MICROSOFT THE NETHERLANDS RAAD VAN ANDERS Assignment carried out while working at communication agency NoSuchCompany. Twice a year Microsoft The Netherlands has a “Raad van Anders”, freely translated as “Council of Different”. No board of directors or an advice council, but a group of people who share their vision on Microsoft and its way of working, like “Het Nieuwe Werken”, the new way of working, a location and time independent way of working, based on results. The council “Diversity” is currently in session and the results are expected in June 2010. For this reoccurring project I was the senior project manager for the communication agency, which designed and created the websites.

MICROSOFT THE NETHERLANDS
COMPUTERWIJKDOOS

Assignment carried out while working at communication agency NoSuchCompany.

Next to selling software Microsoft also gives a lot back to the community. This project is a project created for Computerwijk and sponsored by Microsoft. Computerwijk is an organisation, which wants to stimulate people who live under underprivileged circumstances to start using a computer.

The project involves an animation which shows the "Computerwijkdoos". A box, which explains to the audience what it is that Computerwijk does for the community. The animation was created using a relatively new Microsoft technology called Silverlight combined with 3D animation techniques.

For this project I was the senior project manager for the communication agency, which created the animation.

MICROSOFT THE NETHERLANDS
MID MARKET RELATIONSHIP PROGRAM
Assignment carried out while working at communication agency NoSuchCompany.

The Mid Market Relationship Program is a Microsoft program, which informs Microsoft Mid Market clients within several segments about the status and details of their contract through direct mail and e-mail.

The concept of the program was set-up by the Microsoft Corporation. In short e-mails and direct mails are made up of copy blocks and pictures. These blocks are automatically inserted into the mail based on the customer information in the database. Through this automated process each mail, in theory, can be different and is suited to meet the specific needs of each customer.

I was the senior project manager in charge of cost calculation, process analysis and the set-up phase of this project for the communication agency. The set-up phase involved the technical set-up of the direct mail engine and templates, as well as the project as a whole. During the running phase of the project I made sure that the program ran smoothly, created documentation and trained people within the company to take over the project.

MICROSOFT THE NETHERLANDS
LOCALISATION PROJECT
Assignment carried out while working at communication agency NoSuchCompany.

Not all projects have to be complex to set-up or manage. For Microsoft The Netherlands I have also managed several localisation processes for Office 2010 & Windows 7 websites and banners on behalf of the communication agency. The original deliverables were created for the Microsoft Corporation and are localised to be used within the Dutch market. The process involved the cost calculation, managing of the translation and localisation process and overseeing the project as a whole.

MICROSOFT THE NETHERLANDS
ATTACH-IT
Assignment carried out while working at communication agency NoSuchCompany.

One of the issues Microsoft and HP are facing is that Distributors are not routinely attaching Microsoft server software to HP ProLiant servers. The target of the communication agency was to increase the attach rate from 7% to 25%. Since distributors are “bombed” with campaigns wanting to achieve this, it was decided not to give everything away straight away, but to build up the tension and closely involve the staff.

The tension was built up by magic tricks and shows. The message of the show was “making money is a simple trick, you just have to know how to do it. Attach-It!” After the show the sales people were sent a link to a website, which contained another video of a trick and more information on how to sell the 2 products together. They were then sent a new link every other week containing another magic video explaining how to “Attach-It” in a fun way! The Attach rate jumped to 39%. That is 14% higher than the target! This Project has won a Microsoft & HP World Wide Best Practice Award.

I was one of the people involved in managing this project and creating several IT deliverables (from an IT point of view).