Microsoft Response Point: Decision Day on June 30?
Solutions providers that sell, service and support Microsoft Response Point — a small business VoIP phone system — may potentially learn more about the product’s fate on June 30 during a Microsoft Response Point Town Hall Meeting. Here’s the scoop from The VAR Guy.
As you may recall, Microsoft’s recent layoffs impacted the Response Point team. While the software giant says it remains committed to supporting current Response Point 1.x VAR and customers, Microsoft seems to be rethinking plans for a forthcoming Response Point 2.0 release. Options range from repositioning the product, shifting to more of a hosted VoIP model, or outright killing future Response Point development efforts, according to sources close to Microsoft.
The blow-by-blow so far:
- May 7, 2009: Concerns about Response Point’s future first surfaced on May 7 in the official Microsoft Response Point Blog.
- Mid-May, 2009: Microsoft bought some time by speaking with the Response Point VAR Council in mid-May; in response, the VAR Council appealed for calm across the Response Point channel community.
- June 15, 2009: Sanjay Parthasarathy, a Microsoft visionary who oversaw the incubator in charge of Response Point, is leaving the company after 19 years, according to the All About Microsoft blog.
- June 30, 2009: Microsoft is planning a Town Hall Response Point meeting for VARs.
Circle the Date
According to a VAR who has seen the Microsoft Response Point Team Newsletter for May 2009, a Town Hall Meeting featuring John Frederiksen, GM of the Response Point Product, is planned for June 30. The newsletter apparently stated:
Response Point Town Hall Meeting – Update on Recent Changes
Microsoft has made some changes to the Response Point business. I am not expecting impact on current customers as we will maintain the current version of the product. We want to take a good look at the next version of Response Point and ensure it addresses the needs of Small Businesses. We are thankful for the support we have received from our partners to date.
We will continue to support our current OEMs, Service Providers and resellers that are selling Response Point v1.0. We will also continue to promote the product and our partners on-line. We believe there is a plenty of room for delivering breakthrough products in the communication space and will continue to investigate the opportunity in the small business segment.
John Frederiksen, General Manager of the Response Point Product, will update partners and answer questions during this live meeting.
Please monitor the official Response Point blog for updates and information. blogs.technet.com/rp/
Date: June 30th, 2009 (Tuesday)
Time: 1:00 – 2:30pm PDT (Redmond Time)
Registration URL: training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/details.aspx?publisher=12&delivery=267491
For Response Point resellers, the June 30 meeting can’t come fast enough.
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Var Guy you are the only site holding Microsoft accountable to partners for Response Point. Thank you for following and documenting the story so far. Irregardless of what Microsoft decides it’s good to hear they plan to communicate something on June 30.
Jessie J: Thanks. Regardless of Microsoft’s decision with Response Point, it’s important for the software giant to communicate clearly and regularly with partners. Hopefully those lines of communication with Response Point partners will improve dramatically on June 30.