A quick introduction: My name is Benjamin Romano and I'm stepping into the large shoes Brier Dudley has left on the Microsoft beat. (Brier will still be contributing his wit and wisdom in a column and a blog on all things technology, with an emphasis on Microsoft.)

I've been covering biotechnology for the business section at The Seattle Times since last fall. Before that, I covered agriculture and business in Central Washington, and fishing and timber issues in Oregon. I've looked closely at several elements of the Pacific Northwest economy and I'm eager to learn and report about one of the region's and world's iconic companies.

Give me a call. I'd be happy to chat about Microsoft and technology in general. (206) 464-2149.