Chapter 774: Slacking off is the primary productive force
With the application of the one-click login function, QQ began to gradually occupy some mid-to-high-end market share, especially for many white-collar workers and business elites. After all, they are also human beings. In addition to work, they also have needs in life such as online shopping and entertainment.
At this time, QQ is much more convenient than MSN.
Since we have already lowered our dignity to use QQ, there is no need to pretend to be noble with MSN. QQ has more functions and is more localized. Putting aside the halo of being a "global giant", in terms of user experience, QQ is far better than MSN.
However, although the situation seemed promising, Zhang Xiaolong did not take it lightly. He led the team to continuously optimize the user experience of QQ according to the guidelines given by Lu Yiming, and also kept an eye on the dynamics of MSN.
A few days later, Zhang Xiaolong suddenly sent Lu Yiming a message: "Mr. Lu, this is an MSN ad, take a look."
Then he sent a link to Lu Yiming.
Lu Yiming opened the message sent by Zhang Xiaolong and took a look. He immediately laughed and said, "Xiong Minghua is very quick. It's been less than a week and the advertisement has been launched?"
Zhang Xiaolong continued to reveal the news, saying: "MSN has already started online promotion. It has not only placed ads on major portals, but also spent a lot of money to buy a lot of search engine advertising space."
Lu Yiming directly sent a thumbs-up emoji and said, "Microsoft is Microsoft. They are so wealthy and powerful that I can't compare to them."
Zhang Xiaolong asked: "Should we also advertise?"
With the popularization of the Internet and the advent of the new century, a huge amount of information is equally received by everyone. With so much information, it is naturally divided into priorities, and a lot of information is unconsciously ignored.
In ancient times, people said that good wine needs no bush, because there was only one place selling wine, so people would naturally find their way there by smelling the wine. But now, it is like a wine city. If you open your eyes, you will see thousands or tens of thousands of wine bars and restaurants. How can you stand out? You have to rely on advertising. As the saying goes, good wine needs no bush.
Zhang Xiaolong asked: "Should we also advertise?"
Thanks to Lu Yiming's strategic investment, Lu Yiming now has a lot of traffic entrances in his hands, among which QQ is the largest one. There is also 5173, which originally belonged to Zhou Hongyi and is now sold to Yahoo, as well as Qiandu, Alibaba, Google, Quyue.com, etc. If they were to advertise, the momentum would definitely be much greater than that of MSN.
Lu Yiming said: "We need to advertise, but publicity alone is definitely not enough. We still have to work hard on user experience."
Today, Microsoft has specifically launched the slogan of "embracing internationalization", as if using MSN makes you superior to using QQ.
It's like QQ is a low-end social software product, and its users are all little kids who have to spend their parents' money. They are immature, low-age, and entertainment-oriented.
MSN is a luxury item among social softwares. It comes from a big brand like Amerikan and looks very high-end.
Although this kind of propaganda is ridiculous, it works. Many people in China just buy into it . Especially many foreign companies that have entered China use MSN as their office software. With such an endorsement, it is almost impossible for QQ to break through in the niche market of white-collar workers.
Zhang Xiaolong actually wanted to advertise QQ, but he didn't know where to start.
He is a genius in product development, but a complete loser in marketing. Otherwise, with products like Foxmail and WeChat, even if he didn’t become the overlord of instant messaging, he would definitely be a figure who could shake the industry with his words.
But what is the reality? Everything he made was acquired by Tencent. As the father of several god-level products, he has been working for others.
Lu Yiming asked: "Have you ever used that MSN?"
Zhang Xiaolong quickly said, "I've used it before, but I've always used QQ now."
Lu Yiming was depressed and said, "I didn't ask you not to use it. On the contrary, only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win every battle. What is the most troublesome thing when you use MSN?"
Zhang Xiaolong heaved a sigh of relief after hearing what Lu Yiming said. After thinking for a while, he said, "There are quite a few. For example, it is quite annoying to transfer files using MSN, especially for larger files. Often, the transfer is almost finished but then it gets interrupted and you have to transfer it again."
After all, it is a foreign software and has not undergone localization transformation, so it is understandable that it is difficult to use because it does not conform to usage habits.
Take Apple’s products for example. To many people, that system is extremely confusing.
Whenever Lu Yiming thought about the iPhone he had used, his face would be filled with pain.
For example, although this phone has a power button, it does not have a power button, and you cannot turn it off by long pressing the power button.
If you want to turn off your phone, you must go into the phone settings, then click into the general settings secondary menu, scroll to the bottom, and there will be a shutdown option.
What’s even more amazing is that the alarm clock cannot be used when it is turned off, and it will not automatically turn on when the alarm goes off.
Lu Yiming once consulted Apple about this issue, and Apple’s response was: Who turns off their mobile phone nowadays?
Similarly, in their opinion, mobile phones do not need to be turned off, so there is no need for things like alarm clocks to exist.
This is a typical case of training users rather than serving them.
The same is true for MSN now. Although it has entered the Xia country market, it has not made any optimization for the Xia country market.
They are naturally arrogant and think that I can make such a high-tech thing for you to use, you should be grateful to me, you should use it the way I make it, and you also want me to optimize the product according to your usage habits? It is really wishful thinking.
Lu Yiming said: "We should hit the snake at its weakest point. Since they have various problems, we can just attack them fiercely."
Zhang Xiaolong asked, "Mr. Lu, do you mean that our QQ is going to develop a function that can resume downloading from a breakpoint?"
Lu Yiming said straightforwardly: "That's right. MSN now wants to maintain its high-end market share and form differentiated competition with us. Then we will take the initiative to attack and completely defeat them in their strongest areas. Lu Xun once said, walk in other people's paths and leave them with nowhere to go."
Zhang Xiaolong was very confused: "Lu Xun said this?"
Lu Yiming: "This is not important. Putting aside the facts, just tell me if this is the truth, right?"
Before Zhang Xiaolong could continue to ask questions, Lu Yiming said, "I will lead the team for this function myself, and you will be the deputy team leader."
After all, having used QQ for 20 years, Lu Yiming knew all the functions on it, which ones were useful and which ones were not. After learning computer science, his understanding and cognition of these functions naturally became more profound. Now that MSN took the initiative to attack, Lu Yiming personally led the team, which could greatly shorten the research and development process.
Zhang Xiaolong was naturally excited to hear that Lu Yiming was leading the team personally. He immediately said excitedly, "Okay, I'll pick a few of the strongest people to work together on the technical research. Are ten people enough?"
Lu Yiming thought for a moment and said , "It's almost done. This isn't a difficult thing to do. They're just too lazy to do it."
Why did the products ? It was because of the arrogance of Westerners who made products with the mentality of giving alms.
They seem to have forgotten that their arrogance comes from their technology being two hundred years ahead of the world, but before that, the nation they were looking down upon was three or four thousand years ahead of the world!
This thing is not difficult at all technically, and Lu Yiming is very familiar with this function, so there is no trial and error or detours, and he goes directly to the standard answer.
In just a few days, this function was developed and integrated into the latest QQ test version.
After testing, all functions are perfectly realized.
Lu Yiming yawned and said, "Okay, let's publish an update. I'm going to sleep. I haven't slept for two days."
In order to catch up with the progress, Lu Yiming has been working very hard these days, eating and living at Yixun Technology.
Zhang Xiaolong was very excited and said, "With this function, we will definitely be able to seize the market share that originally belonged to MSN!"
Lu Yiming smiled faintly and concluded confidently: "Microsoft must understand that although they are powerful, they do not have social genes, and we understand what users need better than they do."
Zhang Xiaolong laughed and said, "Boss Lu is right. We are the most professional in the social field."
Two days later, QQ, which had just updated its version, pushed out a new version again, adding the breakpoint resume function.
Generally speaking, this function is that when someone sends you something and you have a power outage, your phone is turned off, or your internet connection is disconnected halfway through the message, when you open QQ again, you can choose to continue receiving the second half from the middle.
MSN does not have this function. If the transmission is interrupted at any point in time, it must start from the beginning.
You have to know that with the speed of the Internet these days, it takes longer to download an MP3 than to listen to it. It is common for a PPT file to take half an hour to upload. If it is interrupted in the middle of the upload, it will have a great impact on your mentality.
China Overseas.
Fu Chongshan, the sales director of Saida Foreign Trade Co., Ltd., loosened the tie around his neck, which seemed to be getting tighter and tighter. Then he picked up the phone on the table, called his subordinates, and shouted, "Why hasn't the electronic contract been transmitted to the partner? Do you know how important this contract is to our company?"
In another department office, an employee who was answering a phone call wiped the sweat from his forehead due to nervousness and quickly explained: "The network is not very good today. We have tried to transmit dozens of times but all failed. The connection was disconnected after a little bit of transmission."
Fu Chongshan glared at him, as if his subordinates were right in front of him, and said unhappily, "Are you blaming the customer for the problem?"
“…”
Faced with such a leader who directly passed the buck, the employee was also very helpless and suggested: "Why don't you let them try using QQ? The latest version of QQ has a function of breakpoint resume. Even if the network is disconnected, it can always be transferred a little at a time. This broken MSN has to start over every time it is disconnected. I have dozens of cache files on my computer."
"Then I'll call them to talk. If that doesn't work, I'll just send it via email. But international emails are always easily intercepted by the network."
Fu Chongshan had no other solution, so he had to call the client and said, "Mr. Anderson, I'm sorry that the electronic contract has not been sent due to network problems. How about we try a different software?"
Anderson asked, "What software?"
Fu Chongshan said: "QQ."
Anderson was very confused and asked, "QQ? What is that?"
At this time, although QQ has multiple language versions, it has not released a dedicated overseas version or international version, nor has it been specially promoted abroad. Its popularity is still very low, and the number of users is pitifully small. Basically, only overseas Chinese will use it.
Because of the existence of the internal "wall", cross-border Internet communication is a very difficult thing.
Fu Chongshan had no choice but to patiently explain: "QQ is an instant messaging software developed by a Xiaguo company, with functions similar to MSN."
Anderson asked in return: "Then why not use MSN?"
Fu Chongshan was speechless for a moment, and complained in his heart: Isn’t it a network problem?
Anderson said stubbornly, "Your Xia country's technology products cannot possibly be better than our American country's. We white-collar workers all use MSN. I've never heard of anyone using your QQ. Only country bumpkins like you would use the things you made."
Fu Chongshan: "..."
Taking a deep breath and resisting the urge to curse, Fu Chongshan said, "Mr. Anderson, if you don't agree to my proposal, you won't receive the cargo list, and the goods you import from Xia Country will be delayed in delivery or returned by customs."
Anderson immediately said, "I'm going to download QQ now."
Soon, the file transfer was completed. Although it was interrupted several times during the process, it was successfully resumed.
Anderson successfully received the file and immediately had a completely different opinion of QQ. He then said to Fu Chongshan, "Thank you for telling me about this software. This function called breakpoint resume is really great. I think every computer in my company should have QQ installed. After all, we have a lot of files to send over the Internet every day."
Fu Chongshan quickly said modestly: "It is my honor to help Mr. Anderson."
After hanging up the phone, Fu Chongshan said in the company group: "In addition to MSN, everyone in the company should apply for an additional QQ account on their computer, specifically for transferring files."
Things like this keep happening.
Compared with pure social interaction, when a software is given work attributes, it will bring about great changes. The slogan of MSN in the past was to facilitate the daily work communication of white-collar workers. Now QQ has also rushed in to grab the job and started to develop functions with work use value.
For example, this breakpoint resume.
Nowadays, the Internet is very unstable, and computer performance is not good. Disconnection and crashes are common. Obviously, the function of breakpoint resume is a necessity for many people.
After a while, everyone gradually discovered that QQ has many more functions than MSN, and most importantly, it is less likely for the boss to find out when you are slacking off.
Unlike MSN, the conversation window must be in the Windows taskbar. If you chat at work, there will be a bunch of things flashing on the taskbar and your boss will see them when he walks over.
QQ is different. There is only a small icon in the lower right corner. A window will pop up when you press a shortcut key.
Slacking off at work has always been something that all white-collar workers feel deeply about.
Now, with the difference in the "file transfer" function, people have accelerated their pace of "escaping" from MSN.
You should know that the main function of social software is chatting, and file transfer is an auxiliary function.
MSN cannot resume downloading, and the network is unstable, so the download fails and has to be started over again.
Although QQ is currently only an alternative tool in the business field, gradually everyone starts using QQ to transfer files, especially larger files.
In terms of user experience details, MSN began to lose white-collar user groups.
Beijing, the headquarters of Microsoft Xiaguo.
Xiong Minghua looked at the horrific background data and called Li Zhengkai and others into the office for a meeting.
He turned on the multimedia, projected the user data on the computer, pointed at the madly declining curve, and asked seriously: "Can anyone tell me what's going on?"
Li Zhengkai noticed Xiong Minghua's eyes on him, so he had to bite the bullet and say, "QQ of Yixun Technology has recently launched a new feature called breakpoint resume. When transferring files, even if the network is disconnected, you can continue uploading and downloading without having to start over. Because of this feature, many people have switched from MSN to QQ."
Xiong Minghua said: "Then why don't we add this function as well?"
Li Zhengkai said: "The company has already held a meeting to discuss this. If the company is determined to add this function to MSN, it will be online in about three months."
In fact, it is not difficult to make this thing. The reason why it takes three months is that Microsoft is a multinational company and MSN is a global business. Now, because there is a small problem in Xiaguo, if MSN needs to be modified, it must first be reported to the higher levels, discussed in meetings, determined, and implemented... After all this series, three or four months is considered a breeze.
This is what is called big company disease.
Xiong Minghua was shocked and said, "QQ was working on this three or four months ago?"
We started working on it three or four months ago, and now it will take another three or four months for MSN to follow up. So all in all, more than half a year has passed.
Opportunities on the Internet are fleeting. If you lag behind for half a year, then you’ll have no chance.
Li Zhengkai said: "According to the information we received, they developed this function in just a few days."
"How many days?"
Xiong Minghua was shocked. He himself was a technical person, so he knew how incredible this time was: "How many days did it take to develop and test? How could they be so fast? If the opponent has such a talented technician, why don't they try to poach him?"
Li Zhengkai said simply: "It's impossible to dig it out."
Xiong Minghua said coldly: "We are Microsoft. Is there anyone in the world that we cannot poach? Are they afraid that we can't afford to pay? Who is it? Tell me the name and I will go talk to him in person!"
"Lu Yiming."
“…”
