News

Report: Microsoft Schedules Full HQ Reopening for September

Microsoft's Redmond, Wash.-based headquarters is set to fully reopen on Sept. 7, according to a recent report by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley.

Microsoft Executive Vice President Kurt DelBene shared details of its reopening plan with employees via an internal memo sent on April 1, Foley reported. DelBene, who is planning to retire at the end of Microsoft's fiscal year, had originally outlined Microsoft's six-stage reopening plans in this earlier announcement, which offered the following illustration:

[Click on image for larger view.] Microsoft's six-stage workplace reopening plans. (Source: Microsoft blog)

The full reopen milestone is marked at Stage 6, when COVID-19 is "no longer a significant burden on the local community" and is deemed more like the common flu, DelBene had explained. With the latest update to Microsoft's plans, that full reopen milestone is expected to occur on Sept. 7, rather than July 6, according to Foley's account.

A "soft reopening" of the Redmond campus, where employees are still encouraged to work from home, supposedly already kicked off on March 31.

In other inside-scoop news, Foley reported last week that Microsoft Build, Microsoft's event for developers, is expected to take place on May 25 to May 27.

Microsoft doesn't appear to have posted such information about its next Build event. However, Foley said the dates had been "leaked a couple of times over the past few weeks."

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.

Most   Popular