that came to light during its long-running U.S. antitrust case.

“It’s about getting them on the tools and getting young developers, but it’s also a prestige factor,” said Joe Wilcox, a Jupiter analyst.

Hal Abelson, a computer science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has since 1999 partnered with Microsoft on an educational technology project, said it’s hard to say whether Microsoft’s increased involvement in academic research has helped improve the company’s on-campus reputation.

“Microsoft’s maturing a lot as a company, and they’re getting lots and lots of good people,” he said. “I think that’s more responsible for getting a better reputation on campus than they had before — and the products are better.”

Gates said Microsoft placed an emphasis on education after he and others saw how, as students themselves, Microsoft’s eventual rival, IBM Corp., wasn’t doing the same thing. The result, he said, was that developers used Digital Equipment technology instead.

Ed Lazowska, who holds the Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in computer science and engineering at the University of Washington, believes Microsoft’s heavy educational investments reflect what he calls “enlightened self-interest.” While Microsoft benefits from it, he said researchers who are able to use that involvement for everything from astronomy research to helping technology development in Third World countries do, too.

On Wednesday, Gates met with seven student teams who are competing in the company’s Imagine Cup, a technology contest in which students must use Microsoft products. More than 70 teams will vie for a $25,000 top prize at finals later this year in India.

“They’re giving us a lot of feedback on what we need to do better,” he said afterward.

Gates also has made a personal effort get people excited about computer science because he fears a growing shortage of U.S. engineering students. This clearly flummoxes a man who has spent his life devoted to technology.

“In some ways, it should be obvious. When they think what’s going on that’s neat in the world, that they wish they were part of, they can look at their cell phone, they can look at their iPod, they can look at their Xbox, they can look at the next version of Office,” he said. “When they go and buy a hamburger they’re not saying, ‘Oh, I wish I invented that new hamburger.”