Microsoft Expression office is coming to St. Paul

Updated: June 3, 2009 - 9:08 PM

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Microsoft said Wednesday it will open a software development operation on the 24th floor of Wells Fargo Place in St. Paul that will provide graphics design software for website and software developers.

The St. Paul operation will have 26 employees who will work with 70 others in Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., headquarters. They will design new graphics products for use by customers as diverse as advertising agencies and business software developers who want to use animation and graphics.

Called Microsoft Expression, it will develop software that competes with California-based Adobe Systems, said Doug Olson, general manager of the Microsoft operation and a former Adobe manager who worked at its Arden Hills location. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul were considered as locations, but the St. Paul site had lower capital costs, he said.

"Our software is aimed at helping customers build what's called rich Internet applications software," Olson said. "It will compete with graphics tools such as Adobe Flash."

STEVE ALEXANDER