Expand All [+]Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Technical Recognition Awards?
The Technical Recognition Awards formally recognize achievement and leadership within the Microsoft technical community. Established in 2007, the awards are bestowed annually by the Technical Community Network, a community of senior leaders and contributors representing Microsoft's technical core. All honorees are nominated and judged by their peers in this community. More>
What is the Technical Community Network?
The Technical Community Network, or TCN, is an alliance of senior technical leaders and contributors representing Microsoft's technical core. TCN plays a key role in driving the creativity that will shape technology in the coming decades. The TCN program is sponsored by Microsoft’s Engineering Excellence Group. The Engineering Excellence (EE) organization is a centralized team chartered with supporting Microsoft’s engineering workforce. The mission of the team is to accelerate the execution of Microsoft strategies and increase overall Microsoft engineering workforce capability by delivering solutions that improve the productivity, quality, and experience for Microsoft engineers and their teams. This is done through engineering-focused learning and development solutions, community and collaboration tools, technical consulting to engineering teams, best practices research and sharing around people, processes, and tools, engineering quality and compliance management, and the leadership of internal technical community engagement and events. Engineering Excellence is part of the Trustworthy Computing initiative.
How are award recipients selected?
Technical Community Network members submit nominations for individuals and teams in each category. The nominations are reviewed and normalized by a committee made up of Microsoft Distinguished Engineers, Distinguished Scientists, and Technical Fellows. The finalists are then presented back to the TCN members for a vote.
How are award honorees recognized?
In addition to being feted by their peers, Technical Recognition Award honorees each receive a unique custom-designed trophy as a visual representation of their achievement. Recipients are also given the honor of directing a sizable donation to the charity or charities of their choice.
What is the charitable aspect of these awards?
Each Technical Recognition Award recipient is given the honor of directing a sizable Microsoft donation to the charity or charities of their choice. In this way, Microsoft celebrates the relentless spirit of these legendary individuals by expanding their impact on the global community as a whole. The Microsoft technical community takes great pride in this significant and ongoing record of giving. More>
What is the "blibbit"?
The blibbit is the stylized "o" that originally appeared in the initial Microsoft logo in 1982. Today it is reproduced on each honoree's trophy as a symbol of the Legendary Work that the Technical Recognition Awards were created to recognize.
