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Microsoft Australia Management, attending today’s launch of the new Windows 7 operating system, are still promising a music and movie service for Australia three years after they promised the same content services , when they launched the ill fated Windows Vista in 2007.
Senior Microsoft management has also admitted before a packed launch audience, that it was Microsoft Australia who pulled the plug on a much heralded deal with Sanity Music that was announced at the Vista launch in 2007.
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Accused of totally ignoring the consumer market in Australia, other than to sell a Windows Operating System licence Microsoft Australia has moved to defend their lack of consumer support for the local market.
Geoff Putt, Windows Consumer Lead, at Microsoft Australia today defended his companies lack of content for Australian consumers claiming “It is coming. Watch this space”. When it was pointed out to him that he passed the same comment in 2007 he said “It was Microsoft Australia who pulled the plug on the deal with Sanity. It was not commercially viable” he said.
He also admitted that Microsoft Australia had done very little to help develop applications that run inside their new Windows 7 Media Centre.
In the USA, Microsoft offers consumers a host of content services such Showtime for movie downloads, FoxSports, Live365.com, TVtonic, Netflix movie services, MSNBC News, and CinemaNow.
These are all services designed to deliver a better consumer experience when they use features like the new Windows Media Centre which is part of Windows 7.
Microsoft Australia has also failed to deliver a new electronic program guide for use with the new Windows 7 Media Centre despite one being available via the IceTV service in Australia.
Windows management at today’s launch also failed to explain why they don’t support third party Windows Media Extender applications, for use in home automation systems based around Windows Server or Windows Media Centre Extensions.
In Australia, Switch Automation has built an entire business in the automation market after developing automation software that runs on a Windows Server and Windows 7 client.
Yet, despite this, they have had no engineering or marketing support for their service despite the system proving highly popular in Australia.
Deb Noller, a director at Switch Automation said “Windows Vista was a nightmare. It cost us money to develop on this platform and we got no support out of Microsoft. Geoff Putt came out to see the software and that was the last we heard of Microsoft.”.
Since then, Switch Automation has expanded into both the commercial building and home automation market and is now struggling to keep up with demand for their product after Adelaide based Schneider who owns Clipsal took over sales and marketing operations for the company.
In the US and Europe, Microsoft openly work with Media Centre Extender developers including lighting automation companies, distributed audio organisations as well Hi Fi companies who have all developed services that run inside the Windows Media Centre.
