An email conversation with Michael van Dijken, Microsoft's lead marketing manager for hosted solutions, about his exit from Microsoft's hosting team and his strategy for more aggressively driving Microsoft's software-plus-services messaging through his new role with the software giant.
By Anastasia Tubanos, theWHIR.com
September 16, 2008 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Over the past four years, Microsoft (microsoft.com) significantly stepped up its direct involvement in the hosting space, from touting the virtues of software as a service and being one of the first to provide an environment for partner companies to test this software delivery model, to more recently entering the virtualization software market with the recent launch of its hypervisor solution, Hyper-V.
An instrumental player in pushing this strategy for Microsoft has been Michael van Dijken, who has been the marketing lead for the hosting group at Microsoft for the last four and a half years and an enthusiastic voice on behalf of the company's software-plus-services (which the company calls S+S) messaging.
And beginning September 22, he will be driving the S+S messaging for the entire company from a new role on the corporate communications team.
Van Dijken at Microsoft's Hosting Summit in 2008
While on the hosting team, van Dijken helped Microsoft establish and build relationships with industry leaders, hosting ISVs and partners across business types and encourage a forum for frank and open discussions at its annual Global Hosting Summit.
He also helped establish hosting as a "critical work stream" within Microsoft by engaging with key product groups to produce better solutions for the hosting industry, and a more cohesive hosted services message for partners, evidenced by products such as Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Hyper-V.
In an email interview with theWHIR, van Dijken expanded on why he's leaving the hosting space and the "hoster-friendly" strategy he'll be driving for Microsoft under his newly created role.
Over the past four and a half years you've played significant role in the hosting industry. Why are you leaving your position as the marketing lead for the hosting group?
Michael van Dijken: In this next chapter of my career with Microsoft, my primary role will be to help drive the company's software-plus-services strategy and communications. With the deep roots I have in the industry, this is a very exciting and unique opportunity for me to influence an initiative important to Microsoft. Because hosters are such a key component of this unique approach, I really won't be going far, and I will continue to be a valuable advocate for our partners as Microsoft continues to promote its vision of S+S.
On a personal level, I am grateful for the friends I've made in the industry over the years, and I look forward to ongoing partnership and dialogue.
Can you tell us some more about the new role and responsibilities you're taking on? From what I gather, it's a new position.
MvD: S+S is Microsoft's approach to the next generation of computing. It incorporates many common industry trends, including SaaS, Web 2.0 and cloud-based computing. It is a vision which impacts almost all areas of the company. The newly-created role, which is a part of Microsoft's corporate communications team, is central to the company's execution of the S+S vision.
The primary objective is to bring together people and assets across Microsoft to drive a cohesive S+S communications strategy with the objective of articulating the benefits to customers, partners and of course the media. My responsibilities will include consulting with leaders across the company on the S+S strategy, driving integration across groups on communications plans, industry and press speaking engagements, and providing strategic communications counsel to our executive leadership.
What's happening to your position as you transition out? Will someone be sitting in temporarily as the marketing lead for the hosting group?
MvD: We're actively looking for a senior-level marketing professional with a hosting background to fill the position. Of course, we have an exceptionally strong hosting team at Microsoft under John Zanni's leadership and it will be business as usual as the team continues to drive the business forward and ensure that our partners are well represented in the software-plus-services paradigm.
With your new position, what will be your strategy for driving the S+S messaging for Microsoft and what do you hope to achieve? Why is it important that MS puts more focus on this now?
MvD: Since I'm still a week away from starting my new role, I'd like to ask for a rain check on the strategy question.
Overall, I'd like to have an impact on how Microsoft communicates its S+S vision, and I'll measure success by the way the market perceives our approach, and our customers' understanding of the benefits of S+S to their IT operations. At the same time, I am excited to have an opportunity to shape the strategy with senior leaders at the company.
Many analysts would consider the IT industry to be at an inflexion point. The web and its generation of computing are transforming the way business does IT while the digital lifestyle is changing our lives as consumers. The software-plus-services approach is the one we believe will best drive these changes and so this is an important time for Microsoft as well as for its customers and partners.
