Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Pixabay Last month, Microsoft announced that it would follow in the footsteps of other giant tech companies — notably Apple, Amazon, and Google — and open a microchip research and development center in Israel. Though Microsoft has long been involved in the country, with its team at Herzliya already numbering more than 2000 people, the announcement represents a major expansion of its operations in Israel.