Case Study
Microsoft Tablet PC
Butler Hill Group supports leading software manufacturer in improving
handwriting-recognition features and turning custom solutions into mature
and worldwide scalable processes.
Situation
The Microsoft Tablet PC team needed usability testing of French and German hand-
writing-recognition features for the Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. The team
approached Butler Hill Group to ensure that user expectations in these markets were
being met.
During the course of usability testing, it became clear that linguistic involvement
throughout the entire development cycle was needed for all future language versions.
Microsoft did not have the linguistic expertise, resources and experience for this work.
Butler Hill Group was able to offer a deep understanding of English and new-market
languages and a wide network of linguistic experts to accompany the development cycle.
Solution
Butler Hill Group conducted usability testing of the French and German handwriting-
recognition features and presented tactical feedback that enabled the client to make
immediate improvements before the launch of the products.
Testing of the French and German recognizers surfaced issues that pointed to the critical
need of involving linguists earlier in the process. Butler Hill Group recommended lin-
guistic services to start in the planning and specification phase and continue through the
actual development and testing cycle. Butler Hill Group was subsequently asked to lend
linguistic services during the appropriate phases of the development cycle, flexibly alter-
nating between onsite and offsite support, depending on client need. Over the course of
six years, Butler Hill Group has collaborated with Microsoft on handwriting-recognition
features in Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, turning custom solutions into
mature and scalable processes.
The Butler Hill Group www.butlerhill.com
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