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Movers & Shakers By Michael Moeller June 9, 1999


Nathan Myhrvold: Trading Digital Labs for Dinosaurs
While Microsoft's chief technology officer is away on sabbatical, what Internet and PC software innovations will his researchers produce?

In 1992, Linda Stone thought there was no way she would ever work for Microsoft Corp. At the time, she was reporting to then-CEO John Sculley of Apple Computer Inc., a sometimes bitter Microsoft rival. But a year later Stone found herself heading up to Seattle for a job working in Microsoft Research. Why the drastic about-face? Nathan Myhrvold, says Stone, who credits Myhrvold's creative thinking and open-mindedness with persuading her to make her 180-degree turn.

Myhrvold's ability to think differently -- to borrow Apple's current advertising tag line -- is what will be missed by research colleagues like Stone as the Microsoft chief technology officer begins his one-year leave of absence starting early next month. At the same time, Myhrvold leaves under a bit of a cloud. He has been criticized by others in the computer industry for being late to recognize the importance of the Internet and for failing to push enough gee-whiz technologies out of Microsoft's labs and into its products. And some Microsoft executives grouse privately that he doesn't work hard enough.

CRAFTING MSN. Myhrvold scoffs at that -- and insists that the research organization can't be put on a deadline. He feels this is as good a time as any to take a long sabbatical and recharge his batteries. "I'm doing it because I can," he says. "Wouldn't you, if you knew that your position was going to be there when you got back and you knew that the time off wouldn't hurt you financially?"

To his credit, Myhrvold, 39, has assembled a solid record of accomplishments since joining Microsoft in 1986 as the director of special projects. He helped put together the company's Windows NT operating system for large corporate computers and Windows CE software for non-PC devices. Before taking on the role as the company's CTO in 1996, Myrhvold was instrumental in creating the early versions of the Microsoft Network online service.

 

A major goal for Microsoft researchers: Technology that will enable computers to talk and listen to their masters
 

But it's Myhrvold's lobbying for and creating Microsoft Research that is his biggest claim to fame. In 1991, Myhrvold convinced Chairman Bill Gates that Microsoft should create the sizable research organization -- now 400-strong. Its mandate: doing the basic computer-science research that would eventually find its way into PC operating systems and applications. "He has been the person that has helped make sure that ideas coming out of research could also be useful in helping us build great new products," says Steven Sinofsky, a vice-president at Microsoft running development for the Office 2000 desktop productivity suite. Sinofsky credits the researchers with coming up with sophisticated grammar checking technology and the software brains behind the Office Assistant -- which helps users find handy features.

More is scheduled to issue from the lab. Myhrvold's scientists are now working on such projects as handwriting recognition, speech processing, and audio and video technologies. The goal: to help produce computers that can talk and listen to their masters and learn what people want by watching how they work.

HEAD-SCRATCHING. Inside the research organization, Myhrvold is appreciated for his belief that hard problems can be solved by bringing together many diverse people who are experts in their fields. Stone's group, for instance, is made up of artists, sociologists, and software engineers -- all working on ways to create virtual communities on the Internet. The plan is for this thinking to ultimately feed into the company's Web sites and MSN portal.

Myhrvold, who has a PhD in physics, also formed a physics and mathematics group that caused some head-scratching among Microsoftees who didn't understand the connection with software. He was vindicated, however, when his scientists made valuable contributions to the company's encryption software.

 

"It's Rick Rashid's team now," says Microsoft President Steven Ballmer. "It's great we have a deep bench..."
 

Myhrvold won't really rest his brain, even on vacation. His first project is a boat trip to search for dinosaur fossils in Montana. He recently co-authored a scholarly paper about how certain dinosaurs whipped their tails as a form of communication. Myhrvold relishes the opportunity to look for fossils in an area that hasn't been searched before.

Later, he plans some true leisure travel -- including a trip to Europe with his family. The ultimate goal, says Myhrvold is to wake up one day and "have to look for something to do," he jokes.

During Myhrvold's time off, it will be business as usual at Microsoft Research, which is run day-to-day by noted computer scientist Rick Rashid. "It's Rick Rashid's team now," says Microsoft President Steven Ballmer. "It's great we have a deep bench that we can go to."

Myhrvold may be trying to slow down, but it doesn't look like Microsoft will.

Moeller reports on information technology and E-commerce from Silicon Valley


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