Microsoft Addresses Windows Phone Contest Controversy, Relents

We recently discussed the story of Sasha Katta and his Windows Phone challenge, where Katta was denied his prize after beating the “Smoked By Windows Phone” challenge.

The story hit the wires this weekend, and now, it’s taken off at an exponential rate, raining down bad press and negative reactions on Microsoft and their apparent “change the rules on the fly” approach. Naturally, in today’s world of Twitter and Facebook sharing, the chances such a popular story goes unnoticed by people in positions to initiate change is unlikely.

And that’s just what happened.

Katta’s story made it to the desk of Ben Rudolph, a Microsoft Evangelist who focuses his time on the Windows Phone brand. Over at his Twitter account, Rudolph acknowledged Katta’s issue and promised to make things right:

Clearly, the most important tweet was the fourth one where Rudolph reaches out to make things right. To do this, he offers Katta a laptop and a phone as a reward for beating the challenge. As for Katta’s reaction, he addressed the hubbub on his Twitter account recently:

Does Microsoft’s capitulation to Katta’s legitimate beef ease the tension some have been expressing since the initial story broke? Or is this an example of “too little, too late?” Let us know what you think.