I would look at it from the perspective of Microsoft spending so much more than everyone else. Research encompasses a lot of things at MS, from pure research l

I would look at it from the perspective of Microsoft spending so much more than everyone else. Research encompasses a lot of things at MS, from pure research labs in Redmond, Boston, Cambridge to online services and live labs. Microsoft runs perhaps the largest CS research organization in existence, when basic research is considered alongside product research such as Bing and Photosynth. MSR grew to be so by the promotion of Nathan Myhrvold, and the buy-in he was able to get from Gates and Ballmer. It maintains itself by being able to collect a lot of talent, and keeping them interested. But like Lucent, it probably only survives as long as the company is growing.