Two weeks ago, I spent an entire week at a customer site. This customer is in Raleigh, NC, and I got to see their early progress on a WPF prototype. They see the User Experience opportunities with WPF as a key differentiator in their market.
This opportunity came about because of a program that the Server and Tools Business within Microsoft runs, called Frontline. This program is why I spent the week with our Customer Support organization in April in Texas.
We always try to look for win win situations. In the Frontline case, I think that this program is a true win-win. I get to see first hand how customers see their business, and what excites them and frustrates them about Microsoft technologies. They get to have someone from the product development group in their office to answer questions (or at least put them in contact with those who can answer their questions), vet their plans, and provide a deeper glimpse within Microsoft.
I had a great experience in Raleigh and I am excited about future customer visits.