In a remarkable story which made headlines around the world last week, a Fiji-based news website erroneously reported that Microsoft would be naming it’s next operating system “Windows Fiji”. In response to that report, the country shifted into high gear in order to prevent the rumour from actually coming true.
The issue has since been dealt with and I’m happy to be the first to report that the next version of Microsoft’s product will instead be called “Windows Nadi”. As part of the deal, Microsoft has also promised to not release the software until the entire world knows how to pronounce “Nadi” properly. Fiji will benefit immensely from this.
I’m obviously joking.
Microsoft’s moniker for one of their future operating system releases was nothing more than a development code-name and the speed with which the story evolved into something else was impressive. It got the attention of the interim government who promptly wrote to Microsoft’s Chairman, Bill Gates, asking that they cease and desist. Ironically, it was Mr. Gates’ last day in the office before retiring from Microsoft life. I had this vision of him packing up his desk, turning off his office lights and closing the door behind him as some lowly intern ran down the hall screaming “Mr. Gates! Mr. Gates! There’s a problem in Fiji you must deal with!” At some point, a Microsoft representative clarified the issue and life continued on.
But what if? What if Microsoft actually did choose to name a product “Fiji”? I’ve actually thought about this a few times over the past few weeks in an attempt to determine whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing for the country’s brand.
On one hand, I heard from a number of people who felt it would be unparalleled visibility for the country to be associated with such a widely-used product. There would inevitably be tens of millions of dollars spent to market the product name as well around the world. Over a billion computers run Microsoft software so the potential is clearly there insofar as name awareness and branding is concerned.
I’m entirely convinced, however, that the negatives far outweigh the positives. For starters, do we really want phrases such as “Fiji is a nightmare!” and “Fiji is killing me!” to be screamed throughout homes and offices around the world? Would we really want news articles to appear around the world referencing people going insane after “using Fiji”? That’s already the case for Windows Vista, Microsoft’s newest OS version. Further, we’d face challenges trying to get people to holiday to Fiji when they spend every minute of their working day with “Fiji”. The tourism industry doesn’t need people mixing the thought of jobs and technology to their idea of a relaxing holiday. Think about the millions of screen-savers on computers worldwide which typically show beautiful images of nature and beaches. Those screen-savers, by their very existence, represent NON-work time.
I suppose this touches on the bigger question of whether we’re all willing to equate technology with relaxation in our minds. Many of us struggle with technology and our daily interactions are not always comfortable experiences. Walking into a Suva computer shop this week, one quarter of all the machines on display were showing an error message on the monitor. My bank’s ATM machine crashed this last Sunday as I was trying to withdraw money. I stood in front of the machine for 15 minutes silently praying for it to have a heart and return my cash card (it eventually did). Our mobile phones can now be infected with viruses. The list goes on.
No. Microsoft would never name their project “Fiji” and Fiji shouldn’t want them to. “Windows Samabula”, however, does have a classy ring to it.
From the Fiji Times 5 July 2008
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Jonathan Segal is the Managing Director and CEO of Oceanic Communications (www.oceanic.com.fj), an advertising, marketing and technology agency in Suva. Feel free to send comments and topic suggestions to talanoa@oceanic.com.fj
