Today was an interesting day as we went right from the historic tours of last night into the technology- and business-focused meetings with Microsoft. My first impression of Microsoft and their product offerings boiled down to Powerpoint, Word, Excel, and Xbox. I always heard from my parents about how important knowing the Microsoft suite is, especially for business. Besides that, I thought of them in a slightly stereotypical image of a silicon valley tech company, like open, comfy offices, forward-thinking ideas, and talented people, but done so in a larger and more professional manner.

After visiting them, I am inclined to believe that the latter is still mostly true, but the former is far from it; they are much more diverse in their product offerings than consumer-facing software. In fact, most of their products were goods and services that consumers would not even be in the market for, as they are geared toward large organizations like governments and manufacturing companies. I really liked the enhanced reality demonstration, since it showed what is possible with advances in technology and how it can make things much easier for people. It also was funny seeing fellow students interacting with the technology! However, it is really geared toward practical applications in a business setting instead of fun scenarios with consumers. That along with their breadth of product offerings definitely changed my view of them, and it really helps justify why they are such a massive yet innovative company.

A question that I could ask Dr. Kelley would be something relating to how the tech boom in Dublin will affect all aspects of Ireland besides the tax rate, and if it is possible for the momentum to be sustained for the Irish economy in the future. For example, if American tech companies left Ireland next week, for example, or if another otherwise unforeseen event takes place that would decrease and limit big tech’s presence in Ireland, would Ireland still be strong enough to overcome this with the domestic entrepreneurship and investment systems they have now? Perhaps this question would not be appropriate for just him, but it is something I have been thinking about nonetheless.