Even the job descriptions for Microsoft licensing are complicated

There’s a webcast coming up in October about Microsoft licensing. I took a look at the names, titles, and job descriptions of the panelists to see whether it might make sense for me to send some of my licensing rants directly to these individuals. Didn’t help.

• Joe Matz ”is corporate vice president of the Worldwide Licensing and Pricing (WWLP) group at Microsoft Corp. His vision is for the organization to be the industry leader in providing licensing and financing offerings that drive business simplicity and shareholder value. The WWLP group is accountable for leading and orchestrating the business groups, business segments and field sales teams in the global development and implementation of licensing business models and financing solutions, which makes it easy for customers to acquire, use and manage Microsoft® software products and software services and helps maximize the company’s long-term profitability.” No, I don’t think he’s the guy.
• Jason Kap ”is the general manager of licensing for Microsoft Corp.’s Worldwide Licensing and Pricing Group. Kap oversees the team responsible for developing and managing product licensing, program licensing and maintenance offerings to global customers as well as several tools and technologies integral to supporting these offers. The Volume Licensing programs’ mission is fulfilled by teams that design and maintain licensing programs, a team that provides project management as well as contract and operational development, and a team tasked with designing future business models and process architectures.” Not sure what that’s all about, either.
• Michael Risse, ”as head of the Worldwide Small and Midmarket Business Group, … leads a global team responsible for defining and implementing Microsoft’s business management and marketing strategy to meet the unique needs of 42 million small and midsize businesses around the world. Risse leads a cross-company strategy in partnership with every Microsoft product group to deliver innovative business solutions and services designed for small and midmarket customers across all geographies. Risse also oversees the creation of global demand generation programs and tools for the Microsoft sales and marketing field, working in tandem with Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Group to support 360,000 channel partners to drive the SMB business forward.  This global cross-company strategy includes overseeing SMB customer marketing, licensing, online resources, customer relationship management, support and tele-business efforts.” OK, of the three, this guy sounds most like what I’m looking for, but I wasn’t really looking for a conversation about global demand generation programs.

No, what I was hoping to see was something like this:

• Yves N. Simplar is head of Microsoft Corp.’s Small Business Licensing Rationalization Group. He is responsible for determining how the policies and programs thought up by the Worldwide Licensing and Pricing Group and the Worldwide Small and Midmarket Business Group actually play out in real life. Simplar has authority to impose common sense on what would otherwise be a frustrating and self-defeating mish-mash of rules, procedures, and pricing schemes.

I wonder if anyone remotely like Yves exists, and whether he is reading my blog.