Jay Inslee: “Mr. Speaker, as we are talking about innovation today, it is appropriate to talk about Microsoft. And I would like to…”

“Mr. Speaker, as we are talking about innovation today, it is appropriate to talk about Microsoft. And I would like to just comment about why I think their case is demonstrative of why we have such bright spots in our national economy. There is a lot of talk about gloom, but I think there are still bright spots, and Microsoft is an example of that. And I would like to comment on some reasons for success in their industry and their particular participation. I think those reasons are external and internal, and if I could just address three external reasons why the industry and Microsoft in particular has been successful. One is technical, if you will, and that is the expansion of microchip capacity, and that capacity has allowed expansion to meet the capacity of software. Second, ease of competition and ease of entry into the market: This particular industry has really shown the wisdom of having ease of entry and great competition, because no party has been able to stay on the pedestal long without reinventing their company. Third, the industry has had market-driven standards. They have not had government-set standards. It has largely been driven by the market, and that shows the success for the industry.”