Exchange admins are a loyal bunch, as witnessed
by the fact that the Exchange community remains
cohesive despite what sometimes seems like Microsoft's best efforts to discourage it. For example, back in the
1990s, the annual Microsoft Exchange Conference (MEC)
was a highly successful gathering of Exchange enthusiasts.
These dedicated professionals enjoyed getting together
with Microsoft and learning from each other. But in the
wake of the tech crash, Microsoft consolidated its conferences and rolled MEC into TechEd. Too bad, Exchange
community: You've been assimilated into an all-encompassing IT assembly and the focus on Exchange has been
dispersed. However, not to be discouraged so easily, this
resilient group has rallied around the Exchange Connections conference and kept the spirit growing. That's what I
call bonding with a technology.
Considering Microsoft's focus on IT community in the
past few years, you'd think the company would be holding
up Exchange as a shining model of customer engagement.
Here's an organic, thriving, and authentic community that
persists because people identify with the product, not
because Microsoft has decided community is the answer
to poor customer satisfaction.
Keep the Choir Singing
Just when I think Microsoft gets the idea of customer service and community, the company decides it can take an
enthusiastic group of customers for granted in order to steer
them toward a shiny new technology. Dismal IT customer
satisfaction resulted when Microsoft dropped Windows NT
devotees like hot potatoes after the launch of Windows 2000
(Win2K). The company's attitude seemed to be, "If we build
Win2K, IT will come." Back in those days, I can't tell you
how often I heard Microsoft say the company didn't need
to waste time "preaching to the choir."
The launch of Windows Vista, Office 2007, and—oh,
yeah—Exchange 2007 gives me the feeling that Microsoft is
once again testing the resolve of the Exchange community.
It seems the company just expects Exchange users to jump
on the Exchange 2007 bandwagon, so there's no need to
celebrate the launch and the community's responsibility
for Exchange's success. More significantly, though, Office
Communications Server (OCS, the successor to Live
Communications Server—LCS), which is the company's
strategic priority, is scheduled for launch by mid-2007 and
it seems that Microsoft is trying to shift the focus away from
Exchange to OCS, the enabler of the company's new Unified
Communications (UC) effort.
Think Like Your Customers
Of course, focusing on UC as a way to get IT excited about
a new direction is absolutely appropriate and points to an
evolutionary change in how people will be able to communicate efficiently. I just think Microsoft's long-term strategy
for UC is clouding its judgment about the importance of
keeping Exchange enthusiasts engaged and excited along
the way.
But more important, I believe this lack of consideration for IT is connected to Microsoft's moving Exchange,
a server product that used to be part of the Server and
Tools Division, into the company's Office business unit.
The company has always considered Office an enduser product—the Office division's name is Information
Worker Business Unit (IWBU). Although the Office team
does an outstanding job of serving information workers'
needs, I haven't noticed the team investing much effort in
understanding IT customer satisfaction. In fact, I've been
shocked at the arrogance of some Office representatives
when I've tried to talk to them about the issues that are
of importance to IT. But the Office group has always considered itself fairly unassailable in its dominance of the
desktop, so it makes sense that this attitude would transfer
to new members of the Office family.
Celebrating, Not Relegating
The good news is that Microsoft people who have been
associated with Exchange since before the organizational
move do understand IT's needs. Evidence of their commitment to the Exchange community is a series of local
events starting in March under the title Microsoft Unified
Communications: Featuring Exchange Server 2007 and
cosponsored by this publication and Microsoft (http://www.windowsitpro.com/roadshows/exhange2007usa).
Although these events fall under the umbrella of UC, the
focus will be on core IT considerations: Exchange 2007
architecture, deployment, management, security, and
mobility. These events will provide an IT context and demonstrate how Exchange fits into the bigger picture of UC.
If the IWBU doesn't want to test the strong loyalty
of Exchange admins yet again, the division needs to get
attuned to the IT folks who are and will continue to be
responsible for Exchange—not to mention OCS. It would be
a shame to start hearing again that Microsoft doesn't need
to preach to the IT choir. Even if no highly attractive alternatives to Exchange are available to tempt current customers,
neglecting a vital community is never a good idea.
End of Article
