New Way of Entering Product Suggestions

As of March 3, 2005 Microsoft Business Solutions is offering customers and partners a new way to submit product feedback. Product feedback and suggestions is now enabled via our public newsgroups through Microsoft’s Web based newsreader.

Microsoft believes it allows:
- more people to submit suggestions
- community members (all visiters!) to discuss and vote on features suggested by others
- an easier view into suggestions and feedback already submitted by community members
- future releases and enhancements to be built with a better understanding of customer and partner needs
- suggestion of product features and enhancements any time of the day or night all year long!

How can you see the list of product suggestions and vote on a suggestion?
You have to view the appropriate product newsgroup using Microsoft’s Web based newsgroup reader, otherwise you will not be able to vote.

You will see that each newsgroup posting which is a product suggestion is indicated by a ‘comment’ icon.

When viewing the newsgroup you can filter the newsgroup postings to only view “Suggestions for Microsoft” as well as “Suggestions with Microsoft Response”.

Just above the list of all newsgroup threads, select “Suggestions for Microsoft” or "Suggestions with Microsoft Response" from the “Show:” dropdown box.

Find a list of all Microsoft Business Solutions newsgroups here.

Select "Suggestions for Microsoft" from the "Show:" dropdown box.

Expand and select the appropriate newsgroup thread you are interested in voting on.

The body of the newsgroup thread is viewable in the right hand pane of your screen.
Above it you are able to select “I Agree” or “I Disagree”. Selecting one of these options casts your vote and is reported back to the appropriate product development team at Microsoft Business Solutions. Currently, Microsoft is not exposing the number of votes each suggestion receives.

Any comments or reactions on this new procedure just raise them here!