Microsoft Applies for Patent for Intrusive Office Monitoring System

Microsoft, in a move that has raised eyebrows around the world, as reported by Foxnews and other news organizations, has applied for a patent for an office monitoring system that goes far beyond what most would consider appropriate. Instead of relying on computer monitoring, as many companies already do, Microsoft's system proposes using body monitors to note heart rate, sweating and body temperature to sense when employees are stressed which when compared with other data may indicate they are engaged in misconduct or even illegal activities.

Though Microsoft has not yet commented on its patent application, it's clear it is determined to stay at the forefront of office monitoring systems, a hotly debated program that corporate executives insist is at heart, a means for improving productivity, not meting out discipline or weeding out certain types of employees. Also unclear are legality issues regarding privacy, as the patent appears to apply to a system that would monitor employees even when they are not at work.

The system, called the "The Monitoring System 500" which sounds like a lead character in a very bad sci-fi movie would work by combining a variety of existing technologies into a single package and then using proprietary software to analyze it for manage to use as it sees fit. The idea would be record computer activity for white collar workers to see how productive they are, but also to record bodily indicators to see how engaged they are and also to record interactions between employees using facial recognition software that is able to gauge a person's emotional state. Such a system could then measure over time how well an employee works within a team, or diagnose problems within a team to see which elements are holding back progress. It also appears by tracking employees activities on the internet, their email and how long they are at such task, employers could discern whether employees are hard at work all the time, or fooling around. And furthermore, it could be used by upper management to gauge the effectiveness of lower management to see how good of a boss they are.

While this is all very "Big Brother" type stuff, and seems far beyond what employees or state laws would allow, it also seems indicative of where corporate management is heading in order to improve productivity; even if it means tromping on human dignity and privacy rights.

Thus far there is no evidence that Microsoft plans to create such a system if its patent application is approved, but just the fact that it has applied for such a patent means the company is clearly taking such applications very seriously.