Nonetheless the leadership role it has and the abundant technology solutions it markets and proudly promotes, Microsoft is still in a stone age culture when it comes to real-time communications.
Photo credit:Per Hardestam, Sweden
As you may know I am part of a small group of selected individuals called the Search Champs. There are thirty of us, from around the world, who have been selected by Microsoft to provide feedback, ideas, critical comment and (indirectly) press coverage about the new MSN Search engine, a likely serious contender to Google and Yahoo in the new and fast-mounting search engine wars.
What does this have to do with real-time communication and collaboration tools?
Recently, as part of the ongoing Search Champs program, through which we receive private email updates, access to a forum and breaking updates about the new Microsoft search tools being developed, we were all invited to chime in on how to handle the upcoming need for a live briefing that Microsoft wanted to deliver to us.
I suggested via email the adoption of two of possible several alternatives that would have allowed for full collaboration via the Web with voice over IP and complementary features. (Note that I was offering access to such tools for free and not suggesting to buy them).
No one from Microsoft replied to my proposal, and a couple of days ago the invitation came in to participate in a phone conference for the private briefing they had earlier announced.
As it goes with these events, there was no toll-free number for people like me who call from outside the US (I am in Rome, Italy) and nonetheless Microsoft seemed to realize this by mentioning it in their invitation, there was no fall-back solution for it in place.
Not even two pre-emptive emails to my direct contact for this program provided me with the opportunity to attend the live private briefing that went on last evening at 6pm local time.
I was just left out.
Microsoft sent me two very kind emails 19 and 25 minutes after the event started, asking why my phone number wasn't working as they reportedly were repeatedly trying to call me.
Unfortunately my phone was working fine and I was just so frustrated with the whole situation, that I didn't even feel like responding. If Microsoft, the largest IT company in the world, could not reach me at one of multiple analog/digital endpoints, then what I was doing thinking that I could have helped them improve their tools?
Fact is I didn't participate.
Now, the point I want to make is this:
How can a company that is supposed to be leader in the use of technology for communicating be so unprepared and naive when it comes to deal with REAL conferencing and networking opportunities like this?
- They have the technology in house (though it still operates through the clunky phone system) but they don't use it.
- There are tons of great tools out there, but they are not open to touch them if they don't have a Microsoft flag on them.
- I have offered my own solutions for free to them (setup and everything), and I have been invited to a phone conference with no number to call from outside the US.
The story ended with Microsoft gently replying to my last frustrated email, and offering a way to fix the little incident. As they offered themselves to set-up another short meeting, just for me, to allow me a personal exchange with the developersÂ’ team at work I took the ball flying:
I wrote back saying: "OK, give me the opportunity this time not to have a telephone-based conversation and to take the meeting on my premises. Just equip your team with a microphone and headset connected to their PCs, meet me online through your IM, and I will do the rest."
They said YES.
Stay tuned for more.
