SAP's vox populi

Marilyn Pratt who runs SAP's business process expert section on the SAP developer network sent me a link to a video initiative SAP is trying out for its upcoming TechEd event in Las Vegas:

We know that our SAP Community Network has very passionate members. Some see video as the potential for equal opportunity expression: vox populi. That's the thinking in opening up a channel for asking questions to SAP Executives at TechEd.

We are challenging you to create a short video of up to 30 seconds duration where you pose a question that you are interested in having TechEd keynote speakers, Peter Zenke or Vishal Sikka answer, live on stage in Las Vegas to an audience of around 6,000 SAP TechEd '07 participants.

In recent months, SAP has been taking an increasing number of risks in the way it communicates with its business ecosystem that would never have happened just five years ago. In doing so, it is demonstrating a commitment to openness that others have yet to figure out. I would not have chosen Kyte.tv as the production channel because I find service quality too variable as you can see from the screenshot. Even so, it's a brave move.

I wonder how SAP will sift and select the questions that get answered. I'm pretty sure anything to do with pricing for example will go straight to the bottom of the pile, the excuse being it is a technical event. Even so, I'd be impressed to see SAP taking tough questions in public like those around how developers navigate the labarynthine partnering system which I know has been a bane for small developer shops vying for SAPs attention.