Autodesk, maker of software for various industries, did something fantastic with one of their blogs. They allowed customers to test out their software and provide feedback. Then, they posted findings from the trial run and thanked customers who participated.

I think it is great because it helps Autodesk in two ways. It helps with them build their relationships with existing customers, by implementing changes that users request. But, it also helps Autodesk’s reputation amongst potential customers that are worried about usability and customer support issues.

To me, it goes to show that multi-billion dollar companies can still connect with their customers.

As a side note, I think it is great that they call their most "on the fringes" blog, Autodesk Labs. It allows them to take more risks and be more cutting edge, but still lets users know that all of the technical bugs may not be worked out.

* Fair Disclosure – The company that I work for sells Autodesk Software. *