When Microsoft Corp. (MFST ) hired computer scientist Kai-Fu Lee away from hardware maker Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI ) in 1998, the move underscored how thoroughly the software giant dominated the computer industry. Not only did it monopolize PC operating systems and hold an edge in Web browsers, but it was also vacuuming up the world’s brightest technologists. Lee’s expertise was in speech recognition, considered one of the next big leaps in computing. With people like him flocking to Microsoft’s labs, it seemed that the digital world’s reigning champion had a lock on the future.
Link: BusinessWeek Online
