The Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (NERD) is a key part of a long term strategic investment by Microsoft to build a world class center for research and innovation right in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Opened in September 2007, the NERD “vertical” campus is conveniently located in Kendall Square and spans two buildings with its primary presence and conference center located at One Memorial Drive and a recently renovated and expanded space located at One Cambridge Center.

NERD is home to some of Microsoft’s most strategic teams including Microsoft Research New England, Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), SharePoint Workspace, Microsoft Technical Computing, Microsoft Advertising, Microsoft Lync, Microsoft Office 365 and more. NERD has become a hub of activity for the local tech community and has hosted more than 500 events and welcomed more than 40,000 visitors during the past two years.

Microsoft now employs close to 1,000 individuals in Massachusetts. In addition to the Cambridge campus, Microsoft has offices in Waltham (Northeast District Sales Office, Microsoft Technology Center and FAST) and Andover (Sentillion). Microsoft is an active member of the community and contributes $7 million annually to Massachusetts not-for-profits and since 2003 has donated over $78 million in cash and free software.

NERD was founded with the recognition that the greater Boston area is home to the world’s leading universities, cutting edge technology, biotech and healthcare companies as well as a vibrant investment and startup community. With the opening of the Cambridge campus, Microsoft is well positioned to work with a highly educated local talent pool and build a strong permanent R&D presence.