Microsoft is closing The Garage after 17 years of operation. This workspace helped employees build many apps like Seeing AI and the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Microsoft said, "As we look to the future, the hackathon team is reimagining the program to meet the needs of today's employees, customers, and technology."
The Garage was more than just a workspace; it was a platform for Microsoft employees to collaborate, innovate, and turn their hobbies into full-fledged products.
The main Garage space was located at Microsoft's Redmond campus in Washington.
It served as the central hub for around 15 other Garage locations across the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA), and Asia.
Over its 17-year history, The Garage has been the birthplace of many apps and services.
One of the most notable is Seeing AI, an app that narrates the world around you for people who are blind or have low vision. It was developed during a 2015 hackathon event and launched 10 years ago.
Other successful projects include Mouse Without Borders, which lets you control multiple PCs with a single mouse and keyboard.
The Garage also contributed to the development of Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller. The accessibility-focused device was a collective effort by employees across Xbox and Surface teams.
It started as an experiment at a hackathon event where employees were trying to build a gaming device using Kinect motion-sensing technology.
Despite budget constraints, the project was approved and became the star of Microsoft's 2019 Super Bowl commercial.
The closure of The Garage will also impact Microsoft's annual employee hackathon event, which could potentially be scrapped.
"As we look to the future, the hackathon team is reimagining the program to meet the needs of today's employees, customers, and technology landscape. We'll have more to share at a later date," says Microsoft's internal FAQ.
This move has been viewed by some employees as another cutback from Microsoft.