Microsoft is expanding their pool of beta participants for the Customer Experience Validation Program and the MSN Beta Program. If you are already a MSN Butterfly there is no need to sign up for CEV or the MSN Beta Program since you are already enrolled.
What is a Customer Experience Validation program?
A CEV program is a group of key customers who have agreed to test a new, unreleased version of a product in their home country. Through testing, these customers provide valuable feedback that we utilize to make MSN products and services more robust and tailored to each locale in order to better meet your communication needs. The CEV program is your chance to make a difference in MSN products!
What is the MSN beta program?
The MSN beta program offers you the exclusive opportunity to test a new version of a product before it is released to the general public. Membership lets select individuals like you share your ideas and play a key role in the development process of our products and services. You can make a difference with MSN!
This membership program has been created to build a trusted community of beta participants that will receive exclusive attention from the MSN Beta Team. You are the voice of our customers and we are offering you a direct channel of communication with our product teams.
What is beta testing?
In a beta program, a group of key customers agrees to test a new version of a product before it is released to the general public. Your participation allows you to share your ideas and have a positive impact on the development of Microsoft products.
The beta testing process is very important because it helps ensure that we release the best possible product. We have selected you from a large pool of applicants because we believe you will provide us with the feedback necessary to accomplish this goal.
What are the benefits of joining the MSN beta program?
Make a difference. By joining the MSN beta program you become an active member of our development team. Your participation will directly assist in improving the quality of MSN products that meet your need.
Be the first to try new products. You’ll be able to use MSN software before anyone else.
The program also gives you and your company the opportunity to use and become familiar with upcoming technology, allowing you to prepare for the new version. This will give you a head start on making a smooth transition and lessen the impact on your productivity.
Participation in the program will give you the opportunity to prepare training for fellow designers and engineers before the new version is released.
Stability of the beta product
Before you continue, it is important to understand that the beta release of any product will not display the stability of a shipped Microsoft product. We have tested our beta products extensively within Microsoft and do not expect major problems; however, use of any pre-release product carries the possibility that you may encounter problems which could potentially result in a loss or destruction of data. Therefore, we suggest that you back up your existing data before you install and run this software.
When will my membership take effect?
When we have a beta ready for testing we will contact you and ask you to complete a survey. Beta members are selected on a number of criteria including your existing knowledge of the product, your availability to use the software during the period of the project, your computer configuration, and which features you use.
We want your experience as a MSN beta member to be positive and productive for both parties.
What are the MSN beta team responsibilities?
1. We will grant you access to the MSN beta program and guide you through the installation process. The website will give you additional information such as how to submit a bug, access the newsgroups, answers to frequently asked questions, and a known issue list.
2. We will provide you with a support email address to be used for all communications with the beta team. This address will be available only to those members participating in the beta and it will be discontinued when the project is completed.
3. We take your feedback very seriously and keep you informed of any work around and progress to resolve these issues.
What do we require from our beta members?
1. Sign a Non Disclosure Agreement prior to starting. Understand that our beta members are part of an exclusive MSN community and by signing our Non Disclosure agreement, you agree to not disclose any information related to our beta outside of the MSN beta program community. Violation to the non disclosure agreement will lead to immediate removal from our program.
2. Use the software in both your normal day’s business and spend some time experimenting with the software actively testing for faults. If we provide testing scenarios, just follow the directions and report any issue.
3. Immediately submit a bug on our Connect website and gives us as much details as possible. We will also provide you with a bug guide with information on how to attach a screenshot, connection log or crash report to your bug submission.
4. Ensure you have sufficient backups of any live data that you use with the Beta software to safe guard against the possibility of data corruption.
If you are selected as a participant, you will be sent a “Welcome” e-mail. That e-mail will contain information on how to download the software from the Microsoft Connect site.
Due to the high volume of responses, we will only be able to contact those customers who have been chosen for the program. Thank you for taking the time to review this information. We greatly appreciate your participation in the MSN Customer Experience Validation Program and your help to make a difference in MSN products.
Now that you read the requirements for participating, follow the directions below for joining our MSN Beta Program and the CEV Program:
- Go to http://connect.microsoft.com
- Enter you .Net Passport and password
- Enter the nomination ID for your country of residence (we will ship CDs to your home address and you will not be able to participate or receive awards if you are enlisted with an incorrect physical address). If your country is not listed below, we are not recruiting for your country at this time. Stay tuned!
Here are the Country Codes (as of 11-22-05)
Country Invitation Code
Afghanistan AFPA-GJB4-4FCV
Arabia ENXA-P4WT-4QVJ
Australia AU-X8FG-XWR9
Austria AU-B86F-P6HH
Bangladesh BABG-BCWH-MCJW
Belgium BE-BFFD-FMV7
Brazil BR-MJYQ-DCRB
Canada CA-8VPP-8W8V
China CH-4PYP-H4D4
Czechoslovakia CSCZ-2PJ8-VDJ6
Denmark DADK-W8VG-GJT2
Estonia ESTO-Y4XF-MRKG
Finland FIFI-KHX6-87BH
France FR-XJGB-JV79
Germany GER-JJBM-9VFY
Greece ELGR-GVXH-XQ82
Hong Kong (Chinese Cantonese) HGCH-T6D9-YDYG
Hong Kong (English) HGEN-4438-YT89
Hungary HUHU-2WX8-3T4M
India – Bengali INBG-RD3W-WW9X
India – Indic ININ-CGBV-KJT6
India – Malayalam INMA-YY3D-D4KM
India – Sanskrit INSS-BVP6-KPYF
Indonesia (Bahasa) INDO-8QD2-BHW8
Israel ISR-3H7B-F4HP
Italy IT-3FCK-D8XM
Japan JA-DT6D-9YCY
Kazakhstan KAKA-X6C3-BT4W
Korea KO-9BV2-T2BP
Latin America ESLA-29D8-F99C
Latvia LATV-RQCX-4768
Lithuania LITH-4BFW-JJP6
Malaysia ENMY-K9YX-YQCG
Mexico ESMX-KBQB-CJKJ
Netherlands NE-3G4X-4M84
New Zealand ENNZ-HV6Q-QKDM
Norway NBNO-FVHV-8QMX
NW China – Kazakh NWCK-7JXT-2Y6M
NW Mongolia – Kazakh NWMK-FTJG-HJ2Q
Pakistan PAPA-CPCR-CHBR
Philippines – English PHEN-FQ2T-4KXK
Philippines – Filipino PHFI-Y7XB-XPQM
Poland PLPL-684W-D4QT
Portugal POR-FP8C-9M9F
Portugal PTPT-XTBD-6FTH
Romania RORO-6XXK-WHDT
Russia RURU-VKG3-3DC6
Saudi Arabia ARSA-RR6V-3BD3
Singapore ENSG-9G8C-DPTH
Slovakia SKSK-TFHK-PXF2
Slovenia SLSI-F6F8-YWPF
South Africa ENZA-BBX6-R3RY
South Siberia – Kazakh SSKA-DB73-C3Q7
Spain SP-RKFT-CV2X
Sweden SVSE-3P4C-CPJD
Swiss German DECH-7PFK-VBFH
Thailand THTH-MDBJ-PKBJ
Turkey TRTR-JBJH-376K
UK UK-HQ69-6JBQ
US US-64JX-J2HJ
US/Spanish ESUS-2YB6-8C94
Finally you want to complete the nomination survey.
We will contact you as soon as we have a beta program opening for your country of residence.
As I hear of more country codes, I will update this blog entry with them. Believe it or not, even though I talk about Open Source programs a lot, I’m a faithful MSN/Microsoft Beta tester. Why? Because I believe in making the product the best I can. It doesn’t matter if it’s closed or open source. All that matters is that it ends up being useful and good.
Have a nice weekend everyone. And, let’s get testing.
Patrick.
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