Your Network Has Arrived: Microsoft Launches Revamped Partner Network

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2nd November 2010, 03:25am - Views: 1057





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MEDIA RELEASE PR41982


Your Network Has Arrived: Microsoft Launches Revamped Partner Network


REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --


   Microsoft Partner Network equips partners to transform their businesses

           and provide greater value and innovation for customers.



    Microsoft Corp. today flipped the switch on the Microsoft Partner

Network, an evolution of the company's industry-leading partner program that

has been two years in the making. The revamped program, which takes effect

today, equips Microsoft partners with the training, resources and support

they need to successfully compete in today's marketplace and allows customers

to easily identify the right partner for their technology needs.



    (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)


    The Microsoft Partner Network is based on partner feedback and customer

demand for specialized service experts. These new offerings will enable

partners to focus on specific technologies that increase the number of

business opportunities, as well as their ability to deliver innovative

solutions that help customers achieve their goals.


    "Microsoft's partners are the secret behind our success, and we created

the Microsoft Partner Network to help them achieve their business needs and

drive deeper customer satisfaction," said Jon Roskill, corporate vice

president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft. "The Microsoft Partner

Network provides partners with the necessary tools, resources and support to

help partners differentiate themselves and succeed in today's market."


    "The market we compete in is as dynamic as I've ever seen it, and, to

stay competitive, we have to be very responsive to customers' needs," said

Zikria Syed, CEO, NextDocs. "The Microsoft Partner Network brings a rich

community of industry partners, as well as the technical and business

development resources we need to respond to our customers and stand out from

our competitors."


    New Membership Opportunities Available to Partners

    Starting today, partners will renew their annual Microsoft Partner

Network memberships under the new structure, allowing them to choose the

membership opportunity that best meets their needs. Partners will also have

the opportunity to build relationships with their peers and with experts at

Microsoft. Using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or the Microsoft Partner Network

Community, any partner can get answers to questions and take part in

conversations about latest technology trends and topics such as best

practices, business development and how to drive innovation.


    Microsoft Action Pack Subscriptions will give partners access to

software, development tools, training and market visibility. Partners can

further demonstrate their expertise by earning silver or gold competencies in

any of 29 areas, each of which relates to a specific customer need and aligns

with one of Microsoft's customer awareness campaigns. Companies that

demonstrate a mastery of their skills can attain gold competencies, which

identify them as being best in class in that particular business solution.

Gold competency recipients are given additional access to unique benefits

designed to help them reach their specific business goals.


    Members of the Microsoft Partner Network can also join the Small Business

Specialist Community (SBCS), BizSpark or WebsiteSpark. Each of these

communities provides its members with technical and business development

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resources. SBCS is focused on partners that provide small- and

midmarket-business solutions, and BizSpark and WebsiteSpark are focused on

entrepreneurs and business startups.


    "Microsoft has long been an innovator in partner programs, and the

Microsoft Partner Network once again shows the vendor's leadership in this

area," said Darren Bibby, program director for IDC Software Channels

Research. "The Microsoft Partner Network will continue to help the wide array

of Microsoft partners make a significant contribution to the global economy."


    Enabling Partners to Succeed in the Cloud

    Fueled by wide availability of broadband and numerous technical advances,

cloud computing is opening the doors to new commercial possibilities for

businesses. The Microsoft Partner Network is delivering resources to help

equip partners for this next wave of innovation and to transition to

developing and selling cloud-based applications and solutions.


    The new Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack provides partners with the

resources they need to experience and extend their business to the cloud.

Microsoft considers partners that have already sold cloud computing

solutions, have taken part in advanced training, and can provide customer

references as having demonstrated an ongoing commitment to its cloud

computing efforts. As such, they can qualify for Microsoft Cloud Accelerate.

Participants in this program will be rewarded with a Cloud Accelerate badge,

additional internal use rights and other benefits that exceed those offered

in Cloud Essentials. More information about Microsoft Cloud Accelerate and

Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack can be found at



    New Benefits and Resources for Partners

    In addition to tools such as Microsoft PinPoint

(http://pinpoint.microsoft.com), which puts partners in front of customers when

the customers search for a Microsoft solution on a website, Microsoft is

committed to making constant improvements and expanding the tools to support 

its partners. As such, Microsoft is also globally rolling out new solution-based incentives that reward Gold Certified

Partners driving sales in specific 

Microsoft solutions, chosen for their growth and market potential.


    Partners making the transition to the Microsoft Partner Network can find

a variety of tools and resources at the Microsoft Partner Network portal



    About Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Group

    Microsoft invests in the success of its partner channel and more than

640,000 organizations make up Microsoft's partner ecosystem. Partners have

been instrumental to Microsoft's success over its 33-year history, and they

have come to rely on Microsoft for the products, technology, tools and

resources that enable them to create profitable and unique businesses.

Additional information on the Microsoft Partner Network is available at



    About Microsoft

    Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in

software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize

their full potential.



    SOURCE:  Microsoft Corp.


    CONTACT: Lisa Tryall, 

             +1-425-638-7000, 

             ltryall@waggeneredstrom.com, or


             Rapid Response Team, 

             +1-503-443-7070, 

             rrt@waggeneredstrom.com, 

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             both of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, for Microsoft Corp.

    

    NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, news and perspectives from

Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at

http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were

correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional

assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response

Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.



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