Microsoft: We’re sorry the Windows Phone Update process has been rocky

By Tom Warren, on 27th Mar 11 11:17 am with 10 Comments

Microsoft has admitted that the Windows Phone update process has been “rocky”.

Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore, Director of the Windows Phone program, explained the Windows Phone “NoDo” update delays in a video on Friday. The explanation followed fierce criticism from Windows Phone 7 owners after Microsoft started distributing its much delayed “NoDo” update earlier this week. The company has started pushing the copy and paste update to unbranded devices in Europe and is scheduling carrier devices soon. A number of European carriers have confirmed that the update will be available in the next couple of weeks, some claiming that Microsoft is to blame for the delays.

Belfiore’s video explanation triggered a new wave of critical comments, from Channel 9 posters and those across the web. One poster claimed the Windows Phone 7 team is “FULL OF BS” with another saying “Joe is spouting corporate bs.” Belfiore responded to the criticisms with a post on Channel 9 on Saturday:

“Many of you are making critical comments here which are certainly fair.  First, I was wrong when I said  “most people have received the February update.” There are many of you who have yet to receive it, and I don’t blame you for speaking up and pointing out my mistake. Second,  I referred to our updates as “complete” because I was thinking of the internal process where we pass completed software to another group who delivers them – but of course no update is complete until you all have it.  Plus, at the time I did the interview we had started the NoDo (“march update”) delivery process and I knew “it was going well” from our perspective:  people were officially getting it, the success rate of its deployment on real-world phones was looking good, and we were happy that the process had STARTED well.  Still—these are NOT the same as all of you getting it and I’m sorry that I came across as insensitive to that fact.

I am a very, very big advocate for all our end-users and developers, and it bothers me a lot if I sounded out of touch.  I wasn’t as prepared for this interview as I should have been—I walked into the studio with an informal state of mind, thinking about MIX and what we WILL be talking about, and I didn’t have the right up-to-date information to give a good explanation on updates which I know to be a very high-interest topic right now.

I have read all of the comments here (and many of them on the other blogs) and so has pretty much everyone in our management team.  We know it’s been frustrating to wait for features/fixes and (probably worse) to hear little from us on specific dates. We are sorry the process has been rocky. The “where’s my phone update” table is our first step to try to remedy this in the face of technical problems that have made our first wave of updates take longer than we expected.  We know the table would benefit greatly from more detail, and we are hoping to add more to it by working with the Operators who own the “testing” phase to get more clarity.  If your phone is shown in “scheduling”, it’ll be worth checking the table next week.

In the spirit of “MIX as a conversation” – I will make sure that when I show up in Vegas that I’m well prepared to give an update in person and to try to answer your questions as best I can.  You folks are obviously a very important audience for us and it’s right for you to expect us to communicate and execute better. I know at this point it’s our actions that matter… The main thing we are trying to do is to get the updates out to everyone in a way that is reliable and works,  and then make our process better and more transparent in the future.”

It appears Microsoft is listening to customer feedback and is prepared to act. Belfiore has promised a more in-depth status chart for the March 2011 Windows Phone Update. The change will likely appease some frustrated Windows Phone owners still in the dark over carrier plans to distribute the NoDo update. If you missed the original explanation video, view it below.

[Thanks to WinRumors reader IceInPerson for the news tip]

  • GP007

    From Joes point WP7 is his baby really, he’s the head guy in charge and behind the new UI etc. I have no doubt he wants to see it become a success and will do all he can. The above is a good start IMO. and the fact they read the different blogs and take note is good for us as well since we can voice our opinion and have a chance of it being heard by MS.

    I’ll cut them some slack since this is the first real update they’ve tried to roll out on mobile, all I can hope for now is that the next one goes quicker and smoother.

  • http://www.ratdiary.com spragued

    This is classic corporate ass-covering. His statement is loaded with non-specific mea culpas but does not explain the *actual* breakdowns that have delayed release of an update that (I have read) was code-complete last year. If customers had insight into whether this was primarily a Microsoft internal process issue or a carrier business decision, it would help them estimate the likelihood of this repeating in the future and make informed decisions about whether to stick with the Microsoft Phone platform.

    • Byronm

      Its less the platform, more the network. Thus Europe is getting it first since they’re not contractually bound to service like us customers are. I’m quite happy with this honest feedback and patiently waiting for nodo on my Samsung

  • Anonymous

    If Joe is as committed to this as he has been to other products, like the Dynamics world that PLEADED for a voice for years before getting Customer Source, then he need to open up the public forum to the end users. Instead of looking through Channel 9, Engadget, Gizmodo etc for the Nerd Rage they need their own forum.

    If they could harness the voices of their passionate users, average users and new users they’d get a better feel for the market they’re entering. This redesign has placed them at square one and no amount of corporate consultants are going to get you in touch with what users really want.

    This would also give them a spring board for relaying issues back to hardware manufacturers. Arguably that is where the issues have always began for Microsoft products. Even Google is having issues with hardware manufacturers and the rolling out of their updates as Android has become the Windows of the smart phone market over the last 18 months.

    That doesn’t even include the carriers and their penchant for locking down/Making proprietary the phones after they get their hands on them (How many users really need garbage ware from ATT&T, Verizon, Motorola etc?)

    It’s bad for the users and worse for Microsoft because it’s bad for their brand. RIM and Apple don’t have those kinds of issues and so don’t need to troll the web for feedback they can get in one location. They use iTunes to limit users to one brand or you just don’t have one like BB.

    Obviously the hardware manufacturers and carriers want their brands to grow but carriers should concentrate on their network, not making bloat ware while hardware manufacturers should concentrate on making solid, long lasting, durable and compliant hardware, NOT MAKING BLOATWARE!

    Microsoft’s mobile brand will die before it’s given a chance to really shine and Android is going to suffer a shrinkage of market share if the prices of their competitive devices don’t fall below that of Apples (now that it’s looking like 3 of the 4 will carry iOS phones and the best Android devices are becoming riddled with bloatware, locked down and incapable of moving to Froyo or Gingerbread in a reasonable time period).

    Most users aren’t going to want to play the “which hardware should I choose game” when the market is saturated with look alikes and knock offs. They’ll especially walk away if the updates continue to be problematic (Apple is pushing 2 updates in 2 months and a lack of bloatware and non-compliant hardware specs will make the update process seamless).

    and also, VZW WHERE IS MY WP7 DEVICE? (NERD RAGE!!!!!)

    • http://twitter.com/IgnatiusAwesome Sonny Williams

      I glad I’m not the only one that hasn’t given up and is actually still waiting for VZW to throw us a phone. D:<

  • http://twitter.com/s_a_r_k_i_s sarkis chamelian

    at least they have come clean and that in its self is RESPECT to users ! I’m staying Windows Phone all the way, bring on WP8 !!!!! Cant wait ! its going to be awesome and wait for Windows 8 too, oh boy….2012 going to be an interesting year…..or and I have a feeling Microsoft wont release anything on 2013….they hate “13″ ;)

  • Benjy

    At least they issued an apology, not a statement saying “You’re updating it wrong”.

  • Kanelp

    This is what I wanted ot hear. I’ve been happy with my Focus and WP7, and I don’t mind waiting. I just didn’t want MS thinking that this first update went smooth and they they don’t need to try harder for the next one. I know that companies don’t want to say when things haven’t gone as well as they could of or that they made a mistake. We are all human, companies are run by people and sometimes things happen. My hope is that by everything going ‘wrong’ on this first update, they next one will be much better.

  • http://techAU.tv techau

    Tomorrow’s announcement from Joe, screw this I quit. #DamnCarriers.

  • Phil

    People just like to whine. Really its cut and paste with some speedier switching not the second coming of the Messiah. Whether you get it today or next week it’s pretty irrelevent.