Microsoft is closing The Garage, the set of maker spaces where employees built experimental apps and hardware, including during the company's annual hackathon events.
GeekWire first reported the closure. Notepad then saw an internal FAQ sent to employees, which said: "We're winding down The Garage program as a centralized function." The FAQ added that Microsoft will "continue to explore new ways to help employees build skills, collaborate across boundaries, and bring a hacker mindset to their work." The main Garage space sat on the company's Redmond, Washington campus and served as the central hub. The portions quoted so far give no closing date and do not say what happens to the hackathons themselves.
The wording is worth reading closely. "Centralized function" describes how the program was organized, not necessarily whether the work stops. That phrasing could point to experimentation moving into individual teams, though the FAQ excerpts do not say so.
The trade-off is familiar. A central maker space gives people from unrelated groups a shared room and a reason to meet. A "hacker mindset" is harder to schedule, and without a dedicated place it depends on whether each manager lets people spend time on side projects. The FAQ's list of goals (skills, collaboration across boundaries, a hacker mindset) is also notably light on concrete replacements.
The open question is what the "new ways" turn out to be: a program with space and time set aside, or a general encouragement with no room attached.