Microsoft’s annual TechEd conferences are a bit nuts, as anyone who has attended one will know. Brainstorm managed to pin down Microsoft SA CTO Fred Baumhardt for a quick coffee and a chat on day two, before exhaustion had thoroughly set in. Things, he says, are changing.

Baumhardt says organisations are no longer talking technologies, but technology solutions. “Once upon a time, we’d have a Cisco versus Lync conversation, features versus features, and that would get you a conversation with the head of communications. But we’re finding customers aren’t interested in that conversation anymore. The solution they’re interested in is one that will manage their entire call centre plus deliver improved customer intimacy using CRM, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and enable linking through to layer-two and three experts. You can no longer sell an individual product.