 Microsoft-approved |
Like many large companies, Microsoft has been trimming costs in places in response to the global economic downturn…It also means scaling back perks. On the chopping block? Apple iPhone, RIM BlackBerry and Palm Pre service plans.
Regardless if the iPhone or BlackBerry is used for work purposes, Microsoft says if an employee wants to use one, it’s on his or her own dime, according to Business Insider.
The only phones Microsoft will pay for? Windows Mobile-powered smartphones, naturally.
Many companies do not reimburse employees for personal mobile devices, but that wasn’t the case at Microsoft (until now)…But questions remain about the move, such as:
If it didn’t affect that many staffers, why make the move at all? Just how much money is Microsoft saving if employees pay for the phones?
Aren’t data plans fairly similar in price?
If Windows Mobile is deemed inferior to the competition, what’s the use? Why frustrate employees?
The policy…poses less a financial question than a cultural one: if Microsoft employees don’t naturally gravitate toward in-house devices (say, the way Google employees do), isn’t that indicative that more work must be done in the mobile department?
Would Microsoft make a decision like this for petty reasons?.
well at least the people over in ms would realize their mobile os sucks, and would design a better one now
You’re doing a heck-of-job there Stevie.
So whats the problem here? MS only wants to reimburse employees if they use the product that is their bread and butter?
Sounds like a sensible policy to me.
Do people openly use iPhones at MS?
OK, I wonder why MS even let people use non MS phones before. However, Windows Mobile is a real donkey turd.
Makes perfect sense. They figure there are less employees using WinMo, that’s instant savings when they cut off the majority of service plans.
Did Melinda ever get the iPhone she wanted?
Just an Idea, Microsoft employee’s probably want to be productive. WinMo kinda hinders that maybe fix it first?
Nothing strange about that.
They’ve got to eat their own dog food.
If they expect their customers to use Windows Mobile, then they’ve got to have their own employees using it all the time – and fixing any problems they encounter.
It would be a little embarrassing at a Windows Mobile developer’s conference to have the Microsoftie doing the demo to take a call on his iPhone in mid-sentence.
I don’t see an issue.
The other phones have lackluster or no compatibility with enterprise products.
Why would you use a fun, personal phone for business when its not designed for it?
Like trying to use a 486 as a mainframe.
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No iPhone for you! It doesn’t matter anyway, the 3GS is sold out before it even gets here.
4,
Of course. MS doesn’t have the same mentality as Apple would. Apple is a hive mind. MS develops for Apple as well…
Why should Microsoft pay for employees to have the competitors phones. That would be like GM paying for everyone to drive Nissan’s to work.
@ #11
my personal phone is a winmo and I have a touch for supporting iphone users, the iphone actually is much easier and works better connected to the exchange server than my winmo phone
Seriously, whats the problem.
You sure as hell wouldn’t see apple subsidizing a WinMo phone for an employee, why should MS get bad press for having the same kind of policy?
It’s just lucky for Microsoft that they’ve implemented this new policy before Apple started advertising that their phone are so much better that even Microsoft buys their employees iPhones.
#19 What makes you think I’m a macfan? Because I pointed out how bad it would look for Microsoft if the general public knew Microsoft paid for employees’ iPhones? Just common business sense.
For your info, I have 6 PC’s (2 Vista, 4 XP) and no Macs. I do have an iPhone after owning 3 WinMo phones and would never go back to WinMo. I can deal with interruptions and then continue what I was doing. If you can’t, that’s your problem.
Geez, way to take a normal corporate policy and make it look like Inhuman Oppression.
It’s perfectly natural to ask that if the company pays for your phone, it should use your OS. If an MS employee is seen using an iPhone, you guys would be the first to yell “Gotcha”.
If you sell Chevys, drive one. If you sell MS software or devices, use them. I believe that Apple has the same policies.
The best thing about this is it gives MS a strong incentive to improve their products….they have to use them.
China is putting out a very interesting WinMo phone called the M88. It’s actually somewhat affordable without contract:
http://miphone.tk
I think it’s more of a pride thing then saving money. It’s the whole “we’re supposed to be #1 so everyone should be using our products” I sbet they still sit around the old black and white tv talking about the good times before the great depression and anti-trust breakups of yore.
Speaking of donkey turds, that Pedro really sucks hard on the Microsoft tit.
Been using Windows Mobile phones for years, absolutely love them. They have been able to do everything that iPhones can do for so long now. Kind of funny that it took Apple so long to put in a copy and paste feature. That is a pretty basic function and was there in the first iteration of the Windows Mobile phone software.
Seriously, much better than the competition. Microsoft’s problem has always been their marketing and the price of the Windows OS lately.
Clottenhamr.. If that’s so, then please explain why the iPhone at 8% of market commands 90% of the web pages accessed by mobile smartphones?
None of the Windows Immobile devices I have owned have ever been anywhere as usable as my wife’s iPhone.
In fact all have been complete garbage in comparison.
From the company that brought us ActiveX and Windows Vista/7 Starter Edition, this doesn’t actually surprise me. More examples of how MSFT does have a clue what the consumer wants, or cares…
Win Mobile is on it’s last legs as far as I can see. When they gave up on releasing WinMo7 anytime soon (no hardware could run it) they threw in the towel. What surprises me is how Nokia is stumbling in smart phones (they do own the regular hand set market) giving it up to BlackBerry, Apple, Android, and even Palm. The N97 is a brick.
Canuck:
I was purely basing my opinion on features. WinMo has had all that the iPhone has had for a long, long time. You cannot deny that. If you or your wife have a hard time accessing the internet with WinMo phones then of course you need Apple to hold your hand and make it easy for you to do so. I have never had a problem doing such a simple task.
MSFT is becoming the IBM of old, another has been company.
Good way to increase navel-gazing and become more out of touch with the competition. That whole not-driving-Nissans-to-the-GM-plant strategy worked just as well.
#29 Actually a large chested naughty nurse gives me a full body sponge bath each and every time I power up my iPhone. Swear to God.