Russ Madlener

by Russ Madlener, Director of SMB Marketing for Microsoft

"The new release of HP MediaSmart Server software and hardware continues HP's leadership in building compelling functionality on top of the Microsoft Windows Home Server Platform," said Russ Madlener, director, Solutions Marketing, Microsoft.

During a recent study, Microsoft discovered that "on average, consumers feel a technology is old if it's in the 5-10 year range," says Russ Madlener, senior director for Microsoft SMB.
"XP is a 12, 13 year-old operating system," says Madlener. He would know. Madlener stood just off-stage in Time Square as tech execs, including Intel's Paul Otellini, kicked off the operating system's glitzy New York City launch in 2001. In simple terms, "it isn't a modern OS," says Madlener. Distressingly, there are still many SMBs using XP, he reports. Microsoft, for its part, has kicked off a Get Modern campaign and website-complete with an XP death clock, of sorts-to help SMBs explore their options. Companies that cling to old tech may still attract customers, but not many. "Only 9 percent of consumers said they never stop doing business with a company because of its outdated technology," said the report. "The consumer is reacting to the date," says Madlener. Software, says Madlener, "is not [only] running the hardware anymore, but bringing value with features."Those features can oftentimes help entrepreneurs engage more meaningfully with their customers. Embracing mobile, for instance, can help attract customers. "They find it easier to do business with a company that they can connect with [using] technology or the devices they use," said Madlener.