Microsoft moves in with Kaspersky and Trend Micro

Microsoft moved into new Paddington offices yesterday, closing doors on Victoria base

Microsoft has moved into the same building as Kaspersky and Trend Micro in a new Paddington development that is home to a quintet of tech firms.

Microsoft's UK headquarters is in Reading and its London base used to be in Victoria. But the software and services giant has now moved into 2 Kingdom Street, Paddington (pictured).

The new base opened yesterday and is decked out with numerous sofa areas and break-out spaces and has views across capital.

At the end of 2013, security heavyweights Trend Micro and Kaspersky Lab moved into the very same building in Paddington, and Microsoft is their latest neighbour.

Nokia - which Microsoft acquired a part in 2013 - used to be based in the offices, according to a now-defunct Facebook page for the office.

The building is next to Paddington train station, which has direct rail links to Microsoft's UK home town of Reading.

The site is part of the Paddington Central development, which claims to be "one of central London's premier business, residential, healthcare and leisure destinations".

The area is still under development, with 4 Kingdom Street due to open next year.

The neighbouring buildings to Microsoft's new home are home to tech giants Vodafone - which moved its HQ there in 2009 - and Wipro.

Rose Ross, co-founder of TechBritannia and a member of Tech London Advocates, an organisation of tech leaders and experts based in the capital, said that Microsoft's arrival in Paddington is significant.

"It sounds very much like there's a force to be reckoned with in the Paddington area," she said. "There are some heavy hitters there. From my point of view, certainly, it's a trend. With big companies like that there, I wouldn't be too surprised if there was going to be more start-up space springing up there."