Introduction to Amy

My name is Amy Blumenfield and I am a former (and current) Lotus Notes user/administrator/developer. My first introduction to Lotus Notes was in May, 1991 (version 2.0) when I was handed a bunch of floppy disks (about 16 I think) and told to figure it out… The company I was working for in Santa Monica, CA had been contracted by Lotus to write the courseware for the brand new Notes Certification Program. I ended up writing the courseware and becoming one of the very first Certified Notes Instructors (I have my Notes 2 Instructor certificate hanging up in my office at Microsoft). I went into business for myself in 1994 as the first independent Lotus Notes Instructor (my first client was Lotus) and quickly moved into consulting. I had the great fortune to work on several global Notes implementations. I was contracted by IBM to write and review the Notes/Domino, Sametime and QuickPlacecertification exams for R5 and ND6.

                              

I joined Microsoft in June, 2005 and am responsible for all of the guidance our team releases. As someone who has never worked “on the inside” before, I know it’s really important to make sure that our customers and partners voices are being represented to the product team. I’m working very closely with the field to make sure that their experiences are being reflected in the guidance I’m producing so that others can benefit from their experience.

 

Being a newcomer to working for a software manufacturer, to Microsoft’s products (I had never used Outlook prior to joining MS) and to the Pacific Northwest, it’s been a busy nine months. I am really enjoying living here in sunny Seattle, after being stuck in dreary Los Angeles for fourteen years… It actually is an amazing and beautiful place to live.

 

I’ve been heads down learning about both the product lines and organizational processes of working for a large corporation, but I am really happy about the way the Microsoft has embraced me and my slightly quirky sense of humor. Along with my Notes Instructor certificate, I have a beautiful brushed steel domino set that I was given at Lotusphere ’06 in my office and everyone pets the dominos when they come in to talk to me… I look forward to contributing to this blog and being able to write from the perspective of someone who has a lot of experience in the Lotus Notes arena.