I know this is old news, but I’ve recently rediscovered how much end users dislike Microsoft. I spend a lot of time at client’s offices and there is always a contrarian who suggests that Google Docs is a much better approach than SharePoint. Or Mac guy speaks up to make sure you aren’t swapping out his iPad for a stupid Surface!
If it were high school Apple would be Slater, Google would be Zack, and Microsoft would be Screech. Apple is so cool and Google is so easy to get along with but when you get stuck on your homework who do you call?
Full disclosure: I work for a Microsoft Partner. I do, however, use Gmail for my personal email and work as much off my iPhone as my PC. So I’m not completely biased. I’m not here to bash Apple or Google either. I think they are both great and have a definite place in this world, thus why I use them daily. I’m more interested in why such contempt for Microsoft? What did Screech do to you?
Here’s my theory: end users hate Microsoft because they don’t care about the big picture. Let me explain.
End users just want things to be easy. I want to dump this document into a folder and move on. Why do I want to waste my time tagging it? Why do people love the iPhone so much? Well, it’s super easy to use. Swipe right, swipe left, tap to open. Apple and Google appeal to end users because they are simple and easy to use. They are marketed as such and designed as such.
Microsoft seems to focus more on the enterprise. Take Office 365 for example. It’s such a robust platform that it’s almost crazy to compare it to Google Docs. Document Management is just one piece of Office 365. There are so many other things you can do with it, including custom developed solutions. That’s great for a business because you can store your documents on an enterprise platform with all your typical document management features (i.e. version history, information management policies, yada yada yada) and also incorporate workflows and custom built solutions to add efficiencies to your business processes. All that jazz sounds good and makes sense to your IT staff, but if you’re a business user who gives a rip?
So I guess we are stuck in a divide then. “We could really use more automation and collaboration but maybe we just hand out Chromebooks and call it a day.” Well, every company has to make the decision for themselves. Google mail? Exchange? In the cloud? On premises? Dropbox? SharePoint?
Well here’s my two cents… sign up for Office 365. I know, I know. No surprise there, but hear me out. Your users can still use their iPhones, Android devices, iPads, MacBook’s, etc. to get their work done thanks to Web Apps. OneDrive for Business gives your users client applications and apps to access their documents without even opening a browser and navigating to a web site. While you're at it, go ahead with Skype for Business and PowerBI to deliver best in breed communication and dashboarding tools.
Oh yeah, and Intranets aren't too shabby either (what's the Google equivalent to an Intranet?). Take a look at our search based intranets and see how you can make them look nice, reinforce your brand, promote collaboration, and give your users a break by making it easier to find stuff. If you build an effective roadmap and roll out simplified solutions, you can get enterprise class applications along with high user adoption.
So stop trolling Microsoft for being nerdy. They just have your bottom line in mind more than your end users. The tools to make your business more efficient are all there in one simple, low cost package with little to no capital investments needed. You just need to develop an effective roadmap to encourage user adoption (or just hire us to help you #Ad).
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If you have your own thoughts on why users don’t like Microsoft please feel free to comment below, just try to keep in civil!
Cheers!
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