Exactly one week ago, we reported that our very own news editor Kip Kniskern would be featured on the “Lunch Break” video series with Microsoft’s Vice President of Enterprise Client & Mobility Brad Anderson. In this video series, Anderson spends his lunch picking apart the brains of some of technology’s brightest, while chauffeuring them around in a hot new Tesla Model S.
This week, we get to see part two of their interview.
Kip Kniskern has been writing about Microsoft since 2004 and during that time, achieved the title of Microsoft MVP. He has a storied history of writing on and following the technology industry, which makes him an excellent candidate for this kind of interview.
Last week, Kip and Brad discussed Microsoft’s mobile strategy, specifically with regards to security. Brad discussed Microsoft’s response to the iPhone: a dramatic transition away from Windows Mobile’s emphasis on enterprise security and lockdown, and onto consumer features and empowerment. Brad further went on to elaborate that today, we see a Microsoft that is not at two extremes of a pendulum, but somewhere in the middle. Kip agreed.
This week, Kip and Brad start the discussion contemplating what it means to be a Microsoft enthusiast. “Is there some kind of a certification required to be a Microsoft enthusiast?” Anderson jokes. “I think there’s a certain mindset [required to be a Microsoft enthusiast.],” says a sincere Kip.
[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”I think there’s a certain mindset required to be a Microsoft enthusiast.”[/pullquote]
The conversation proceeds to get much more involved, with Brad asking Kip what technology problems should have been solved by now. Kip relays his experiences as a teenager messing around messy wires in a complicated stereo setup, thinking in the foreseeable future, wires and plugging in would be a relic of the past.
Not only has that prophecy yet to come true, Kip argues we may have gone the opposite direction, a sentiment I think many of agree upon.
The interview tops off with an important discussion about how we as a society are struggling to find the balance between securing personal data, and empowering the user. Kip suggests that we do not yet thoroughly understand the world we’re creating; that we’re more or less figuring it out as we go along.
We asked Kip what his thoughts were upon the conclusion of part two. His words were:
“I enjoyed every minute of Brad’s Tesla tour of Redmond, and especially getting a chance to talk about mobility and security, two topics important to both of us.”
Next week, Brad interviews Corporate Vice President of Office 365 and Exchange Rajesh Jha. Stay tuned!
