Technology Innovation Will Spur Economic Recovery

By Teresa Carlson, Microsoft Vice President of U.S. Federal Government Sales

I recently wrote an article for FedScoop on innovation and its impact on the economy during this downturn.  The topic of innovation is one that gets me going and so I wanted to also share my thoughts here. 

It is innovation that generates new ideas and challenges us to push through our current thinking to make a positive impact. That is what is happening today.  We are faced with a challenging economy. We can no longer do what we’ve always done to get by. 

Right now we need to focus on innovation as the driver for getting the nation back on track.  It has worked in the past and it will work today.  In fact, technological advancements have helped create a global economy, raise average incomes in many countries and lifted millions of people into the middle class for the first time.

At Microsoft, our innovative spirit is part of our culture and engrained in everything we do.  This is why we were recently awarded our 10,000^th U.S. patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and have more than one-third of our employees engaged in R&D. 

We understand that technology will be at the core of the Obama administration’s vision to create a more open and transparent government.  Now, more than ever, innovation has the power to change the way our government does business.  And it is why, even now in tough economic times, we will not pull back on the investment – in fact, we plan to strengthen it.

To read my full article in FedScoop, click here.