Two of our highest profile visits during the Plus3 Ireland program were to American firms. In comparing Google and Microsoft, some similarities involving the two tech giants were how Dublin acted as a center (centre) for not only Irish operations, but all of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and a little bit of everywhere else on Earth too. The corresponding diversity naturally followed, with Google’s multilingual “welcome” signs recalling not only a similar display at the Microsoft entrance, but also the Windows 10 login screen. English is obviously the language of business at both firms, as evidenced from the signage, and perhaps everyone speaking in a second language contributes to the horizontal structure that both firms strive for. Both GOOG and MSFT also seek environmental sustainability, at least explicitly or directly. I wonder how the energy and raw materials associated with the billions of third-party Windows and Android devices factor into their eco-calculations. Security, be it the CTRL+ALT+DEL combination or two-factor authentication via the YouTube app, was also paramount in the physical campuses. See how promptly name tag holders were given out at the start and also retrieved at the end. No strangers allowed, and unlike at the University of Pittsburgh, this policy likely extended well before COVID. Speaking of life during the disease, both have a hybrid approach when it comes to workers returning to their glamorous offices. Still, a perk-heavy, work-for-us mentality drove both presentations, led by business-ish yet sufficiently nerdy people befitting our CBA team. The secrets lurking beneath the shadows of the free soda water could be sensed at both spots, but (particularly at Google) they never bubbled to the surface. Both strive to offer, via workshops and whatnot, contributions to the Irish community, though Google does not have a product as absolutely beloved by children and future wage-earners as Minecraft.
As for contrasts, Google opted for an urban campus, though the dock complex nonetheless dwarfs the Sandyford one in height, building quantity, and employee-count. Google casually name-dropped their Indian-American boss’s name in the context of a cool building rather than make him the focus of a PowerPoint. Speaking of which, a sit-down meeting at the Bouncy Castle or other room, accompanied by some Google Slides, would have been appreciated even if a little boring. The absence of the director of the Pitt Global Experience Office at Google also compromised our collective willingness or ability to ask questions, particularly those related to the blog prompt. I am sure that during the length of my life, I will (willingly or not) learn more about both Google and Microsoft.