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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.

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