As you know, Microsoft Office 2007 launched for Business customers through Volume Licensing in November of 2006 and went to general availability through Retail Box and OEM in January of 2007. As such, now is a great time to educate your customers on the...

There’s a question floating around right now about how downgrade rights work in regards to being “stuck” at the older version. Here is a copy of the question that crossed my inbox: “I buy an SBS 2003 R2 Premium Server license with downgrade rights...

I have had several Partners contact me asking about how to view yesterdays “ Preview and sneak peek of the new Small Business Desktop Advantage and Volume Licensing Sales Kit ” session I gave if you were unable to attend it live, and I mentioned I would...

Attention Small Business Specialists, keep your eyes on your mailbox starting next week as soon you will be receiving a package from me. I just received confirmation today that the Small Business Desktop Advantage and Volume Licensing Sales Kits are being...

Here’s your chance to learn more about how Microsoft products are really licensed. “Introduction to Office, Windows, and Server Licensing For Partners” - How are Microsoft products REALLY licensed? Want to find out? Attend this session and learn how...

If you missed Tuesday’s “ Introduction to Open License for Partners” webcast and you would like to view the replay, the replay is now posted on the MSReadiness website. Here is the link to view it . Thank you and have a wonderful day, Eric Ligman...

I received the following question after my “ Preview and Sneak Peek of the new Small Business Desktop Advantage and Volume Licensing Sales Kit ” Live Meeting session that I thought I would post here along with the answer in case others out there may have...

For those of you that also work with some larger clients in addition to your Small Business clients, the Influence Program may be something you want to take a look at. The Influencer Program, which captures the identity of the partners that influence...

If you want to learn more about the Open License Programs Microsoft offers to their Small and Mid-size customers and what they mean for you as a Microsoft Partner, join me for this session. “Introduction to Open License For Partners” – Microsoft offers...

Attention all VARs. If you are currently enrolled in the Open Value VAR Rebate Program, you may have already received this notice via email; however, I want to make sure you have seen it and taken the time to read it. On June 29th we conclude the...

For those of you trying to register for Worldwide Partner Conference 2007 this week, you’ve noticed that the registration is showing full and they are taking waitlist names. Also, some Partners have mentioned that they are not able to make it to Denver...

Several years ago when I started working on the Small Business pilot back in our Midwest area, someone once asked me, “So, what drives you?” Shortly after that conversation, the answer to that question was apparent (literally) everywhere I went. ...

As noted in my post last week , the new Small Business Desktop Advantage and Volume Licensing Sales Kit is now shipping and will be showing up in the mailboxes of Microsoft Small Business Specialists across the country soon. This new version of the Sales...

That’s right! We’re giving away a Free Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) Exam Voucher to the first 125 individuals that have not taken an MCP exam good for one free Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exam and a retake and...

Know anyone starting up a new business? Maybe you’re a new startup on your own right now getting your Microsoft Partner company off the ground. Did you know that Microsoft provides an entire “ Startup Center ” for these companies to give them access to...

Recently there have been a few messages from some SBSC Partners stating that when they look at their Membership page on the Partner site, their SBSC logo was missing. This led to questions about why this is, is it a bug in the system, etc. The answer...

In approximately 3 minutes (12:00 am PST), our Fiscal Year 2007 at Microsoft will come to an end. You may have already seen this referenced in the, “ 10 days until the end of the FY07 Open Value VAR Rebate Program ” post earlier this month or maybe you...

Have you checked out Microsoft Silverlight yet? If not, there are now several resources available online, including access to the Beta software that you can use. For instance, you’ll find links to: Silverlight Overview Silverlight Beta download...

If you are like me (scary proposition, I know…) and spend a lot of time in PowerPoint or giving presentations that have a PowerPoint presentation to them, then you have no doubt seen or built numerous bullet-point lists, boxes with arrows, etc. to help...

Attention SBSC Partners! Have you looked at the calendar lately and noticed June 29 th is just around the corner? Remember, that’s the final day of the SBSC Exclusive Small Business Desktop Advantage Rebate offer. You may recall that when we first...

Next week we will be conducting the next SBSC Quarterly Update webcast , so be sure to register for the session today. During this session, we will be joined by Kelly Curd on the US Small Business Center Web Team who will talk about the new “Specialist...

On June 12, Microsoft released six new security bulletins , four of which are critical, as well as an updated version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. We recommend that partners ensure their own systems are secure, then work with...

I have seen some questions floating around about some of the downloads posted on the Microsoft.com and the Partner.microsoft.com site that are in either the .docx or .xlsx file formats, which are the Office 2007 versions of Word and Excel file formats...

For years you’ve all seen and heard about the risks of counterfeit, pirated, or illegal software. Recently you may have also heard about the new Software Protection Platform which disables valuable enhanced features—such as Windows Aero and Windows ReadyBoost...

Attend this webcast to learn more about the new promotions, offers, and programs that Microsoft has available to help you close business and provide more value add to your customers. We will discuss some of the key offers in market today that you can...