Microsoft’s Customer Focus Renaissance: Micronaissance
I’ve spent the past few days pinching myself to make sure I am awake, as I have gone through two very impressive new or upgraded pieces of computer software that I expect to use on a daily basis – from a company that might come as a surprise to some people.
In both cases the software is from what I have experienced to date – excellent. And they were both free of charge. And they were both from Microsoft.
Yes.
The first of these was – as a legitimate owner of Windows 7 – to have automatically installed, without any fuss, a free upgrade to Windows 10.
So far I am nothing but impressed. It looks good, works perfectly with no problems associated with the upgrade (normally I would expect lose WiFi and printers and end up in a real pickle).
The interface is intuitive and understandable, and Hallelujah there is actually a start button (I know it’s churlish to mention the Windows 8 no start button faux pas when this post is about today’s successes from Microsoft and not yesterday’s oversights). And as a second reason for thankfulness the paper clip wasn’t brought out in any form (OK I’ve said it now, and that’s the end of the matter).
For this upgrade to have occurred seamlessly and without any cost, and to what appears to be an operating system that will really provide value to me, is really nothing short of excellent.
The day after this upgrade to Windows 10 I received notification of the launch of Microsoft’s new cloud based presentation and ‘content management’ application ‘Sway’.
I’ve taken a very hard look at this piece of software and my conclusion is that it’s the most significant thing to have been launched in the broad field of ‘presentation’ style applications or multi media content management systems in the last two decades, and it’s going to revolutionize the way a wide range of communication pieces are constructed and then disseminated.
Presentation Software
I first started working with computer based presentation software in the late 1980’s – long before most people were aware there was such a thing.
Working at the time in the multinational advertising agency industry I was an early adopter of what was then the revolutionary new package – Aldus Persuasion, as we transitioned our pitches ad presentations from 35mm slides used with a carousel projector.
Microsoft PowerPoint was the next step although at its initial introduction its functionality was modest and it took some time for it to overtake Persuasion, which eventually fell by the wayside.
PowerPoint has been a product that has revolutionized the world by putting basic tools in the hands of everyone who could use a keyboard. Regrettably very few of those people have ever been able to use PowerPoint to its full potential and in confirmation of the saying ‘a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing’ the majority of presentations put together with PowerPoint have always been – and remain to this day – as much of a hindrance to getting the message across as a help in the communication process.
It’s even been suggested that the wonderful generosity of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in devoting a fortune to the eradication of the scourge of malaria was actually a penance under the instruction of the Gatekeeper of the Pearly Gates (no relation to Bill) St Peter, who took the view that the creator of PowerPoint had been responsible for more human suffering and agony than any other person who had ever lived, and only good works on a monumental scale would have any chance of counteracting the deep dark stain on the human psyche that has been the result of PowerPoint.
PowerPoint has continued to receive development to the point where its capabilities are now well beyond the skills of all but a very small number of professionals to fully exploit.
Apple’s Keynote is also an excellent product with some very useful and unique touches of its own – I use it a lot – but it really didn’t at its launch and still today doesn’t really break new ground, despite doing some things particularly well.
The same can be said for the more recent entrant into this category – Prezi – which again has some nice and unique features. But I’ve never really warmed to it or found it to be as flexible and useful as either PowerPoint or Keynote, and I think it’s principal attraction was simply that it offered a different style to the boring and predictable basic PowerPoint slide show – and frankly anything would be a sight for sore eyes.
And so I really don’t think there has been anything in this space that has offered a truly ground-breaking leap forward or a dramatic difference sincePowerPoint’s early days more than 20 years ago.
Until, that is, the launch of Sway for Microsoft Office.
What is Sway?
Sway is a cloud based content management system with a very simple and intuitive interface that will prove incredibly easy to use, that enables you to ‘dump’ any type of content (text, video, pics, charts, embedded content with lots of different layout and style options) from any source (upload your own content from your computer; import it from the cloud, and Sway will even go search for appropriate royalty free content for you while you sit there and scratch your chin) into it using a simple ‘drag and drop’ approach.
You can move the items of content around as you wish with the idea of creating some sort of a logical sequence or story line to your content, and then at the touch of a button Sway will arrange this into any number of professional, attractive formats and styles that really are in many cases quite astonishing. And whatever the content and format it will automatically adjust for the screen the viewer is looking at – smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop.
There’s no comparison here with PowerPoint – in PowerPoint if your content is dull and your approach unimaginative then the PowerPoint documentation will suck. But with Sway, I think that even death-by-PowerPoint will have some pizzazz!
Sway isn’t just for presentations – it’s equally suitable – and will in my view be quickly and extensively used – for reports, plans, memos, newsletters, sales pitches, information manuals, training and resource material – in fact any and all types of communication.
But even more remarkable at least to me, is that as the owner of a copy of Miscrosoft Office on my desktop computer, Sway is free. That’s zero zip nil nyet nada not a cent, and I think it’s going to provide enormous and revolutionary positive change to the way the world communicates.
You can check out Sway at https://sway.com/ and my quick Sway based introduction to the software at https://sway.com/rBYm8hChTixwaN1u
Bravo, Microsoft. Here’s My Gift to You – Your Own Word: Micronaissance
When I look at the evidence before me of the choices Microsoft has made in the way it is doing business in 2015 I can’t help but think what a truly significant change of culture and approach from that of ten or more years ago.
A change of this magnitude within a large multinational – while maintaining a viable and profitable business – doesn’t happen easily or quickly and it’s uncommon for it to be successful. So it’s clear to me that there has been an incredible amount of serious and hard work undertaken at Microsoft over a good many years – to have reached this point.
And so credit where it is due – thank you Microsoft for giving me Windows 10 and Sway, and I think they will make a really positive impression on the market.
It’s like the Renaissance all over again – and I think defining this turnaround and new beginning as your Micronaissance is apt.
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