Tech Club’s Trip to Microsoft

Tech Club’s Trip to Microsoft

By Prima Suntornwipart, Grade 12

Tech Club, formerly called the Student Tech Association, is a recently established HS club with a modern vision and a passion for innovation. With the rise of globalization and the IT sector, technology has increasingly become more and more important to our lives. From healthcare to entertainment, demand for innovation and creativity has soared in the past few decades and the youth are keeping up.

On September 21st, the members of Tech Club were fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Microsoft Thailand in Bangkok. After an inspiring speech from the Managing Director himself, Dhanawat, we had seminars where current employees presented to us about their daily life, among other topics. We got to trial their cognitive services—programs that recognize emotions and speech and can translate between languages, their augmented-reality technologies, and even learned about advanced features that are not yet available to the public. For example, we saw a demonstration of a real-time crowd monitor that is used to track demographics and that can recognize your age, identity, and current mood. The same technology is already being used as a driver monitor for PTT Global Chemical truck drivers who are traveling between Rayong and BKK and often get drowsy or tired. When the program senses a driver nodding off, it will alert people to call and wake them and thus prevent an accident.

In addition to these workshops, Tech Club members also got an exclusive tour through the working space of the office—an area where most visitors are not allowed. The life of an employee of a high-level tech company was extremely fascinating. Unlike the conformist rows of partitions and piles of paper found in most headquarters, the Microsoft office was furnished with colorful sofas and staff members exclusively using Surface devices. Employees were completely mobile; they were allowed to walk, sit, or stand wherever they wished because a tracking system that implements wifi can be used to locate anyone at anytime. Apart from the freedom, there were also various amenities available to employees, such as food/ice cream, massage chairs, and more. In fact, most of the employees were not even in the office because they can choose their own work times and locations to be as efficient as possible! A career in a modern, innovative company sounds attractive indeed.

“The visit to Microsoft gave me an idea of how top companies in the tech industry operate and helped me to decide what to study after I graduate from RIS.” Patt, grade 12

I am very grateful for this opportunity to take my club members to explore such a powerful global company. After all, a job in tech is a very real possibility for the members of Tech Club.