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Jupiter Analyst Switches to Microsoft Evangelist
A leading Microsoft analyst announced last Thursday he has switched sides and is now a Microsoft employee and professional company booster.
Michael Gartenberg has spent more than a decade as an analyst – first at Gartner and most recently as a research director and vice president at JupiterResearch, according to statements he posted on his new blog explaining the move.
"Whether it's work, school or home, Microsoft has the potential to change lives even more than they already have. Who else could deliver mission critical technology to the business world, create the best Smartphone operating system, build a successful platform for console games (and pioneer online and connected play) and take on the iPod. All at the same time," Gartenberg said.
Explaining his new job title of "enthusiast evangelist" he added, “Our job is to find, engage and work with enthusiasts and other influencers and show them all the cool stuff that Microsoft is doing [and] act as the bridge between Microsoft and end users.”
While he didn't lay out his new activities, he mentioned that he will be making podcasts from Channel 10, the younger sister to Microsoft's popular developers' Web channel, Channel 9.
Microsoft had not yet posted information, including a bio, on its site on Tuesday.
Reaction to Gartenberg's announcement has been somewhat mixed: While many comments were positive, some say they will miss his objectivity: "You've become part of the MSFT's 'Ministry of Disinformation'; the new Scoble -- only far more dangerous, as you are tremendously more literate and articulate," said one disgruntled commenter on his blog.
Gartenberg's new blog, dubbed Gartenblog, can be found here.
About the Author
Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.