Friday, February 6, 2009

Bill Gates starts new company

Former Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates has started a new company, just three months after he stepped down from his day-to-day role at the computer giant to concentrate on charity work.

According to TechFlash, Gates's new company, bgC3, is headquartered in a high-tech office in Kirkland, Seattle, complete with a Microsoft Surface touchscreen computer that is used as a virtual guestbook.

Public documents describe bgC3 as a "think tank". The new company was originally called Carillon Holdings, and was established in March before changing its name to bgC3 in July.

Sources close to the business told TechFlash that the company was not a new commercial venture, but rather a way of coordinating Gates's business and philanthropic work.

He stepped down from his role at Microsoft in order to devote more time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a charity he established with his wife to find ways of tackling global issues such as health, education and social inequality.

However, the insider also told TechFlash that bgC3 will oversee Gates's personal pursuit of new developments in the worlds of science and technology.

Federal trademark papers lodged with the authorities state that bgC3 will work on a broad range of topics, including "scientific and technological services", "industrial analysis and research", and "design and development of computer hardware and software".

The company name is thought to stand for either "Bill Gates Catalyst 3", underscoring Gates's ambition to continue innovating even after his semi-retirement, or "Bill Gates Company 3", denoting that this is the third major venture Gates has embarked on, after Microsoft and his philanthropic organisation.

The company's website is live, at www.bgc3.com,

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