After the event at BRG, we drove through Vienna to Microsoft Austria. On the way, we saw some beautiful sights, but sadly, we didn’t have a chance to visit any; I’ll definitely make a point of returning to this beautiful city when I have more time to explore! Once we arrived at the Microsoft Austria facility, which is located in the same building as L’Oreal (I’m not sure why I find that funny, but I do), we headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch where I had a traditional Viennese meal of Wiener Schnitzel and pomme frites. Yum!
Ken didn’t mention it in his blog about the morning event, but Michael Swoboda, the partner that helped pull the Austrian events together, was watching our progress to Vienna on Glympse and actually met the bus when it arrived at 2:30 in the morning. He demonstrated that same level of excitement throughout the day’s events, and it showed in the enthusiasm of the attendees. The afternoon’s event was largely business decision makers who were very excited to hear about Windows 7 and how it can be maximized with Windows Server 2008 R2, desktop virtualization, Exchange Server 2010, and certifications. They asked hard questions that clearly showed their interest in how these technologies could be used in their organizations.
After the event, we had a reception with roasted chestnuts, roasted potatoes, and traditional warm punches that made me think of the holidays. Again, yum (it just occurred to me that I’m eating some great food on this trip). I suspect that Vienna is incredibly beautiful during the holidays. During the reception, we networked with attendees and answered even more questions about the new functionality in each of these products. The evening ended with a group dinner with our colleagues from Microsoft Austria. All in all, it was another great day on the bus!