Working with Vendors

I have worked with couple of vendors in the software industry and i see there is common working style in most of the them and i feel as a customer we need to make sure and have better understanding on what they are doing and is that the right way to go.

Most common things i observe in most of the vendors :
1. Try to bluff the customer.
2. They don't have facts in hand before they talk on anything.
3. They think customer is a layman.
4. They just promise or say whatever comes out of their mouth at that moment.
5. They try to hide the facts most of the time.
6. They try to still keep up their words on the facts even after they realize after sometime that they were wrong on what they are talking.
7. Irate and good customer with their minimal knowledge.

Things to do to make customer happy :
1. Accept your mistakes and provide them options on how to fix them.
2. Listen to the customer before you come up with conclusions.
3. Bluffing the customer does not work all the time.
4. Work according to the expectations of the customer then you would have strong long term relation ship.
5. Companies need to shuffle their employees according need and response of the customer in the beginning.
6. Don't wait till the customer totally gets frustrated and the project gets scrapped.
7. Try to be always in customer shoes before you try to do anything.

Successful Implementation

You can see the success in your implementation when the following happens :

1. You end user accepts the system.
2. They like the system.
3. They start using the system.

10 Steps for Success in implementation of a product

In general if we are implementing any prodcut, we need follow the following basic steps in the process :

1. Identify the Stakeholders for the software you are implementing.
2. Make sure that you have participation from the stake holders and it would help you in better analysis.
3. Perform the needs assessment.
4. Review the assessments and try to check all the feasibilities involved in developing the assessments.
5. Modifications on the assessments, validations and tracking the modified requirements.
6. Implementation of the requirements.
7. User testing at all levels especially all the stake holders of the system.
8. Change control process to manage changes.
9. Provide simple tutorials to help users learn to use the software.
10. Promotion, marketing, etc. of the new product as this is critical for getting user acceptance.

Back to Blogging

Again Started Blogging after long time....

MUGH Presents DEVCON 2006

Folks ! Dev Con is back for you!

Microsoft User Group, Hyderabad (MUGH) presents the most awaited developer event for you, focusing all brand new and cutting edge technologies you always loved to work on. Come, join us to celebrate the exciting fun tech stuff, Quizzing, Hiring !.Yes...we owe you an event t-shirt and you will get it too ! :-) Registration is Absolutely Free. Thanks to our Sponsorers. Mark your calendars for 19th November, 2006 Venue : MPR Rooms, Microsoft Campus -2, Gachibowli. For More Info

Register Here

.NET Framework 3.0

.NET 3.0 Framework has made to RTM today and can be downloaded from

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=10cc340b-f857-4a14-83f5-25634c3bf043&displaylang=en

Also Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows Vista and .NET Framework 3.0 Runtime Components

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C2B1E300-F358-4523-B479-F53D234CDCCF&displaylang=en

Info Card

The InfoCard system in the Windows Communications Foundation (WCF) of WinFX allows users to manage their digital identities from various identity providers, and employ them in different contexts where they are accepted to access online services. This is similar to our present passport.

For more Details

Vista February CTP

The most recent release of these technologies is called the February CTP and includes the following:

• WinFX Runtime Components (RC) - WinFX redistributables (runtime binaries) for executing WinFX applications
• Windows SDK - Includes the header files, libraries and help documentation for developing the next generation of Windows applications. Note that this release (and all future releases of the Windows SDK includes the WinFX SDK).
• Visual Studio Code Name "Orcas" CTP WinFX Development Tools - provides developers with support for building WinFX applications using the final released version of Visual Studio 2005. This support includes XAML Intellisense support through schema extensions for the editor, project templates for the Windows Presentation Foundation and the Windows Communication Foundation, and WinFX SDK documentation integration.

Windows Vista Product Line-up

Microsoft has released the Windows Vista Product line-up this evening . For the past few weeks, the SKU's for Windows Vista have been much speculated about.

• Windows Vista Business
  • Aero Capabiity.
  • Tablet PC capability.
• Windows Vista Enterprise
  • Aero Capability.
  • Includes Windows BitLocker, Virtual PC Express, and Sub-system for Unix Applications.
  • Only Available under the Software Assurance Program or Enterprise Agreement.
• Windows Vista Home Basic
• Windows Vista Home Premium
  • Aero Capability.
  • Windows Media Center capability.
  • DVD burning and creation.
  • Tablet PC capability
• Windows Vista Ultimate
  • Pretty much comes with everything.
• Windows Vista Starter
  • Very Basic features.

So going by what Microsoft released tonight, Windows Media Center won't be available in every SKU, rather only the Home Premium and Ultimate Versions. No mention of Media Center for Buiness and Enterprise were made. Also, it looks as though Aero won't be included in Home Basic and of course Starter. I wonder what the different between Home Basic and Starter is?

It also seems BitLocker is going to be available only to the Enterprise edition - but will it be included in the Ultimate edition? I attended a web conference last Novemember and Microsoft representatives said that the Enterprise edition will offer features for the Enterprise not available in any other SKU. I wonder if BitLocker is one of them?

There is no mention of any "N" Versions for Windows Vista at this time.

All versions will be availalbe in 32bit or 64bit.

Microsoft Code Names

Microsoft announces code names for each and every product of them
These are some of them

Product --- CodeName

Windows Workflow Foundation ---WinOE
Windows Presentation Foundation(WPF) ---Avalon(Old Name)
Windows Presentation Foundation---Cider (New one)
Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)---Indigo

Windows XP----Whistler
Windows Vista---Long Horn(Old Name)
Windows Vista ---Fusy(new one)

VS 2003---Everett
VS2005---Whidbey
VS2008---Orcas
VS2010--- Hawaii

Expression Graphics Designer ---Acrylic
Expression Interactive Designer Quartz ---Sparkle
Expression Web Designer---Quartz

Thunder ---Visual Basic 1.0
Springboard ---Windows XPSP2
Whistler Server---Windows Server2003
Burton ----Visual Studio Team System
WhiteHorse ----Visual Studio Team System's designers for architects.
Cider ----Visual Studio designer for building Windows Presentation Foundation applications
Tuscany---Online version of Visual Studio.
Platinum ----Exchange Server 2000
Titanium ---Exchange Server 2003
Monad ---Microsoft Command Shell (MSH)
Vienna ---Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005
Kahuna ---Windows Livemail
ATLAS ---AZAX implementaion in .net