IBM should have annual awards for customers. Official Lotus Legends! In addition to Beacon Awards for partners lets have Official Lotus Legends awards for customers that have created amazing solutions with Lotus Technologies. These Awards would promote both organisations and individuals for their success at achieving real business outcomes with Lotus software. Lets make business users proud of their achievements and help them stand out from the crowd. This should be a testimony to the excellence of the organisations and their innovation using Lotus technologies. The awards should be aimed at the business users of the software and help them to promote the success they have brought to their organisations. This is an extension of an idea that Lotus Australia had at last years Lotus Software University where they recognised and awarded industry experts that had been working with Lotus technology for 10+ years. I know that this award increased the loyalty of those people that received one.

1. Graham Dodge20/08/2009 09:48:25 AM

It may have increased the loyalty of the "Lotus Legends" but how do you think it affected the loyalty of those of us who:

1. were at the conference and saw the awards
2. had been working in Notes/Domino for c.3 years longer than the person nominated as the longest serving Lotus technologist.
3. didn't get a mention.
4. went up to the convenor afterwards and privately advised him of the mistake (there was more than one of us - I think 3 or 4)
5. were promised a retrospective award.
6. never heard anything from Lotus.
7. couldn't be bothered following it up.

An award is nice but it needs to be researched correctly and impartially awarded.

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2. Adam Brown20/08/2009 10:26:43 AM
Homepage: http://www.isw.com.au

I agree completely Graham that is poor form on IBM's behalf. I personally took a lot of pride in receiving the award so I can understand why you were annoyed. If anyone there should have received one it should have been you.

Hopefully they will rectify it if they do it again this year.

The idea I had was more around customer awards though. Promote and reward customers (business users ideally) that have done fantastic things with Lotus technology. Make them heros in their business. Make them an example, something to strive towards.

I know we have some customers that I am sure would respond to this. They want to be seen as progressive. It might also make some other companies look up from the muck and consider Lotus.

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