What Microsoft’s Job Listings Might Reveal About The Future Of Surface

What Microsoft’s Job Listings Might Reveal About The Future Of Surface


As TechRadar reports, Microsoft has been on a Surface-related hiring spree in the last few months. While that indicates the company is already moving ahead with its Surface 2 plans, which isn’t remotely surprising, it could also tell us a decent amount about Surface itself.

It’s easy to read too much into the hiring tea leaves; if anything, the fact that Microsoft is staffing up tips nothing more than its commitment to making its own hardware. That’s notable, but it isn’t particularly new. By looking at the kinds of people Microsoft is looking for, we can guess haphazardly what Surface future and Surface present might hold.

Looking to the future, an expert in “finishing processes such as paint, plating and PVD” is sought; as TechRadar notes, PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) can be used to waterproof a device.

But then some job listings touch on potential areas of vulnerability for the current Surface. The search for an “alternative power sources” leader is vague, but it could suggest that Microsoft’s not totally content with its tablet’s battery life. Similarly, the hunt for someone who can conquer “passive and active cooling thermal designs” tips that concerns about Surface Pro’s fan living up to the task might be well-founded.

It comes down to this: Is Microsoft growing its team because it sees a greater potential for Surface than it did four month ago? Or because its tablet debut hasn’t quite delivered on all fronts? We should have a good sense of that come October. And we’ll know for sure when a waterproof, battery-sipping, icebox-cool Surface 2 hits shelves just in time for the 2013 Christmas season. [TechRadar]


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