Microsoft Employees Reveal Something Incredible
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I bring you two pieces of shocking news this afternoon. No, really, sit down. I'm not responsible for the consequences if the following information causes your knees to give way out of pure shock. Are you ready? Phone in hand, just in case the news proves too much for your ticker and you need to dial 911? Then here we go: Shocking Item One: Some 10,000 Microsoft employees use the iPhone, at least based on unnamed sources quoted in The Wall Street Journal, who apparently pulled the information from smartphones accessing the company's e-mail system. (That's around 10 percent of its worldwide workforce.) Shocking Item Two: Microsoft executives are a wee bit unhappy about this fact. Oh, wait, that's not shocking, especially given the proportion of iPhones to the overall consumer smartphone market. But according to the article, Microsoft employees with iPhones have been hiding their devices, even as Microsoft executives have been demonstrating their sudden and absolute hatred for anything with the Apple logo stamped on the back. Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop reportedly even went so far as to toss his personal iPhone into a blender and turn it into ultrastylish plastic shards. If you want a little visual aid for what exactly happens to an iPhone when it's given the Steve Buscemi-in-the-woodchipper treatment, watch this highly educational video:
Nice. While Elop was doing things to his former smartphone that definitely voided the warranty, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was apparently waxing philosophical to his executives about his father's former employment at Ford Motor, and how every family of a Ford employee was expected to drive a Ford vehicle. (Remember back to September 2009, when Ballmer mimed stomping on an employee's iPhone during a Microsoft rally in Seattle.) Those are as clear messages as any that Microsoft expects its employees to stick with Windows Mobile--although those wanting a more consumer-centric experience can look forward to the end of the year and the release of Windows Phone 7 Series. I can understand a company wanting its employees to only use its products. I mean, what would it look like if Ford's executives arrived at work driving BMWs? But there are also issues of personal choice bundled up here, not to mention Microsoft employees needing to see what the competition has produced (as well as play a few games of "Plants vs. Zombies"). |
Comments (6)
That's a bit sad really. In the olden days, employees were encouraged to "know the competition", an admonition as valid for R&D folks as it is for sales and marketing.
I remember a VB PM getting laughed off stage by Microsoft consultants and technical sales reps after he made ridiculous comparisons between VB and Borland Delphi that showed he really didn't know his product space.
Posted by Mike | March 17, 2010 1:11 AM
I'd be carefull about applying for a job at Ferrari if they have the same expectations - that could drain the first couple of years salery...
Posted by Interesting Thought | March 17, 2010 3:55 AM
What happened to the SMART Microsoft who's philosophy was to "embrace and extend?"
If they keep using only their own subpar products they'll never improve. If it weren't for a customer revolt of historic proportions they'd still be extolling the virtues of Vista while trying to jam it down customer's throats.
They've come to view their customers as their enemy and deny any genuine innovation in the real world not invented at Microsoft. That's a prescription for future disaster. Microsoft needs new leadership from top to bottom.
Posted by TheBigOldDog | March 17, 2010 9:35 AM
Complete waste o time.
Posted by Paulo | March 17, 2010 10:31 AM
Thats sad :-(
Posted by Senthil Kumar | March 18, 2010 1:14 AM
TheBigOldDog,
You're saying this as if Microsoft's strength ever was innovation and higher value/cost, instead of abuse of the US government's tolerance and their allies, and a marketing strategy that borders on deception. MS software has almost always been inferior to the competition, and this is apparent in their growth prospects now that market conditions allow others to avoid MS's bullying tactics.
Posted by nobody | March 23, 2010 8:23 AM