14 DAY TRIAL // Ben Rudolph, Microsoft’s employee behind the latest marketing campaign for Windows Phone, plans on having a better look at a recent event that involved the Santa Clara Microsoft Store and the owner of a Galaxy Nexus smartphone.
“Smoked by Windows Phone” is one of the greatest marketing campaigns that Microsoft runs for its Windows Phone operating system.
It all started with Microsoft’s Ben Rudolph offering $100 bills to those who proved that their handsets were faster than Windows Phone, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
However, the competition expanded fast and became a global phenomenon a while ago. This determined Microsoft to raise the stake and to offer larger prizes to those who owned devices faster than Windows Phone.
This weekend, the company was offering a custom PC worth $1,000 to those who would win the competition, though it appears that not all winners were so lucky.
Galaxy Nexus-owner Sahas Katta was a split-second faster than Microsoft’s employee owning a Windows Phone when it came to displaying weather for two cities on the device’s screen.
However, he was denied the prize, being told that his Android phone was simply unable to display the weather as required. He still claims to have won the competition.
People around the world have started to question the legitimacy of Microsoft’s claims regarding the fairness of this competition following this event, but it appears that things might be straightened up soon.
“Relax guys! I wasn't there for the challenge with @sahaskatta so didn't see what really went down. We'll make it right though,” Microsoft’s Ben Rudolph notes on his Twitter account.
What exactly that means, we can’t say for sure. However, the negative feedback that Microsoft received on the matter during the past hours certainly demanded for some action to be taken in this area.
“I really hope you do make it right. Really disappointed--what would otherwise be a cool challenge has been tainted by this,” Lawrence Craft tweeted.
Update: Ben Rudolph has just announced that Sahas Katta is eligible for a laptop and a phone for winning the said competition, and that he also receives Microsoft's apology for what happened.
"Hey @sahaskatta , @Microsoftstore & I want to make things right. So I've got a laptop & phone (& apology) for you. Email me," he notes in a more recent tweet.