Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft offers its take on CapGemini-Google deal

September 12 2007

From the "we just don't do that" department...

Microsoft has been noticeably quiet whenever we bloggers/press folk ask them for comments on Google various announcements. Today's CapGemini-Google partnership to sell Google Apps Premier Edition (GAPE) must have struck a nerve, as Microsoft sent out a lengthy and unsolicited response on the deal. ... Microsoft also suggested a list of "top questions that enterprises should ask when considering the switch to GAPE".
Ten questions follow, in the best "leading-the-witness" style of a prosecuting attorney.

The "ten questions to ask" format is not at all a new tactic for Microsoft -- I've seen it directed at Lotus many times over the years.  What is new is that a reporter has made the spin process transparent.  

I guess this is another exception where "we just don't do that" doesn't apply.

Link: Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft offers its take on CapGemini-Google deal > (Thanks, Christer)

Ed Brill Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Microsoft  Add/View Comments [15]

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  1. 1  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 9/12/2007 8:13:50 AM

    Wow! "GAPE" Really!??! So Google never did a search on that term on their own system!??!

  1. 2  Pedro Quaresma  | 9/12/2007 8:30:28 AM

    I found this one particularly funny, coming from MS:

    "2. Google has a history of releasing incomplete products[...]"

  1. 3  Randy Smith  | 9/12/2007 8:37:40 AM

    "2. Google has a history of releasing incomplete products, calling them beta software, and issuing updates on a “known only to Google” schedule – this flies in the face of what enterprises want and need in their technology partners – what is Google doing that indicates they are in lock step with customer needs?"

    What??? They don't offer their customers a roadmap??? Shameful!!!

  1. 4  Randy Smith  | 9/12/2007 8:45:22 AM

    "3. Google touts the low cost of their apps –not only price but the absence of need for hardware, storage or maintenance for Google Apps. BUT if GAPE is indeed a complement to MSFT Office, the costs actually become greater for a company as they now have two IT systems to run and manage and maintain. Doesn’t this result in increased complexity and increased costs?"

    Sounds similar to the the result when M$ tries to sell their "Plan B" alternative to a Notes Domino shop when they can't convince them to go with a full migration solution -- Exchange/LookOut for e-mail and keep your apps on Notes Domino.

  1. 5  Mike Brown  | 9/12/2007 9:17:33 AM

    "2. Google has a history of releasing incomplete products, calling them beta software, and issuing updates on a “known only to Google” schedule"

    Un-frakking-believable! At least Google labels its products a "beta" when it releases them. For quality control, any Google beta beats the shipped version of Visa hands down.

    Cheers,

    - Mike

  1. 6  Charles Robinson http://cubert-codepoet.blogspot.com | 9/12/2007 10:09:02 AM

    Perhaps Microsoft forgot that they released { Link } and recalled { Link } the Access 2007 Runtime.

  1. 7  Charles Robinson http://cubert-codepoet.blogspot.com | 9/12/2007 10:09:13 AM

    When they did finally release it, it was knowingly broken { Link } , prompting another release { Link } . What's that about "incomplete products"?

    (split into two comments because of link spam error)

  1. 8  Charles Robinson http://cubert-codepoet.blogspot.com | 9/12/2007 10:36:20 AM

    Oh, and even after the release supposedly fixing the problem, it's still broken { Link } . Pot, meet Kettle.

  1. 9  Vitor Pereira http://www.vitor-pereira.com | 9/12/2007 11:15:34 AM

    I'm speechless! I don't even know where to start. This will have me laughing for a few days.

    It's not FUD anymore, it's a direct shot to the foot. It's hilarious and desperate, who the heck wrote that statement?

    Is it really from MS? You sure it's not a prank? C'mon Ed, did you write this and send it to Mary Jo Foley?

  1. 10  Randy Smith  | 9/12/2007 11:36:36 AM

    @9 - "It's hilarious and desperate, who the heck wrote that statement?"

    If I had to guess, my money would be on "Redmond Rick". Maybe this is the same guy as "Baghdad Bob", the former Iraqi Minister of (mis)Information. Does anybody know what *really* happened to him? Perhaps he's got a new gig... new gig, same tactics :-)

  1. 11  Ian Scott  | 9/12/2007 11:56:39 AM

    Has anyone thought about building a simple little Domino web application consisting of a form that records each occurence of this kind of stuff (example fields: date, author, subject, category, subject, url) and some views for presenting it, a nice little navigation bar, and a search tool? You know, the sort of thing that can be knocked up in a few hours.

    The web site would need a name of course.......

    btw. when I type www.microsoftsucks.com into my browser (IE and Firefox on XP) the browser hangs. Funny that. Not.

  1. 12  Keith Brooks http://lotustech.blogspot.com | 9/12/2007 1:17:27 PM

    @11 type the same thing in to sametime connect client 7.5.1 and enjoy.

    Carl tyler posted about this a while back but I only recently updted to 751cf1.

  1. 13  Rob Ingram http://www.dominoblog.com | 9/12/2007 1:55:34 PM

    So Microsoft seems to be saying 'dont trust software as a service' - interesting since they spent much of their partner forum promoting their own hosted apps plans. Sounds like they are trying to play on both sides to me.

    Of course a rich clinet alternative is available in Notes 8

  1. 14  Ian Scott  | 9/12/2007 5:13:58 PM

    @12 - That put a smile back on my face. Thank you. Interesting that it works with IBM and Lotus as well as Microsoft.

    Maybe I'm just paranoid but if that url doesn't hang a Linux or Mac desktop it would speak volumes about Redmond's funny bone. Their paper clip isn't funny either but having a control that burst a big blue meanie on to the screen to bend it permanently out of shape might be. Certainly it would be very satisfying.

    Sorry for going off topic.

  1. 15  Alan Bell http://www.theopensourcerer.com | 9/13/2007 5:22:59 AM

    these questions deserve some answers

    { Link }