May 4th, 2007
Technology Fixed the Stapler, Is Windows Next?
I recently experienced a small technology miracle: I found myself a stapler that doesn’t mangle staples and doesn’t jam. For years those twisted and contorted staples stuck in my carpet were a perpetual reminder of how technology has failed us.
Yet despite my already large graveyard of abandoned staplers, I never gave up my search for that perfect stapling device. Sure, I went through phases of binding alternatives such as paper clips or file folders, but ultimately, despite its weaknesses, I always went back the staple.
It always annoyed me that technology seemed to have overlooked the stapler. Over the years I have had an ever increasing capability in my ability to print out quality documents, but there was this stale complacency in the technology to bind them.
This all brings me to one of the things I have always appreciated about Microsoft—their ability to listen to customers and adapt their technology. Any long-time Windows user could easily compare the failure rate of Windows to the failure rate of the stapler. Security failures in particular have been painful. Nevertheless, for some reason we have always put up with it enough to keep buying each new version of Windows.
While Microsoft could have been complacent about the security issues in Windows, they made a pretty significant commitment to not only fix the problems but to establish the groundwork for limiting future problems.
I couple weeks ago I attended an IT Pro town meeting at Microsoft. When Steve Ballmer spoke to us he made clear Microsoft’s strategy saying, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but don’t expect to sell anything unless you do.”
The fact is that Windows would always sell because there are plenty of third-party vendors willing to build the add-in products to make up for any shortcomings. However, Microsoft still took it upon themselves to fix the problems, even making it a higher priority than just about anything else in the company. Securing the products was such a high that features were often abandoned in favor of security. I respect the effort they made–going way beyond what they could have gotten away with.
So while achieving security is a long road, at least we know that companies like Microsoft haven’t abandoned the quest.
We fixed the stapler and are in the process of fixing IT security. Now if I can only find a toilet that won’t overflow.
