Microsoft to Security Vendors - "Oops!"

Author: Brett Thomas
Published: 24th October 2006
Comments (7) Stumble
"Oops!" - Microsoft set up a web meeting with the big security vendors, but sent them the wrong URL.

"Oops!" - Microsoft set up a web meeting with the big security vendors, but sent them the wrong URL.

"Accidents happen. Really, they do. Honest. No, nobody is laughing...no, that's the department's pet hyena. Yeah, they're great pets..."

One could imagine that being the statement of the day from Microsoft's Stephen Toulouse, the Senior Project Manager for Vista. Having just been forced last week to give the kernel over to security vendors thanks to the EU, he and his team set up a web meeting with those firms. The goal was to establish some protocols for the hand-off, set some guidelines, and get everyone on the same page. Funny, then, that the e-mail with a link to the web meeting sent them all to the wrong page.

"Oops," read Toulouse's blog.

The incorrect LiveMeeting link was discovered before monday's meeting, thankfully. However, when the meeting was rescheduled for thirty minutes later, a few firms ended up being unable to attend. For example, Symantec was only able to have one person available for the meeting, which assuredly must have upset many of the Microsoft team. I bet that afterwards, they were really looking forward to a joint company picnic. In order to accomodate for those inconvenienced by the little "whoopsies," Microsoft has promised a second meeting.

Though both Symantec and McAfee had some harsh words for the error, not everyone was so upset. The President of Sunbelt Software, which makes loads of anti-spam/virus software for Exchange Server, felt that this was nothing more than a poorly timed accident. "It was a case of a few honest mistakes made by well-intentioned people, probably working under a tremendous amount of stress," he stated in his own blog.

Got a thought on the "Oops"? Or do you think it wasn't such an oops at all? Let us know in our forums. Maybe our link will even be right.
Quote DougEdey 24th October 2006, 14:27
You gotta love Symantec and Norton, whats the betting they pushed some poor bugger to be there on his own. I mean, half an hour ain't that much.
Quote jakenbake 24th October 2006, 16:08
it must be a slow news day
Quote Drexial 24th October 2006, 18:39
slow news day indeed... it would have been better news if it accidentally sent them to MS's NAMBLA daily meeting :-p
Quote specofdust 24th October 2006, 18:46
I'm concerned that it appears that Microsoft are working with Symantec and Mcafee, because it sounds like it could be to the serious detriment of the myriad of other AV vendors out there.
Quote Warrior_Rocker 24th October 2006, 19:03
Maybe bit-tech should post some fake news and let us decide for ourselves if it is true or not on the slow days. But in all seriousness it really does happen to send a wrong link, a bad copy or a bad paste anywhere could lead to disaster. At least they acknowledged the mistake and are rescheduling a new meeting. Everyone can be as angry as they want or think what they want. We have all done this before.
Quote Cthippo 24th October 2006, 22:14
You would think afer all the fuss on this issue the AV vendors would be motivated to stick around for the meeting. I mean, how long did they thing the original meeting was going to last?

EDIT: I found this quote which I think sums it up nicely...
Quote:
Sandi Hardmeier, a Microsoft security expert who runs Spyware Sucks, was sympathetic with Sophos' position.

"I've got to agree with this; if McAfee and Symantec did a little more coding and a little less bitching, they might get somewhere," she says.
:D
Quote offroadracer789 24th October 2006, 23:25
I didn't here that the av finally got the code. Arg, now we're screwed.
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