Microsoft officials say the Pinpoint infrastructure drove 1 million leads to partners in the last fiscal year. Some partners appreciate and take advantage of the system Microsoft has built, but others find it too much work for too little return.
- By Barb Levisay
- March 21, 2012
Begin with the end in mind and know what you want and need before you buy, based on your overall long-term growth strategy.
- By Mike Harvath
- November 30, 2011
Many small partners won't qualify for a gold competency under the new MPN. Merging with larger partners is one option, but many partners are reluctant to give up their independence. Now Microsoft is considering franchising as an alternative.
- By Jeffrey Schwartz
- March 31, 2011
Microsoft's Kristi Hofer, who has crisscrossed the country talking up Microsoft's proposed plan to create a franchise model for Dynamics partners, recently sat down with RCP to explain what such a model would mean for the MPN.
- By Jeffrey Schwartz
- March 31, 2011
The two biggest reasons for working with Microsoft are its solid support for partners and the breadth of its product line.
- By Paul DeGroot
- February 01, 2011
Lutz Ziob of Microsoft Learning talks about certifications for new partner competencies and the future of training and certifications.
- By Jeffrey Schwartz
- January 01, 2011
To succeed as a Microsoft partner you need to understand what Microsoft -- and often a particular person at Microsoft -- wants.
- By Paul DeGroot
- January 01, 2011
The lower startup and maintenance costs, quicker ROI and increased productivity of the cloud, particularly with Windows Azure, may greatly expand the number of ISVs seeking to build their own channels.
- By Keith Lubner
- January 01, 2011
When it comes to basic market dynamics, the IT services industry can be characterized in economic parlance as a fragmented industry.
- By Mike Harvath
- January 01, 2011
At town hall meeting, top Microsoft channel exec acknowledges difficulties for partners with current billing policies and vows, 'We are working on it.'
- By Scott Bekker
- December 02, 2010
Microsoft executives know the switch to the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) is delicate.
- By Scott Bekker
- December 01, 2010
Today's distributors do much more than ship products and track orders -- it's too bad some channel partners don't know it.
- By Rich Freeman
- November 01, 2010
Microsoft's determination to dominate the market for online services has never been as evident as it was at the 2010 Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). Why is it moving so aggressively into that space?
- By Paul DeGroot
- October 01, 2010
In August 1981, IBM introduced its first "personal computer" and, explaining that nobody but IBM could sell IBM, decided that the few selected companies that would be furnishing these small units to consumers and small businesses would be "resellers" instead of "sellers."
- By Howard M. Cohen
- September 01, 2010
Guggenheimer explains why Microsoft still matters in a digital near-future that isn't necessarily PC-centric.
- By Scott Bekker
- July 01, 2010