The current buildings on the campus are the 120,000-sf Horizonfacility, and the 95,000-sf Vista building, which, before anyassumptions are made, was named that before the launch of thecompany's new operating system, says site leader Don Morton. "Thebuilding was named that before Microsoft bought our former companyhere, Great Plains Software, in 2001," Morton tellsGlobeSt.com.

The expansion plans include a new 120,000-sf office building,and a 65,000-sf addition to the Vista building, Morton says. Hesays he can't comment on how much it will cost to do theexpansion.

The company has about 1,300 people employed at the two buildingsnow, plus another 200 employees in a 45,000-sf office spaceoff-site, Morton says. The above addition plans is just a firstphase of a future, long-term expansion plan that will be able tohouse 3,800 employees, vendors and contingent staff, says companyofficials. "We want to get everyone consolidated, and we have somegreat growth projections," Morton says. "For Microsoft, the Midwestis a low-cost area for operations. Here, we have 40,000 collegestudents to recruit from in a 100-mile radius."