Doing FPGA in a former software company

Abstract

Microsoft has gone through massive changes in the last few years. First, it was the dominant software company. Then, it became a “Devices and Services” company, and now it is “Mobile First, Cloud First”. Of course, deep down in the bones, it is still a software company. In this talk, I will give a personal account on how FPGA acceleration gradually gained traction inside Microsoft, difficulties and lessons learned in getting acceptance, FPGA's apparently imminent deployment inside Microsoft data centers, and finally what may be needed in FPGA programming software tool developments for wider acceptance inside a company like Microsoft.