Thursday, November 1, 2007

Whats in a name!

Ever wondered why software companies go for code names of the products they are about to release? Microsoft is famous for its spicy code names. From Whistler for XP to Longhorn for Vista and Vienna for Windows 7, they have a wonderful set of code names they have come up with in all these years. But I wandered through the web just to get an insight about why code names do not last long. And if they are temporary, why not go for a standard name at once, and waste time hanging around with code names!

I have the answer now. The industry is not as simple as it sounds. While design and development of a product is being worked on, software companies keep their marketing department busy with planning sales and advertising. There are license issues, market studies and lot many legal issues to be dealt with meanwhile. So developers come up with a name for their baby; and that is why sometimes the code names have nothing to do with the product itself.

If you are curious to know what the code names Microsoft has used for its products yet, check this list on Wikipedia. And if you are wondering what does the title of this blog has to do with it...well I repeat William Shakespeare's words "what's in a name!".