Creators, entrepreneurs, and sales teams are on the go all the time. Meetings here, presentations there, pitches everywhere. Early morning calls, late-night drinks. Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Every minute of every working day needs to be as productive as possible.
That is why WeWork and Microsoft have created a “City as a Campus” partnership. The City as a Campus model uses New York City as its “campus” and gives the company’s global marketing and sales teams access to WeWork space, a community, and services all over New York City.
The Microsoft-WeWork partnership includes access to “touchdown” venues in WeWork Chelsea and WeWork Charging Bull in the Financial District. At each location, the teams will have access to a bespoke Microsoft space where they can catch up on some work, host customers for meetings and demonstrations, or recharge between appointments. The partnership brings Microsoft closer to their customers, allows teams to be more productive, and gives staff access to collaboration and sales opportunities through the WeWork community.
Matt Donovan, Microsoft’s GM of office marketing, said: “WeWork truly embodies the work styles of the future, where community and mobility are key. At Microsoft, we designed Office 365 precisely for these new work styles. It means that the Microsoft employees and WeWork communities get access to inspiring tools and spaces to pursue their passions and achieve more every day.”
For WeWork, this partnership highlights WeWork’s growing appeal to large companies looking for flexible real estate solutions. Chief product officer Dave Fano said: “We are incredibly excited to have Microsoft as part of our growing community. By providing them with an engaging community, an inspiring space, and quality services, WeWork enables corporations like Microsoft to meet the needs of the modern workforce while increasing productivity and reducing costs.”
The partnership also includes similar “touchdown” spaces for Microsoft sales teams in Philadelphia and Portland (Ore.) as well as a bulk-desk deal (40 desks) to move Microsoft’s Atlanta-based advertising team to WeWork Buckhead.
Today’s announcement underlines the broader generational shifts in how individuals and teams from companies of every shape and size approach their work. For many companies, large and small, real estate and office management are not a core competencies; they can be real pain points that detract from business. WeWork consolidates and standardizes this process and removes the friction for all parties. Companies can easily step into a space that fosters community and collaboration, and enables people to focus on doing their jobs.
Fano added: “To have access to a community that spans different industries, disciplines, and demographics is an incredibly attractive prospect not just to sell to, but it also reinvigorates and refreshes a team’s dynamic. The WeWork community has become a useful tool for companies of all profiles to attract and retain talent. Housing your team in a WeWork facility acts as positive reinforcement for a multinational company’s brand and can reinvigorate a team’s culture.”
And for Microsoft employees, the benefits are great. With access to WeWorks all around New York City, their sales and marketing teams can stop in, get work done, and make the most of every minute.
To learn more about WeWork Enterprise, click here.
