I like reading Joe Wilcox’s Microsoft Watch - he has great stories, and his articles are always very readable. Today, he features the launch of Windows Home Server (you’ve heard the news, right? :)) and points to HP selling the Mediasmart Server online initially as an indicator that WHS is a niche product, which needs a big consumer sell.
Buy.com and Circuit City.com also are supposed to carry the servers, which aren’t apparently scheduled to make store shelves anytime soon.
The online, early sales approach says something about how techie-niche Windows Home Server really is. Microsoft positions Windows Home Server as a consumer product, which may be more true next holiday sales season than this one. Still, the software has its place, and my money is on the sole proprietorship and very small business for this first release. Products like MediaSmart Home Server are right for people who commingle personal and professional data but don’t need or want Small Business Server 2003 R2.
The point he’s making, particularly with regard to the required consumer sell is right, but he’s pointing to the wrong evidence. I believe the reason you won’t see the Mediasmart Server in many stores this holiday period is a lot more simple - HP and Microsoft missed their opportunity to get on shelves in time.
The well-publicised delays to the launch of the HP Mediasmart Server (due to last minutes tweaks to the operating system) have led to the hardware only being available in late November, and most retailers around the world aren’t going to hang around and wait with an empty slot on their shelves at the busiest trading period of the year. They need stock allocated and distributed by October at the latest, and then they need units to shift throughout November and December. Unfortunately, HP and Microsoft couldn’t make that happen in time. The online retailers are much more flexible, and can list products much more quickly and easily, and can easily execute a pre-order/fulfillment scheme at this time (despite also being plenty busy) which in bricks and mortar stores would be pretty unfeasible.
According to the guys at HP I spoke to last week (from the UK and US businesses), you will see stock in store at Fry’s and CompUSA in December (I guess there may be a few favours being called in to make this happen), and HP have secured slots in-store at two of the UK’s biggest retailers, John Lewis and PC World, (and I’m guessing, HP’s biggest customers) in December, so there definitely will be in-store presence (albeit small) during the holidays. I’m sure HP would have loved to have made a bigger splash in-store, but my hunch is the timing was out.
That siad, I do agree with Joe in that selling WHS to the average consumer will need pretty expert communication - not only on the more worthy backup benefits of the platform, but also on some of the more fun aspects of Windows Home Server - remote access, media streaming - positioning WHS as the centre of the digital home.
They’ve made a good start online, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they get on with the non-geeks in stores over the holidays.
Leave a Reply