Silicon Beach gets a new Microsoft [Technology Center]

The Fire Hose - New state-of-the-art Microsoft Technology Center opens in Los Angeles

On Thursday, we celebrated the opening of a new Microsoft Technology Center in Los Angeles with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring local officials, non-profit partners and area customers.

Located in the “Silicon Beach” area of L.A., our newest MTC is a 21,000-square foot state-of-the art office with the latest in Microsoft consumer and business technologies on display. L.A.-based customers and partners visiting the MTC will experience how our collaboration technologies enable them to seamlessly connect with colleagues all over the world via high-definition audio and video.

They can also play with the latest in mobile devices such as Surface and the Nokia Lumia 1020 with Windows Phone 8 and immerse themselves in the latest in large, touchscreen displays. With this new MTC, our customers and partners will see our innovation come to life.

Guests at today’s opening included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, State Senator Ted Lieu, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), City Councilman Mike Bonin, Gary Toebben from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and actress Holly Robinson Peete of the HollyRod Foundation.

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LA Times - Microsoft, with Mayor Garcetti on hand, opens office in Playa Vista

Microsoft celebrated the grand opening of its new L.A. office on Thursday, and Mayor Eric Garcetti, a high school mariachi band and actress Holly Robinson Peete were among the eclectic mix of guests at the event.

The roughly 20,000-square-foot Microsoft space is part of the Reserve, a 20-acre creative use campus in Playa Vista that was formerly a U.S. Post Office facility.

Half of Microsoft's space -- which features an open floor plan, communal tables and conference rooms with SoCal-inspired names such as Malibu, Hermosa and Zuma -- will be occupied by employees, primarily those on the enterprise and sales and marketing teams. About 130 employees will work from the new office; they previously worked from Microsoft's now-closed office in downtown L.A.

The other half of the space will be used as a  technology "showcase office" for Microsoft to display its latest devices and software to customers and host community events, Mark Kornegay, the company's general manager for the Southern California district, said in an interview.

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89.3 KPCC - With new technology center, Microsoft expands its turf on 'Silicon Beach'

Microsoft opened new offices in Playa Vista Thursday, adding to its presence in the technology zone known as Silicon Beach.

Elected officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Congresswoman Maxine Waters were on hand to cut the ribbon on the new Microsoft Technology Center.  The center will be the base for about 130 Microsoft employees and replace offices in downtown Los Angeles.

“If you think through where our offices have resided, it’s always been where growth is,” said Mark Kornegay, the new General Manager of Microsoft, Southern California.  He said the company opened offices in downtown Los Angeles during a period of revitalization there.  “Now, Silicon Beach is where a number of companies have invested, a number of our customers are, so this is the area where there’s a tremendous amount of growth and Microsoft continues to follow that growth.”

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It's a shame there's not yet a light rail/sub near this office... I'd love to take a lunch train ride down to check it out (Drive down? The 405? Santa Monica/Playa Vista? Yeah, not unless I have too and there's money or beer involved... ;)