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WSJ Business Technology Blog: "Are NetFlix Layoffs Microsoft's Fault?"

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Wall Street Journal's Business Technology blog raises this question in delivering the ultimate backhanded compliment by saying:

The video service launched a new player for instant-watch movies in October that is powered by Microsoft’s Silverlight, a rich-media technology that competes with Adobe’s widely used Flash player. The Silverlight-Netflix player added, among other features, streaming ability for Mac users and faster startup times.

The downside, wrote spokesman Steve Swasey, is that Netflix’s customer service group is now overstaffed, because there are fewer bugs to fix. “It’s sad to let go of good people, but we just don’t have the technical specialist work for them to do in customer service because of the improvements in our streaming player.”

Oh well -- it's happier when resources can be re-purposed vs. removed. At least it's due to a more productive and efficient NetFlix.  And it's always nice to see the ROI and stability of Silverlight getting some appreciation from Wall Street Journal.  :-)  Judging by the article's favorable reader comments regarding the XBOX Live deal, NetFlix's partnership with Microsoft looks like a winner that may actually add subscribers (+ presumably customer service jobs to support them :-)  )!

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