Microsoft Providing Employees Windows Phones

[Adan Galvan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://twitter.com/maryjofoley/status/19105560802' target='_blank'>http://twitter.com/maryjofoley/status/19105560802</a><br /><br /></div><p>Mary Jo Foley over at <a href="http://www.zdnet.com" target="_blank" title="ZDNet">ZDNet</a> has just tweeted that Microsoft will be providing each one of its 90,000 employees a Windows Phone 7 device. Before we get too ahead of ourselves praising Microsoft for its benevolence, I'm sure there are a number of reasons to give out these phones. First, this can serve as a grass-roots marketing initiative. Secondly, it can provide Microsoft with a nice batch of beta users to help stomp out those bugs. And finally, it can prevent <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/sep/11/steve-ballmer-iphone" target="_blank" title="Microsoft's Ballmer threatens iPhone with violence">Steve Ballmer from threatening anymore iPhones</a>.</p>

[Jason Dunn]

Well, that's ONE way to get the market share of Zune clients up! :D:D:D

[Stinger]

Smart move.

Does anyone know if Microsoft employees are allowed to submit apps to the Windows Phone marketplace? I'm sure there's more than a few with good app ideas. :)

[Inventor]

Smart move.

Does anyone know if Microsoft employees are allowed to submit apps to the Windows Phone marketplace? I'm sure there's more than a few with good app ideas. :)

Thats it! they should have given them the SDKs with it and told them that they MUST write an app to keep it. Each person would come up with something based on lifestyle,work.

90,000 free apps first day of launch!

[Jason Dunn]

Does anyone know if Microsoft employees are allowed to submit apps to the Windows Phone marketplace? I'm sure there's more than a few with good app ideas. :)

I read something on the Mini Microsoft blog that said there was some bad news here, but when I went there just now to find it, I saw this:

"In a move that has totally delighted me, Microsoft is giving every employee the ability to write and deploy WP7 applications (and, what, ability to get a device at launch, too?) - wow! Now's the time to truly show off your stuff and write for WP7 and get your app out the door."

So it sounds like good news to me on the application development front! :)

[Jason Dunn]

Thats it! they should have given them the SDKs with it and told them that they MUST write an app to keep it. Each person would come up with something based on lifestyle,work. 90,000 free apps first day of launch!

You're forgetting though that there aren't 90,000 developers working at Microsoft. ;) And I can't imagine the awful quality of apps if every developer was FORCED to write an app to keep their job. I hope, instead, that Microsoft will encourage people with ideas to bring them forward and develop them.

[Stinger]

So it sounds like good news to me on the application development front! :)

That's excellent news. This is the way to increase the number of quality, exclusive apps for Windows Phone 7.

[doogald]

This isn't all that unusual. Apple gave all employees free iPhones in 2007; Google gave free G1s in 2008 and (I believe) Nexus Ones in 2009 to almost all of their employees as year-end bonuses. Well, I guess Microsoft has a lot more employees, though.

[MadSci]

Microsoft Employee loses new Windows 7 phone in bar in Seattle. Upon hearing "An Emplyee has lost the worlds most advanced Smartphone in a Bar!", Steve Jobs orders the California Governor to call out the National Guard to arrest Windows Phone Thoughts Editor Jason Dunn.

When informed of his mistake, Jobs said: "Oh, I guess I got that email a bit garbled - must have been holding my phone wrong again - Doh!"

;)

[Jason Dunn]

...Steve Jobs orders the California Governor to call out the National Guard to arrest Windows Phone Thoughts Editor Jason Dunn.

Haha...guess I should be glad once again that I live in another country! :D