A common question that we receive every day concerns “who/what is O365nation?”
It’s a very simple answer. We are an Office 365 Ombudsman, committed to independent analysis, events, research, advocacy and outreach to make the Office 365 community a better place. It’s a very necessary role that we take incredibly seriously. We optimistically awaken everyday driven by a “Blue Ocean” abundance philosophy. We reject “Red Ocean” negativity, espoused by critical curmudgeons (you know who you are!)
Here’s our essential raison d’etre:
- Promoting the people’s platform. Office 365 is quickly becoming a standard in the technology community. It’s a platform for business productivity, educational IT excellence, government efficiency and a new generation of applications being created by developers and ISVs. Don’t get us wrong – we’re “pro-Office 365,” with an independent perspective.
- Managing Microsoft. Microsoft’s Office and Windows franchise have come under watch from exterior frenemies in the past, including regulators and foreign governments. Success breeds scrutiny. Drawing from my own life experiences (by analogy), I can honestly say that the TransAlaska Pipeline was built safer because of the watchful eye of well-known environmental organizations. Bottom line is that Microsoft is literally a Fortune One corporation, and while the individuals are amazing and intelligent, collectively as a group, there are occasions where corporate think tanks result in a “What were we thinking?” Our intentions beyond represent the interests of the Office 365 community to also fire the occasional shot across the bow of the Microsoft ship. It’s all about the saying: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
- Innovation Advocates. Having started and grown IT communities, we know that the best innovation starts outside of the organization. Some of the best features in the Windows Server family were suggested by the community. More importantly – there is opportunity for community members to act as “gap fillers.” That is, there are certain services, applications, features and functions that Microsoft will not, cannot or should not develop. That creates Office 365 community opportunities and we’re right here with you, side-by-side, driving innovations.
- Inside The Office 365 Beltway. Fortunately we are based in the Pacific and we enjoy insider intimacy with the Office 365 product team. That sets a higher standard for us to keep confidential information confidential. It’s like a reciprocal NDA between Microsoft and the Office 365 community, where we are an intermediary. Our hope and desire is to influence Microsoft to do the right thing without “outing” anyone. It’s walking a fine line, but we’ve already been doing it successfully for over 15-years starting with the Windows Server-era.
How we work
We are a long-term team in the technology area now focused on Office 365. Each and every day, we analyze, search for and find the most compelling Office 365 content. We have an on-going conversation with the Office 365 community via these outreach vehicles:
- Daily content. Be sure to bookmark our primary site, O365nation.com. In column one, we have hand-selected Microsoft Office 365 news. In column two, we have curated Office 365 community content that we have synthesized for you. Our goal is to save you time. You don’t have to scour the world for every Office 365 article and painfully discriminate between the good and the bad. It all starts at http://o365nation.com/.
- Weekly webinars. Thursdays at 10AM Pacific, these are educational webinars (see here).
- Workshops (often in a city near you). In the first part of 2015, we are visiting seven US cities with a one-day Office 365 Nation workshop! Learn more and sign-up here.
- Conferences. Save the date for our annual Office 365 Nation conference at the Microsoft Conference Center in Redmond! The dates are October 1-3, 2015. Become an Office 365 insider by attending this well-received event.
- And much more. White papers, focus groups, beer summits and other organic community-inspired conversations.
How we make money
O365nation consists of ten employees representing ten families. We are based in Bainbridge Island, Washington (across from Seattle). We make money two ways:
- Your support. If you like our independent efforts and you’d like to see this continue, you can click here and support our cause. We are engaged at both a technical and business level with Office 365 using real voices to tell real stories. In a sense, we’re all in this together as we establish the Office 365 paradigm that should have a 10+ year life. We like to think we’re here for you; we totally appreciate if you can be here for us! On another level, a professional commitment to Office 365 ongoing (even lifelong) learning and a commitment to intellectual curiosity are just two of the shared values that we have in common with you. For those able to give as you are able, you’re not just helping us—you’re helping your fellow O365er! A lot of IT Pros are resetting and pivoting from server-side to Office 365 and can’t support us financially until they get back on their feet. Finally, if everyone who uses O365nation.com donated $25 annually, we could focus full-time on that what’s important: being your ardent Office 365 Ombudsman!Benefactors. Through the generosity of community sponsors, O365nation is able to open the doors each day and do what we do best. For example, SkyKick, the leading migration tool ISV for pivoting to Office 365, makes a donation to O365nation for each complimentary sign-up at its site. Go ahead and check it out. We and our community sponsors appreciate your support!
- You can support O365nation right here right now:http://o365nation.com/support-us/
What we are not
We are O365ers supporting fellow O365ers. We’re not hit-and-run questionable characters doing a one and done. Count on us to always be authentic and in-the-trenches bona fide O365ers sharing the journey with you. It’s going to be a great ride.
Swedish term…
Just in case you missed the definition of Ombudsman in grammar school, here it is: “An ombudsman or public advocate is usually appointed by the government or by parliament, but with a significant degree of independence, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or a violation of rights.”
