Microsoft Australia Partner Network

Christmas is just around the corner.

For me, Christmas is a time of much intrigue and discovery.

A time when we all become detectives…

Detecting the best bargain, where the Christmas presents are hidden, or detecting the best way to sneak off with Christmas pudding!

Business Life is no different.

Kathryn Saducas is inviting you to put your detective hat on, and demystify the new Microsoft Online Services through a Webinar/ and 3 community events in Syd, Melb, Bris.

In order to solve any case, you need the right resources. Attend these free sessions to give you the tools to create more money.

To move away from the usual suspects, 70% of revenue generated through Microsoft Online Services is through new leads.

Like any good Hollywood movie, there has to be a happy ending! Understanding Microsoft Online Services can lead to incremental revenue.

Sherlock Holmes remarked “Elementary, my dear Watson”

Sign Up for the Microsoft Online Webinar and  events on Linked In

This week we are pleased to announce that November 2009 marks the official launch of the new Microsoft Core Infrastructure competencies: Virtualization, Server Platform, Desktop Platform, Systems Management and Security Solutions.

Show customers that you have the skills and expertise to deliver infrastructure solutions that will help them reduce IT complexity and costs, increase their return on investment (ROI), and transform their core infrastructure into a strategic assets.

Why Multiple Competencies Are Key to Growing Your Revenue Base

A June 2009 IDC study found that partners with more than two core infrastructure competencies:

• experience 68% larger average deal sizes
• generate 28% higher revenue per employee
• achieve faster revenue growth & longer customer engagements 

Partner Benefits for Earning an Infrastructure Competency:

1. Expanded Internal Use Rights for the latest Microsoft technology
2. Channel Incentives for readiness, marketing and deployment
3. Flexible sales and deployment Support Services
4. See a complete list of Microsoft Partner Network Program Benefits

Additional benefits unique to Core Infrastructure Partners coming in 2010:

• Partner Solution Plan Activation Kit – Aligns global / local readiness, ROI tools and marketing incentives to the sales and marketing/PSP process.  
• Customer Opportunity Insights Tool – Ability to view customer data and license purchase history for upgrade, cross sale, and purchase propensity sales planning.
• Partner Listing on Microsoft.com properties – Facilitating easy connection of prospecting customers with competent partners.

Get Started Today with these Free Resources!

1. Review the Core Infrastructure competency Benefits & Requirements for: 
   Virtualization, Server Platform, Desktop Platform, Systems Management, and Security Solutions.
2. Build or Expand your business today with Infrastructure Practice Builder
3. Update your Infrastructure Sales skills with Core IO University Online

Learn more about how Microsoft Core Infrastructure competencies showcase your ability to deliver the benefits customers demand.

As the Microsoft Partner Network has evolved, our commitment to serving you and your customers has deepened. Part of serving you better means making system improvements. On Friday, November 20, 2009, some Microsoft Partner Network systems will be getting an update, enabling you to take full advantage of the first wave of our new, customer-centric competencies. When these updates are complete, Gold Certified Partners will also be able to differentiate their expertise by fulfilling the new Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Index requirements

During this update, the Partner Membership Centre will be unavailable from 10:00 A.M., Pacific time, November 20 to midnight, Pacific time, November 21.

So, mark your calendar, and visit the Microsoft Partner Network Community Portal to get further details as they become available.

Thank you for your understanding

Now is your chance to discover firsthand how the beta releases of Office 2010, SharePoint Server 2010, Project 2010, and Visio 2010 deliver collaboration and productivity enhancements to provide a superior user experience, whether it’s on a PC, a Web browser, or a Windows phone.
Download the betas today to get critical hands-on experience—and get ready to help your customers increase efficiency and streamline business processes by making the most of their existing resources. You’ll also want to provide input to help us refine the products before they’re released to manufacturing.

New features make working together easier than ever before.
• New or enhanced customizable templates, photo editing, and co-authoring capabilities in Office 2010
• Quick and easy access to resources and knowledge—in a familiar environment—with SharePoint Server 2010
• New collaboration tools in Project 2010 that provide even better visibility into projects at all levels
• Visual tools and templates, and Web-sharing capabilities in Visio 2010 that bring real-time data together from multiple sources

Is it a bird?
Is it a plane?

No

It’s… You!

Ever wanted to be the Superman of your role? A future position?

Microsoft have a great new career map that will enable you to see what role you want and what you need certifications and training are needed to get there.

To help you reach your potential, Microsoft are offering up to 25% off Certification Exams (valid until 31st December)

* Image courtesy of Xurble

The Microsoft Partner Network Competency and Advanced Competency requirements are finally here. These are expected to evolve over time. You'll be able to enrol in the Competencies from the second quarter of calendar year 2010 and the Advanced Competencies from October 2010. 

October 2010 will see the retirement of Gold Certified/Certified and Registered Partners.  The Microsoft Partner Network will be made up of Community Members, Subscribers, Competency Partners and Advanced Competency Partners.

The following table provides a high-level, general summary of competency qualification criteria. Specific Competency and Advanced Competency requirements vary and will be published on the Partner Portal in the next couple of months.  In the mean time for detailed information on each competency and advanced Competency requirements please click here.

Competency and Advanced Competency Partners will be required to complete a full profile and pay a membership fee as part of their annual enrolment

¹Partners can attain multiple competencies. Your employees or contractors who pass the applicable competency exams are eligible toward multiple competencies. A person who has attained a Master or Architect Certification qualifies for two Microsoft Certified Professional level certifications.
²Partners can attain multiple Advanced Competencies. Your employees or contractors who pass the applicable Advanced Competency exams are only eligible toward one Advanced Competency. A person who has attained a Master or Architect Certification qualifies for two Microsoft Certified Professional level certifications.
³Requirements vary by competency.
⁴You may use customer references from your Standard Competency toward your Advanced Competency

If you have any questions please post to this blog, send me an email sarahar@microsoft.com or attend the Roadshow: Partner Network 1/2 Day Training Course I am running starting next week.

Look forward to see you soon

Sarah.

The Identity & Security competency requirements are changing in May 2010. To deliver best value to both our partners and customers, we continue to evolve our enterprise security strategy - “Business Ready Security”.  We believe that security needs to encompass protection, access and management, all built around identity and integrated with a highly secure, interoperable platform.  This notion of integrated, identity-aware protection and access is unique and central to Microsoft’s security strategy.

We are aligning the IDENTITY and SECURITY competency requirements to better embody this strategy.  This will allow us to identify our best partners and appropriately reward them. Customers will also benefit by knowing that partners in the competency are qualified to provide an end-to-end solution for their business needs.

We have aggregated a series of resources for Security partners below to help them further align to our Business Ready Security strategy and the new Security Competency requirements that take effect in May 2010.

1. Please visit the Infrastructure Security Requirements page to read more about the new exam requirements. 

2. Get Free Training: Technical readiness resources at Forefront Learning Paths & sales readiness resources at Core IO University.

3. Take the exam (70-557) preparation courses (part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4)

4. Register for the exam at www.prometric.com.  

I’ve just sourced some Flip Meno HD digital recorders and we will be giving 2 of these away in each location (ie one in the morning, one in the afternoon) as a lucky door prize in the Innovation Days roadshow, (along with a 4gb memory stick with resources and a trial of Microsoft Expression Studio 3 for every attendee).

This is what they look like – cool huh! 

FLIP MINO High Definition Camcorder.

Small in size. Big in quality. Easily capture, edit and customise your videos and stills with the new Flip Mino HD. Easily upload to Youtube, Facebook, MySpace.

If you are designing and/or developing applications for the web – come along to the sessions in the morning, and for our “traditional” ISVs – we have afternoon sessions relevant to you. Or - attend for the full day.  Places are limited (and filling fast) so register for your spot today.Looking forward to seeing you in December.  Sarah Theiss

We have received feedback from a couple of partners in the ACT asking why we are not coming to town with the December Innovation Days Roadshow.  The answer is that based on our analysis of the partner ecosystem – we don’t see many web agency partners or ISV partners located in Canberra.  If we are able to get sufficient numbers of partners along (ie 40+) we would be happy to come to Canberra.  To let me know of your interest in attending the web agency morning or the ISV afternoon sessions (or the whole day), please email me at sarahth@microsoft.com.

Today at 1.30pm (Sydney time) is HAMMER TIME. We will be holding our first LIVE Smooth Streaming event in Australia with MTV interviewing MC Hammer (who also appeared on Rove last Sunday).

Hammer is Down Under promoting the new Xbox game Lips featuring MC Hammer’s 1990 hit “You Can’t Touch This” as one of the tracks.

We have teamed up with MTV, the Xbox team, Akamai, Inlet Technologies, Viocorp, and Readify to take the feed direct from the MTV studio out to the web using Silverlight Smooth Streaming, Windows Server 2008 and IIS7 Media Services. The feed will also feature an overlay of what is happening on Twitter as Hammer is being interviewed, Hammer will be taking questions live from the Twitter stream. The overlays also include a tag cloud most popular words from the feed to get the mood of the event as well as a list of the top Tweeters.

To watch, please go to www.mtv.com.au/mchammer

Other times include:

• US Seattle = 6.30pm Monday
• US NY = 9.30pm Monday
• UK = 2.30am (sorry) Tuesday
• Singapore = 10.30am Tuesday

December brings a five city roadshow - a morning session for web design and development companies, and an afternoon session for ISV partners.  Have a look at the content - and register today at https://partner.microsoft.com/Australia/40047632.

One of the great benefits of being a part of the Microsoft Partner Network is access to a rich set of resources and that can help you gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace you operate within. These resources are designed to help you build your business, accelerate sales momentum, and increase your market impact.

Recently we learned from Partners that you may not be aware of the richness of these tools and the opportunities they enable.

We hear you!

In direct response to your feedback we are pleased a offer a short program to bring these to life!

We will show key program administrators how to use the network and how to get the most out of the available resources. The workshop-style course is free to attend and runs for half a day - it is suitable for all Partners wanting more out of the Microsoft Partner Network.

The course covers the following:

• Demonstrating how to use the resources on the Partner Portal
• Navigating the Partner Membership Centre
• Managing Your Competency Information
• Making the most of your Program Benefits
• Point on Technical Resources available
• Point on help and support

Take this opportunity to meet some of the Microsoft Team and also connect with other partners whose solutions and services complement your own.

AGENDA

I look forward to seeing you there.

Sarah

At this event you will learn about the market opportunity with Microsoft in Public Sector and insights into the market landscape . If you are looking for opportunities to expand your solution offerings and services then this event is for you.  You can also discover the benefits of Open Value for Government and how this program can help you win more customers in the Public Sector market.

Event agenda
- Registration at 5.30pm
- Public Sector landscape and market opportunity
- Making it Real for you – Campaigns & Resources
- How Express Data can help you win in public sector
- Questions & Close

Register Today


Venue details:

Have a great weekend,

  Arron Child

Hi I thought I would share this great offer with you all and let you know that I and everyone in Inese’s team are currently studying for our MCP’s in Volume Licensing,  why not join us and get yours too.

Becoming a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) for designing and providing Microsoft Volume Licensing solutions adds to your credentials, can help speed your sales cycle and prepares you to answer customer questions about the licensing process. Having two or more of your staff pass one of the two MCP exams for designing and providing Volume Licensing solutions is one of the requirements for attaining the Licence Delivery specialisation in the Licensing Solutions competency. Learn how you can save on the MCP exam fee.

MCP Exam Voucher Offer: Save Fifty Per cent

Your organisation can receive up to two vouchers for a 50 per cent savings on the regular MCP exam fee, when you register for one of the following MCP exams at a Prometrics testing centre before 31 December, 2009:

• Exam 70-671: Designing and Providing Microsoft Volume Licensing Solutions to Small and Medium Organisations

• Exam 70-672: Designing and Providing Microsoft Volume Licensing Solutions to Large Organisations

Encourage your sales staff to take these MCP exams - and earn the only MCP credential designed specifically for sales professionals. Learn about the value of becoming an MCP for designing and providing Volume Licensing solutions.

Bonus Offer: Complimentary Exam Voucher

The first 500 Microsoft partners to meet the following two criteria will receive one exam voucher for a 100 per cent savings on the regular exam fee (limit one per organisation):

1. One individual in your organisation has passed MCP exam 70-671 or 70-672.

2. Your organisation has a minimum of three approved and active references* in the Licence Delivery specialisation prior to requesting the free voucher. If a reference will expire before this time, you can submit a new one. View the customer reference guidelines.

*References are active for 12 months from the date of approval. Contact your Regional Service Centre for more information.

For more information please visit the Partner Portal

Sarah

Achieve Best of Breed Solutions in Selling to Government Services

Citizen Service Platform (CSP) is Microsoft’s strategic government framework, covering the issues of citizen service, agency productivity, safety and human services through the Microsoft Platform. CSP provides tools and a framework to allow partners and customers to achieve best of breed solutions in improving government services. This 3 day course introduces CSP to Microsoft partners and helps prepare you to use the tools in customer projects, to prepare you for successful sales and delivery.

CSP Academy Course Outline

* If you are not able to attend after registration, please cancel by emailing auspartr@microsoft.com at least 48 hours prior to the event. Microsoft reserves the right to charge $100 for any “no shows”.

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