Mike Marshall's TS2 Rag

Great Read! The Role of Technology in an Uncertain Economy

2008-12-17T20:53:42Z

From Microsoft Presspass. Great read!

Happy Holidays!

Mike

"Q&A: Tony Scott, Microsoft Chief Information Officer, says smart IT decisions can help a business cut costs now, prepare it for recovery

REDMOND, Wash, (Nov. 7, 2008) - During the past few months, astonishing changes have shaken the global economy. The world has witnessed the bankruptcy of financial stalwarts such as Lehman Brothers, and the forced takeover of Washington Mutual in the biggest bank failure in U.S. history. In the midst of all this, stock markets around the world have gyrated wildly and governments have taken unprecedented steps to loosen frozen capital markets. Consumers have taken note of this turmoil, and have reacted by reducing spending on cars, retail items, dining out and more.

Tony Scott, Microsoft Chief Information Officer

Clearly, this is a time when business leaders must demonstrate some caution and savvy business acumen. Yet, it’s also important to maintain business momentum. Microsoft Chief Information Officer Tony Scott believes that innovative technology can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and improve business ability to respond to changing business conditions. Microsoft uses an array of technology tools to achieve those goals, enabling growth even in this challenging economic environment.

To learn more about how technology can help companies navigate a stormy economy, PressPass recently spoke with Scott:

PressPass: We are clearly in uncertain economic times. What do CIOs say to you about this?

Tony Scott: Most fall into two camps – their glass is half full or half empty. There are those CIOs who are kind of fearful. But the more exciting conversations are with those CIOs and business owners who say, now is the time for us to figure out what it means. The companies that emerge at the end of an economic downturn are those that made great decisions. In good times it can be difficult to get somebody to focus on some of the opportunities that we have. Now, it’s a much easier conversation. Taking money invested in operations and putting into new capabilities. CIOs and companies are using this as a time to make dramatic and focused changes in their businesses. Some of the best innovations came out of critical thinking during an economic downturn. So for us to be leaders and point the way is really important.

PressPass: How can technology help businesses weather current conditions?

Scott: It falls in the area of responsiveness and the ability to adapt to business change. For instance, I think we could make IT more dynamic with virtualization technology. In our own space, we've gone from eight percent to 25 percent in terms of virtualization in our data centers in just a year. Next year, we think we plan to achieve 50 percent virtualization. It has been great for us in terms of agility and flexibility that we have. So far the savings top $10 million. And today it takes only four people to manage the group’s 3,500 servers.

PressPass: What else can a company do?

Scott: Take the collaboration space. It’s all about making business decisions faster and more efficiently. In this economic climate in particular, where folks are going to be asked to cut travel budgets using collaborative technologies will enable faster decision making…not waiting for people to go somewhere on a plane.

Here at Microsoft, we’ve deployed unified communications technology that uses software to bring voice, e-mail, instant messaging, and video conferencing together. That allows companies to replace traditional phone and voice mail systems with integrated corporate messaging, calendaring, and directories. Unified messaging is saving us $5 million each year through reduced hardware and maintenance costs. Combining phone and e-mail communications also increases productivity and decreases the administrative workload for our IT professionals.

Today’s communication systems also mean that face-to-face meetings can sometimes be replaced with “virtual” meetings. Sure, getting together with peers and partners is important, and always will be. But sometimes it’s prudent to ask if boarding a jetliner for a half-day meeting is really the best use of a company’s resources. Microsoft Australia, for instance, uses Microsoft Office Live Meeting and Microsoft RoundTable (a collaboration and conferencing device) to conduct a virtual regional meeting. That’s saved the group 160 hours in travel time, and reduced travel expenses by $18,000 AUD.

PressPass: Can these technologies do more than just save money?

Scott: Without a doubt. Technology helps companies spent more time on their businesses and less on managing basic infrastructure. A good example of how poor IT design can cost money was our own Microsoft Human Resources Web. We had more than 20 highly customized sites and applications. That created extra work managing and understanding the site. We move that content to SharePoint Server 2007, which helped us consolidate all those different sites in a single location that has a common interface. We anticipate a return on investment of more than $10 million over three years. But perhaps more importantly, it’s also easier to train people to use the new system, and they’re more productive more quickly. The site also is much easier to manage and keep current, so the people who rely on it have the most up to date information.

PressPass: People talk a lot about “business intelligence.” What’s happening on that front?

Scott: There are some really exciting things going on there. Software innovations are providing new ways to track and analyze the key variables in a complex business environment— people, material, and data—and discover hidden relationships, explore new opportunities, and uncover potential problems before they become significant issues.

For example, new analytical technologies make it possible to mine audio and video streams for relevant data that can be used to extend the power of traditional business intelligence tools. Today visualization applications can help users see patterns in complicated environments at a glance. And as computers continue to become more powerful and software more sophisticated, we’re seeing the emergence of affordable simulation solutions that can mimic complex systems—both natural and manmade—enabling companies to test theories and more accurately assess risks and opportunities without committing significant capital and employee resources.

PressPass: But isn’t this a time to focus on saving cash rather than making new investments?

Scott: Clearly, the current economic climate demands that businesses become more frugal. But there’s a danger in slashing too much from budgets. Technology isn’t only an expense – it also fosters innovation and sharpens competitiveness. Companies that continue to pursue innovation position themselves to survive difficult economic time, and really thrive when the business climate improves. What I believe is this: Companies should work to save money, but not at the expense of the future.

There is another reason why this is a particularly important time to invest in innovation. Right now, technology is revolutionizing the role that computers and computing play in our live. Just look at mobile phone – those little gadgets that fit into our pockets but have the power of a desktop from the 1990s. Just think about the way they help us stay connected and get more out of our days. And that’s just a small example, as really, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what mobile telephones can do. In the years to come technology will open the door to new experiences that connect us to each other and the things we value at work and home much more easily. For those of us in the technology business, these are very exciting times.

PressPass: It’s easy to think of a slowing economy as uniformly bad. Is that really the case?

Scott: Absolutely not. In any business cycle, up or down, not every business gains or losses ground in the same way. So many businesses still will be moving forward and making good profits.

Also, keep in mind that when times get a little tougher, that’s really an opportunity for business executives to demonstrate real leadership when it comes to improving business processes. So right now is a time when company CIOs can really show the value of technology. They can find quick wins, such as working with business units to standardize they way the execute specific tasks, such as recording sales. The can focus on new technology that delivers real cost savings and improves metrics such as customer satisfaction. And they can use this time to think strategically about the business, so when the economic climate improves their company is ready to leave competitors behind.

PressPass: A year ago businesses all were taking about “going green.” Now they’re more worried about survival. Is the green business movement dead, at least for now?

Scott: No – not at all. In fact, this is a time when businesses should accelerate any green push the have underway. It’s about being responsible from a sustainable IT perspective. Just from an architectural perspective, how we build applications is one of our big challenges going forward. As an example, we work hard to understand the total cost of applications in an organization – the cost of new development, maintenance, operations, things like. But if you get asked what the carbon footprint for that application is, few of us can accurately answer that. I think we will be asked that going forward, and we will be looking for answers.

You can read about many of our own green initiatives at Microsoft.com/environment. We’re doing everything from composting flatware in our lunchrooms to moving employees around our Redmond campus in Toyota Priuses to slashing energy use in our data centers. It’s what our customers expect of an industry leader.

PressPass: Any final thoughts?

Scott: Just this: We’re feeling many of the same pressures as our customers. We know what they’re going through, and believe we can offer some relief to cost pressures while still keeping them sharp competitively. We’ve all seen downturns, and all know they don’t last forever. What’s important is to be in the right position when the upturn comes, as it certainly will."

Five Opportunities to Close Year-End Sales! Even in THIS Economy!

2008-12-16T16:39:39Z

Big Easy Offer Boosted to Include More Savings

Customers can receive up to 20% off of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 or Office Small Business 2007 Open Business L-Only licenses acquired from December 8, 2008 to January 31, 2008. Eligible customers may also take advantage of The Big Easy Offer 2.0 before it ends on December 31 for incremental partner subsidy funds.

Sales Reps Earn Amazon Gift Cards for Open Agreements

Close any net new Microsoft Open agreements Open Value (OV), Open Value Subscription (OVS), License (L), License and Software Assurance (L&SA) with a revenue amount of $15,000 and you could get $50 in Amazon Gift Cards. Promotion runs December 1 through December 26, 2008. You can combine multiple smaller deals together to equal $15,000. Visit your Microsoft US Region page (East, Central, West) for details and terms and conditions.

Close More Deals and Get Paid Up Front with the SmartPay Promotion

Microsoft can help you close more deals and get paid up front, while building your customers’ total IT solutions. SmartPay offers customers the tools to grow their businesses without paying anything for six months. Up-sell additional services—such as installation, training, and consultancy—and third-party software and hardware. Promotion runs through June 30, 2009.

Offer Low-Cost Yet High-Performance Solutions to Your Customers

Microsoft is continuing to invest in the research and development of technologies and products that will ignite business innovation moving forward. We have assembled a list of the ways you can save customers money today by helping to guide and leverage their IT investments. Read Allison Watson’s recent letter to partners about partnering to help customers.

Close More Sales Using the Competitive Sales Assistance Team

Free sales support is available from the Competitive Sales Assistance (CSA) team. Request a call back from the CSA team to receive help winning your next platform competitive sales deal.

Are you taking advantage of these? You are letting revenue slip out of your hands if you are not!

Happy Holidays!

Mike

Close More Deals and Get Paid Up Front with the SmartPay Promotion!

2008-12-16T02:11:12Z

Ask yourself: Am I making the most of every sales opportunity? Am I offering my customers the best possible IT solution? Embedding Microsoft Financing early in your sales process gives you the tools and resources to enable organizations of all sizes to acquire and deploy the IT solutions they need—and realize the benefits of those solutions sooner. Unlike traditional financing, Microsoft Financing covers software, services such as deployment and training, partner products, and hardware. And offering affordable and predictable payment options enables you to sell more products and services, speed the sales process, and drive greater cash flow.

Tools, Promotions, Programs to Help You Make the Sale

You do not need to be a financing expert to offer customers a financed IT solution. In fact, it is virtually seamless, when you use the wealth of Microsoft Financing tools and resources available. And current promotions from Microsoft Financing help make selling your IT solutions even easier.

Microsoft Financing programs span 15 markets, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States—with more countries to come.

“Offering Microsoft Financing makes deals happen now, rather than in 12 months’ time. This means customers get to start using the technology they need to improve their businesses a lot earlier.”
—Gene Clewett, CEO, Hands-on Systems

We Want to Hear from You

Complete a brief comment card to let us know about your experience with Microsoft Financing so that we can better assist you in the future.

https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40044593

Have You Seen the New Security Baseline Solution Accelerator? Check This One Out!

2008-12-15T16:58:00Z

Do your customers need help deploying and managing their security baseline for Windows and Office? Attend this Live Meeting and check out “Project Sundance” - a new Security Solution Accelerator in Beta

This new Solution Accelerator promises some great features that will help you easily configure, automatically deploy, and maintain Windows and Office security settings across your customers’ organizations. Would you like a chance to talk directly to the team developing it? Have a favorite feature in mind? The Solution Accelerators team is having a Live Meeting to get your input and feedback on this project this Wednesday December 17 from 11am – 12pm Pacific. Be sure to join us! You’ll have a chance to provide feedback that can directly influence the final version!

The Event URL for this event is:
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/InviteOnly.aspx?EventID=BB-58-A0-C3-FF-FA-47-36-95-02-66-D2-6C-86-A1-73&culture=en-US

This event (as always) is by invitation only. Code below:

Invitation Code : BEA304

To add this event to your calendar click here
Add a reminder to your calendar for this event

Offer Your Customers Lower Costs, Broader Capabilities!

2008-12-10T17:45:21Z

The software-plus-services strategy brings more flexibility to your customers—and to you. It lets customers use software-as-a-service capabilities in conjunction with traditional on-premises infrastructure and software. While you benefit from recurring revenue and from cost-saving delivery models.

Software-plus-services is an industry shift that unites software-as-a-service, service-oriented development, and Web 2.0. Leverage this shift to offer your customers the power of choice, together with more flexibility than software-only or services-only approaches. What’s in it for you? New, recurring revenue streams as customers choose the blend of software and services that best scales to their specific needs.

Explore Software-plus-Services

The Business Opportunity for Partners
Explore the business opportunity and all that software-plus-services offers you—including the potential for continual revenue and the capacity to reach previously underserved market segments.

The Microsoft Portfolio of Software-plus-Services Offerings
Learn more about Microsoft offerings. A combination of on-premises software, partner-hosted offerings, and Microsoft-hosted software and services offers rich applications that can increase your profitability while offering your customers more options to match their business models.

How to Market and Sell to Your Customers
Help your customers determine which licensing model or combination of models will work best for their specific situations. Access resources to help market and sell your solutions as your customers implement their software-plus-services initiatives.

Windows Vista Business Assurance—Extended Until June 30, 2009!

2008-12-10T16:47:42Z

The Windows Vista Business Assurance offer is now extended until June 30, 2009. This offering gives no-charge customer support-designed to complement the support you offer as an OEM partner-to small-business customers who buy a qualifying copy of Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Business.

Help your small-business customers move to Windows Vista with confidence

With Windows Vista Small Business Assurance, we’re not simply saying your small-business customers can make the move to the Windows Vista operating system with confidence—we’re backing it up.

When your small-business customers purchase a new PC pre-installed with a qualified version of genuine Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Business through June 30, 2009, Microsoft will offer FREE customer support designed to complement your service offerings. It’s also developed to open up additional sales and service opportunities by:

Generating demand for Windows Vista. Microsoft is supporting this initiative with a significant marketing campaign designed to help drive small-business customers to local OEM partners like you.
Adding value to Windows Vista. Free Microsoft transition support, in addition to your support offerings, can give your small-business customers the extra assurance they need to purchase new PCs preinstalled with genuine Windows Vista.

How the program works

When your small business customers purchase a PC pre-installed with qualifying Windows Vista, they will receive free phone support directly from Microsoft. If your customer faces any technical issues, they can rest assure they have you and Microsoft to support them.

What kinds of inquiries should partners continue handling directly?

Hardware upgrades
Downgrades on systems with no OEM-tested Windows XP Recovery Media
Assistance with Windows XP, Windows Vista Home Premium, or Windows Vista Home Basic
Free software or devices that came with the PC

What kinds of inquiries should be referred to Microsoft?

Windows Vista feature education
Hardware, device, and software compatibility inquiries
Windows Vista configuration assistance

Which of my small-business customers are eligible?

Customers must meet each of the following requirements to be eligible for the Windows Vista Small Business Assurance:

Businesses with fewer than 25 PCs
Between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009:
- Purchase in the same transaction a PC pre-installed with some version of Windows Vista and a full-packaged product upgrade of Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate; or
- Purchase a PC pre-installed with Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Business.
Businesses located in the United States

What should I tell my customers?

Small-business customers need to know that they can move to Windows Vista quickly and easily.
Microsoft listened to the concerns of small businesses. They want technology that fits their budget, meets the needs of their business, and is easy to implement. This new initiative offers customers additional support and one-on-one coaching to help ensure that each of those needs are met.

Where should I direct my customers?

Direct your customers to our Windows Vista Support Site.

Spread the word to your small-business customers!

Take advantage of our ready-to-use marketing materials and inform your small-business customers about the service offering that comes with the purchase of PCs pre-installed with Windows Vista.

To Partner Marketing Materials: These materials have been created with you in mind. They will help you get acquainted with the program and enable you to better articulate the value to your small-business customers.

Through Partner Marketing Materials: Use these materials to communicate directly with your small-business customers. They clearly communicate the value of the program.

Downgrade Rights

Downgrade rights refer to the ability of your customers to acquire the most recent version of Microsoft operating system software but continue to run a previous version until they are ready to move to the new one.

The OEM versions of Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate include downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

Customers are not permitted to downgrade to Windows 2000 Professional from Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate.

Learn more about Windows Vista downgrade rights.

The Big Easy Offer Ends Soon! Don't Miss This Opportunity!

2008-12-10T16:43:19Z

From now until December 31, Microsoft will reward your customers who purchase qualifying Microsoft Office system and server products. They'll receive partner subsidy funds, which can be used on future purchases from your company. Visit www.bigeasyoemredemption.com.

Partners! Use the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit! IT ROCKS!

2008-11-07T16:59:26Z

Today, the Microsoft Solution Accelerators Team is pleased to announce the RTM release of the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 3.2 that sports news features such as Power Savings Calculator. Click here to learn more about today’s FULL ANNOUNCEMENT OF MAP TOOLKIT 3.2 RTM RELEASE.

Why build MAP Toolkit with a Power Savings Calculator?

During the current challenging economic times, your business is probably looking for ways to lower your IT operation costs. Well, good news! With Hyper-V, you can now consolidate many of your under-utilized servers in your datacenters and branch offices so you can PAY LESS for power and cooling!

In addition, did you know that you can save lots of power by leveraging the power management features of Windows Vista (for your desktops) and Windows Server 2008 (for your servers)?

The MAP Toolkit 3.2 now offers the Power Savings Calculator and Proposal that walks you through the many ways that you can save those precious IT dollars. What a great way to learn how to "go green!"

What can you get from MAP Toolkit 3.2 for Power Savings and Management

With MAP Toolkit 3.2, you can get a proposal in just a matter of hours. It includes a detailed proposal that will tell you what the potential savings are for your desktops and servers including benefits of virtualization via Hyper-V.

Next Steps for You!

Now that you know the power of the MAP Toolkit 3.2, why stop here? Give the MAP Toolkit a try and tell your friends about it. If you are a blogger, tell the world about it!

Download Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.2 (RTM Bits)
Learn more about MAP on TechNet or Microsoft Partner Program Portal
Check out the Microsoft Environmental Sustainability Site
Read the MAP Team Blog
Join the TechNet Forum Community for MAP
MAP is a member of the family of Solution Accelerators

Give Your Customers a Sneak Peek of Windows Essential Server Solutions!

2008-11-04T21:38:48Z

Use the customizable marketing materials included in the new Ready-to-Go Campaigns and get a jump-start on driving new business with these exciting new solutions.

Windows Essential Server Solutions helps you bring enterprise-class server technology to your small- and midsize-business customers. This new family of integrated server software is comprised of Windows Small Business Server (Windows SBS) 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server (Windows EBS) 2008.

The official launch date for Windows Essential Server Solutions is November 12, 2008.

To get you ready for launch, we’ve created two new exciting Sneak Peek Ready-to-Go Campaigns. Each campaign was designed to help you get trained, update your website, generate demand and follow-up on leads. Be the first to show your customers how this integrated platform, designed and priced specifically for their size businesses can propel their company forward by reducing IT complexity and improving business efficiency.

Assess which campaign is right for you, then click to get started:.

Windows Small Business Server 2008:

Ideal for customers with less than 50 employees
Helps protect your vital business information from loss, by automatically backing up the computers and servers in your network and helping enable you to recover accidentally deleted files
Is designed for small businesses, to work with existing technology, build on Microsoft best practices, and delivers a comprehensive network at an affordable price
Gives you highly secure access to business contacts, calendars, e-mail, files, and other important desktop resources from any Internet-connected computer, virtually anywhere at any time, so you can be productive while you’re away from the office or on the road

Windows Essential Business Server 2008:

Ideal for customers with 50 to 300 employees
Simplifies your daily activities with a Centralized Administration Console that gives you a single point of access to your IT environment
Helps you to proactively manage your environment, reduce your IT complexity, and help give you back control of your systems
Increases the predictability and reliability of your systems and reduce typical errors that can occur when standalone products are deployed
Increases productivity by working both in and away from the office with remote access, anti-spam, and anti-virus protection, and improved messaging technologies

Still have questions about which Sneak Peek Campaign is right for you? Ask our free Marketing Desk Specialists.

The Learning Curve Newsletter, Check Out New Sales and Technical Training!

2008-10-31T05:10:17Z

Partners, If you are not getting this already, check it out and sign up to get it. This monthly newsletter from Deb Ziegenhorn, Director or Partner Skills Development, and contains a great deal of good stuff for all of our Partners! Enjoy!

"The Learning Curve Newsletter

Welcome Partners!

The month of November brings with it the launches of two product sets. This is excellent news for our customers and therefore a great opportunity for you. Windows Essential Server Solutions (WESS) launches on November 12, comprising solutions for Small and Midsize Business: Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008. In The Vital Few below you will see a selection of training about Essential Business Server, and for good measure we’ve included sales and technical training links for Small Business Server. Also in November, Microsoft Online Services Business Productivity Online Suite will become available. It’s a mouthful to say, so I’ll just call it BPOS, but these Microsoft-hosted, subscription-based products offer customers a new level of flexibility and scalability while providing the rich interactivity of their on-premise counterparts. Our Launch Central page provides you links to information about both products.

I’d also like to call your attention to a couple of courses highlighted in The Vital Few because they represent a new learning modality that we are making available, Live Virtual Classroom Training. The two “Architect” classes offered for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (often called MOSS) are instructor-led trainings, but with the twist of being delivered via the Web instead of in a classroom. Using a blend of webcast and virtual lab, a live instructor provides a guided, hands-on learning environment. These trainings allow you to watch and listen as different tasks are demonstrated using Live Meeting, then switches you over to a virtual lab to try it hands-on and ask the instructor questions. It’s a pretty neat way to get deeply trained on a topic without the costs often associated with classroom training, and enjoy live training from the comfort of your office. To make these Live Virtual Classroom offerings even more accessible, we are offering two different sessions for each course - a morning or afternoon option.
This week, our newsletter includes:

Partner Learning News
The Vital Few

•Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

•Microsoft Essential Business Server 2008

•Virtualization

•Business Readiness Skills: Marketing

Like the idea of our new “Live Virtual Classroom Trainings”? Have an opinion about what else we can do to help your colleagues and you get skilled and educated? I’d love to hear from you. Visit our US partner learning blog and continue the conversation.

Until next time,
Deb
Deborah Ziegenhorn
Director, US Partner Skills Development Team

Windows Essential Server Solutions Launch: Sneak Peek Campaigns

To get you ready for the November 12 launch of this new family of server solutions for small and midsize customers--which includes Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008--we’ve created two new exciting Sneak Peek Ready-to-Go Campaigns. Each campaign is designed to help you get trained, update your Web site, generate demand, and follow up on leads.
We recommend these three Partnercasts to help you become acquainted with these new offerings:

•SBS/EBS/Windows Server: Which Is Right for Your Customer?

•Windows Small Business Server 2008: New Partner Opportunity

•Increase Your Revenue Opportunity with Windows Essential Business Server 2008

Add the Web Specialization to Your Custom Development Solutions Competency

Demonstrate your knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Web technologies by adding the Web Specialization to your Custom Development Solutions (CDS) Competency. If you are one of the first 100 individuals to enter campaign code CDSWEBDEV, you can earn a free exam voucher for one of the New Generation Certification Exams required to achieve the Web Development Specialization.

Refine Your Skills with the Information Worker Business Builder Series

Build your business with courses in the Information Worker Business Builder Series, which focus on taking your existing Microsoft practice and making it more productive and profitable. Using step-by-step playbooks, you will walk through the partner sales cycle and get a refresher on key business principles, best practices, and how to maximize the available Microsoft Partner Program tools. Four topics are covered, so you can choose the one that works the best for your business: Unified Communications, SharePoint, Business Intelligence and Performance Management or Project Management and Data Visualization.

New SQL Server 2008 Certification Exams Available
Two new Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (TS) exams are now available: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance and Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance. Four additional exams are expected to be released between November and January. Find out how these exams tie to certifications and competencies by visiting the New Generation Certification Exam Map. View our course listings for SQL Server 2008 sales and SQL Server 2008 technical training.

Digital WPC: Join the Conversation

Watch keynotes from Microsoft execs, industry leaders, and peers. Blog with other partners, and view the latest demos.

Each week, “The Vital Few” will highlight must-attend training opportunities to help you grow your business. This week, our selections for you include best practices and partner success stories as well as opportunities to drive revenue for your company while helping your customers save money. Visit our blog for more training recommendations and tips for maximizing your learning opportunities.

Want a broader list of training on the Partner Learning Center? Refer to this index of select training for additional products and solutions.

For training offered in your geographic area, view the South Central Area local events and training page.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

Limited time offer on the first three MOSS courses listed below: receive 35% off when you register by November 3, 2008.

Featured Training

Advanced Office SharePoint Server 2007 Training for Architects (Technical, Six 4-hour sessions via the Web)

Architecting Documents and Records Management Solutions with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (Technical, Four 4-hour sessions via the Web)

Developing Solutions with Office SharePoint Server 2007 (Technical, 4 days)

Partnercast: Partners Succeed with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007! (Sales, 15 minutes)

Labcast: Building and Implementing Enterprise Search Solutions (Technical, 1 day)

See our course listings for additional Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 technical training.

Microsoft Essential Business Server 2008

Featured Training

Overview and Introduction to Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (Technical, 1 hour)

5W/50 Series - Introduction to Threat Management Gateway for Partners Deploying EBS 2008 (Technical, 1 hour)

See our course listings for additional Windows Essential Business Server 2008 sales and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 technical training.
Looking for Windows Small Business Server courses? View Windows Small Business Server sales and Windows Small Business Server technical training.

Virtualization

Featured Training

Technical Deep-Dive: Set Up, Migrate, and Maintain a Virtual Environment Using Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and System Center (Technical, 2 days)

Partnercast: Simplified Management of Your Virtual Environment with Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 (Sales, 7 minutes)

Partnercast: Virtualization from the Data Center to the Desktop (Sales, 7 minutes)

Virtualization and the Small Business Partner, Part 1 of 2 (Technical, 1 hour)

Virtualization and the Small Business Partner, Part 2 of 2 (Technical, 1 hour)

Selling Virtualization to Midsized Businesses (Sales, 1 hour)

What You Need to Know to Optimize Configuration, Deployment, and Management--and Make Money on Services (Sales, 1 hour)

See our course listings for additional Virtualization sales and Virtualization technical training.

Business Readiness Skills: Marketing

Featured Training

The Marketing Plan That Saves Time, Saves Money, and Boosts Sales (Web Seminar, 1.5 hours)

Map to Success Session 1: How to Use Marketing to Drive Leads and Sales (Web Seminar, 1 hour)

Marketing Tactics for Business My Way and Business Transformation Customer Scenarios (Web Seminar, 1 hour)

See our course listings for additional Marketing training.

Set and Manage Your Communication Preferences
Get the partner-related information you want from Microsoft

1) Sign in to the Microsoft Partner Program portal with the Windows Live ID (Passport) used to enroll in the program;
2) Select “View Your Membership Account” and “Membership Center”;
3) From "Your Individual Account Page," choose "Edit Profile"*;
4) Scroll down to "Your Communication Options", and select your contact preferences for the areas listed;
5) To save your preferences, click the checkbox and then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page.
* Individuals who are the Global or Local Administrator for their organization will have a slightly different experience. In the grey bar near the top of the page, select “Administration”, then “Manage Your Individual Profile”, then follow steps 4 and 5.

Trouble accessing the Microsoft Partner Program portal link?
You may be signed in with a Windows Live ID (Passport) account not associated with your Microsoft Partner Program membership. Sign out of any other Live ID-enabled sites, and then sign in with the credentials used to enroll in the Microsoft Partner Program. If you still can not open the link, please contact our support team. You will receive a response within 24 hours (Monday-Friday, Pacific Time).

Hey MS Partners! Are you checking out how to make money with Virtualization? Read More...

2008-10-21T17:27:29Z

Virtualization is another great revenue opportnity! Especially in a tight economy! Read this article from J. Nicholas Hoover from Information Week! See you at a TS2 event!

"Microsoft Releases Virtualization Tools, Sees Gains Against VMware

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 hypervisor is an included installation option for Windows Server 2008 and costs about one third what VMware's VirtualCenter does.

By J. Nicholas Hoover
InformationWeek
October 21, 2008 12:20 PM

Four short months after Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) released its new server virtualization technology, the company is already making significant gains against competitors, and hopes to add to the momentum Tuesday with the release of new virtualization management software to manufacturing.

Microsoft's announcement that it is releasing System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 comes on the heels of an analyst report last week by IDC -- underlining how Windows Server's installed base could help Microsoft dominate the server virtualization market -- that found Microsoft grabbed 23% of the server virtualization market last quarter in terms of new deployments.

The selling points for Microsoft's server virtualization stack are its low cost and tight integration with the rest of the Microsoft stack, Zane Adam, Microsoft's senior director of virtualization strategy, said in an interview. Virtual Machine Manager, for example, costs about one third what VMware's VirtualCenter does. Microsoft's Hyper-V hypervisor is an included installation option for Windows Server 2008, and is integrated into Active Directory.

"We've always said virtualization is a feature of the operating system," Adam said.

Virtual Machine Manager 2008 can manage both Microsoft and VMware virtual environments, and also manages the physical machines underlying the virtual ones.

"Everything we've heard in the last few years was that the complexity of managing the physical server and virtual machines separately adds more cost than not, and it requires different training because you have to learn different products," Adam said. "When you manage your environment, you want to manage your environment. It shouldn't be separate."

Among the important features of Virtual Machine Manager is one called Performance and Research Optimization, or PRO. It enables some automated management of both the hardware and software on a machine, provided the servers are "PRO-enabled." For example, if a company is running a virtual machine on a new Dell (Dell) server and the fan is about to fail, the server can pro-actively send an alert to Virtual Machine Manager and react by off-loading the virtual machine to another physical server.

In terms of momentum, Microsoft has signed up a bunch of new customers, including Costco, Land O' Lakes and Saxo Bank. Indiana University plans to virtualize 90% of its workloads on Hyper-V by the end of the year. Just yesterday, Adam met with a "very large customer" that plans to virtualize tens of thousands of servers.

Adam rebuffed a question on VMware's recent Virtual Datacenter Operating System announcement, essentially a distributed operating system that relies on both on premises software and cloud computing to spread the main features of an operating system across many servers, and hinted that Microsoft has something similar or related up its sleeve.

"VMware is on the path where they're going to make virtualization into an operating system, but the question is whether the world needs yet another operating system," Adam said. "The idea of a distributed operating system is something that has merit, and you'll hear more about this from [Microsoft CEO] Steve [Ballmer] later this month at [Microsoft's semi-annual Professional Developers Conference]."

Though released to manufacturing on Tuesday, Virtual Machine Manager 2008 will be available for purchase November 1 for $1,304 including two years of Software Assurance, an option that provides upgrades free. A suite of four System Center products that includes Virtual Machine Manager also goes on sale in November for only slightly more: $1,497 including two years of Software Assurance.

What are other companies are doing to make virtualization work? InformationWeek has published an independent analysis of the topic. Download the report here (registration required)."

Participate Along with YOUR Customers in the “The Dream Server” Launch Event on November 12!

2008-10-14T15:55:38Z

Secure your position as trusted advisor by implementing Windows Essential Server Solutions to help your customers reduce costs and increase productivity by streamlining their IT infrastructure. Generate leads by inviting your customers and prospects to the Windows Essential Server Solutions special launch webcast using guidance and an invitation email template.

The "Dream Server" is now collecting Business Dreams for Small and Midsize Businesses!

Enter your business dream for a chance to win a Small Business Server 2008 or a Windows Essential Business Server 2008!

Then Join us on November 12th and see how server solutions can help turn your biggest business dreams into reality! Check it all out at: www.thedreamserver.com

Are Your Trying to Get Started with Microsoft Hosted Solutions? Check this Out!

2008-10-13T19:58:30Z

Microsoft Online Services, a set of enterprise-class software offerings delivered as subscription services hosted by Microsoft and sold by you, provide the rich interactivity of on-premises client and server applications--and the flexibility and scalability of Web-based services. You can generate predictable recurring revenue streams through new managed services, business-process consulting, tier-one end-user support, and your own value-added services. And efficiently expand your customer base and serve new segments--without adding infrastructure or head count.

Quickstart for Microsoft Online Services
US Promotions for Microsoft Online Services Launch
Training Opportunities for Microsoft Online Services
About the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS)
Partner Commentary

Quickstart for Microsoft Online Services

Get the comprehensive resources and training you need to evaluate Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) opportunities. Sign up to sell the services as they become available.

Join the Quickstart community for access to resources such as presentations, product experts, news updates, blogs, and forums. Technical and nontechnical support is also available to help you evaluate Microsoft Online Services offerings.

Enroll to sell the Business Productivity Online Suite. Learn about the revenue model and how to earn fees. Sign the Online Services Partner Agreement and complete the Online Services Assessment.

Microsoft Online Subscription Program (MOSP) Guide
The Microsoft Online Subscription Program is the Microsoft Volume Licensing program that supports purchasing, provisioning, activating, and maintaining the new generation of Microsoft Online Services products. Download this guide to understand the benefits of the Microsoft Online Subscription Program, the available Online Services offerings, and the business process details and business policies.

U.S. Promotions for Microsoft Online Services Launch

The Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) will launch later this year. To help you get involved and inspired, we have these offers for US partners.

Microsoft Online Services Hands on Labs

This one-day workshop educates partners about the deployment and administration of the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) and will help enable partners to successfully engage customers in new business opportunities with BPOS. Training will be delivered through a series of presentations and hands-on technical exercises that focus on developing the skills required to subscribe, deploy, co-exist, migrate, administer, and support the online services. Register before October 3, 2008 and enjoy 50% off the registration fee.

Partner Solution Evidence Program (US partners only)

Submit your Microsoft Online Services solution for a unique opportunity to participate in a written or video case study. Submissions are due by October 8, 2008, and for those who qualify, a $5,000 cash incentive will also be awarded.* To participate, download and complete our submission form and submit to bpos2008@microsoft.com.

Training Opportunities for Microsoft Online Services

BPOS Web Seminars: Licensing and Business
Prepare for the launch of BPOS with these Web Seminar trainings about Microsoft Online Services licensing and business policies.

The Best of the Software-plus-Services Roadshow: Training On Demand
In May 2008, Microsoft hosted a 12-city roadshow about software as a service and the Microsoft software plus services strategy. We captured the essence of these one-day events in four one-hour Web seminars, available on demand at no charge. These sessions take you through market dynamics and opportunity, how to prepare your business for a managed services practice, and how to build and manage relationships with your software and services customers.

About the Business Productivity Online Suite

This family of services delivers rich collaboration and communications capabilities, and can help your customers increase operational efficiencies and productivity while decreasing the strain on their IT resources. For you, BPOS provides the opportunity to expand your customer base and establish ongoing revenue streamswithout increasing customer-service costs.

Microsoft Exchange Online (available later this year)
Deliver robust productivity functions in a highly secure environment and ---win loyalty by showing your customers how Exchange Online can protect their networks and help them stay compliant and connected, without the up-front costs of an on-premises solution.

Microsoft Exchange Hosted Services
Cost-effective. Secure. Reliable. Be your customers’ trusted advisor by helping to ensure that their messaging environments are safe and available without sacrificing adherence to internal policy and regulatory compliance requirements.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Online (available later this year)
Offer your customers rich, easy-to-use collaboration capabilities including document libraries, wikis and blogs, shared workspaces, process workflows, and intranet portals —all in a hosted service.

Microsoft Office Live Meeting
With this reliable, hosted Web conferencing service, deliver on customer demand for reliable, effective communication and collaboration capabilities. Create new revenue streams by helping users connect with colleagues, customers, and suppliers from all over the world without leaving their desks.

Microsoft Office Communications Online
Be prepared to increase profit potential by providing integrated unified communications that help people be more productive.

Microsoft Partners...Mobilize Your Solutions to Reach More Markets!

2008-10-13T19:57:08Z

Expand Your Business with Integrated Solutions

Businesses of all sizes need solutions that help them integrate desktops, laptops, phones, and handheld devices. Learn how you can combine platforms, mobilizing Windows Small Business Server (Windows SBS) and Microsoft Office Exchange to reach the SMB market.
If you develop custom applications, Windows Mobile capabilities combined with specialized developer tools, can help you reduce costs and simplify deployments. Extend your reach with Windows Mobile support for over 18,000 applications developed by Microsoft partners.
Enterprise customers increasingly need mobility support for line-of-business applications like customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, and sales force automation. Get their attention by helping them quantify their returns on investment, and introduce them to new security features and improved administrative control offered by Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008.
The mobility opportunity is too good to miss. See how one partner gained significant revenue with a blended Windows Mobile and Windows SBS solution. Learn about the market from the Digital WPC 2008 keynote address. By joining the Mobility Solutions competency, you can access tools and training to build knowledge and credibility. Also, subscribe to the Mobility Solutions RSS feed and partner newsletter to stay dialed in to a fast-moving marketplace.

Capitalize on a growing market by creating smart, connected devices with Windows Embedded.

Increase Sales with the Big Easy Offer 2.0!

2008-10-13T19:50:40Z

It just keeps getting easier!

Earn valuable partner subsidy dollars to spend on additional services and products when you purchase qualifying products.

Here’s how it works

Purchase qualifying products between August 25, 2008 and December 31, 2008 and you can earn partner subsidy funds from Microsoft.

This program scales to fit your purchase by offering incremental subsidies for additional qualifying purchases. As you purchase more products for your business, you will receive additional subsidy dollars.

Take advantage of this offer by following these simple steps:

Purchase. Purchase qualifying products between August 25, 2008 and December 31, 2008.
Redeem. After making a qualifying purchase, you can redeem the offers at http://offers.localpcbuilder.com/bigeasy/redeem.aspx until January 31, 2009. You will be asked to provide the software validation key for your new product purchase.
After completing the validation process, you will receive an OEM Promotions Customer ID. You can use this ID in the future to associate more purchases and receive more subsidy dollars. You will also receive instructions for how to redeem your subsidy dollars. You will need to enter your OEM Promotions Customer ID on the Big Easy redemption site, so keep it handy.
One simple process for subsidy dollars.
Spend. Microsoft will then send you a subsidy check made payable to the partner of your choice; of course, we hope you'll choose to work with us. Use the subsidy check toward the purchase of additional services and products. Services benefits could be deployment, training, assessments or solutions to meet your line of business needs. Additional products may include software and hardware. Checks must be used within 90 days of the issue date.