Live Meeting: November 20 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

Windows 7 is a great choice for your customers and a great opportunity for your business. Attend this webcast to learn more about the Windows 7 market opportunity, the Partner opportunity and how to stand out from the competition.

This webcast will specifically focus on:

• The 7 Top Partner Opportunities
• The Windows 7 Value Proposition – How to best position Windows 7 with your SMB customers
• Capturing the Market Opportunity – A review of the marketing assets, tools and readiness available to support your go-to-market

»»»Register Here (seating will be limited)

Wes Cooper

SMB Communities Manager

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Find out how innovative features in the new Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 can help you expand relationships with your existing customers and drive new business through the integration of unified communications and collaboration technologies. Also, join us to learn how with the Big Easy offer currently in market - there is no better time to sell Exchange and other Microsoft products!

Live Meeting:

November 13:
1:00pm-2:00pm

Wes Cooper

SMB Communities Manager

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Leading Managed Services Providers link up for two days of intense business interaction focused on execution and accountability. HTG Canada continues its work on enhancing the Canadian IT landscape with a focus on giving more.

Heartland Tech Groups (HTG), an international organization of Managed Service Providers is currently holding their Q4 board meetings this week alongside the ConnectWise Partner Conference in Orlando, Florida.

HTG10, the sole Canadian only group is among the 19 HTG groups meeting to plan which MSP’s will win as our economy slowly shows signs of gaining strength across Canada. Built on a strong foundation of being true “Go-Givers”, HTG brings together the cream of the crop in the Canadian IT community. Members cover almost all of Canada from Abbotsford BC to the Ottawa Valley.

“It is a dog eat dog world out there,” states HTG10 group facilitator Stuart Crawford from Bulletproof InfoTech. “Canadian HTG members have a distinct advantage over those who elect to go after the market themselves. Having a trusted group of peers to lean on and also help each through our challenges provides our members with a competitive advantage. This is something you can’t easily put a price on, it is priceless”.

HTG peers meet each quarter across the country, focused on sharing best practices, reporting on the financial health of their organizations, planning for the future growth and work together for the benefit of each member. HTG is not just another user group. HTG is a committed group of Microsoft SBSC and MSP partners who live daily by their mantra “Business and Personal Growth Driven by Execution”.

Formed in 2001 by Arlin Sorensen, HTG now has grown to an international organization with members in Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. HTG is currently looking for new members in Canada from Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna, Winnipeg, Kingston, Montreal, Fredericton and Halifax, if your Microsoft MSP firm is interested in taking your business to the next level, visit http://www.htgpeergroups.com for additional information.

Microsoft Big Easy 3.0 Offer:  Selling the Microsoft Stack with our most successful partner offer!

The Big Easy Offer is back!

October 30th 1:00 – 2:00p.m. Please join Dave Owen, Partner Territory Manager, Microsoft Canada as he highlights how our most successful customer offer currently in market will help you sell, close and bring forward bigger deals into this calendar year. In one of Microsoft’s biggest launch year in history, there is no better time to understand the offers that will help you close those sales.

Register Now – Spaces will be limited 

Wes Cooper

SMB Communities Manager

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I know most of you have already downloaded Windows 7  Bata, RC or RTM and have been running it for sometime, so I don’t have to convince how great it really is! 

Launch days are always very exciting here at Microsoft but with the official release of  Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, today marks a special day.

There is a tremendous amount of excitement with customers in the market place, and I’ve attached below the resources, and guidance to make this a successful launch for your business.

Whether you are in sales, an IT professional, or a developer, you can access role-based training for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Microsoft Exchange 2010. You can also subscribe to the readiness RSS feed to ensure you receive updates on new resources as they become available.

Engage Your Customers Today! 

Partner Launch Event in a Box

The Microsoft New Efficiency Launch "event-in-a-box" contains comprehensive resources to enable you to hold your own local events with customers. Resources include: presentation guidelines and playbooks, email templates, demos, and session materials for the Windows Optimized Desktop, Optimized Server, Unified Communications, and Business Ready Security.

Help Your Customers Upgrade to Windows® 7 Professional and Save Approximately 15%

Show your customers how they can get more out of their PCs by upgrading to Windows 7 Professional. Use this promotion to motivate small and midsize customers with Volume Licensing.

Happy Launch Day!

Wes Cooper

SMB Communities Manager

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This Week is Small Business Week in Canada (October 18th to 24th) , which marks the 30^th anniversary, recognizing the entrepreneurs and small business that drive this great Canadian economy.

In 1981, BDC officially launched Small Business Week^® across Canada. A few years later, BDC created the Young Entrepreneur Awards contest to honour entrepreneurs aged 19 to 35 and pay tribute to their innovative spirit and business acumen.

Our Microsoft SMB partners are the glue of the reseller community and we recognize the amount of drive, influence and support we get from you on a daily basis. Please don’t forget about the countless resources out there to help drive your Microsoft business forward.

More for your money: The Big Easy Offer is Back!      Get up to 30 percent in partner subsidy dollars.

One of our most successful customer offers is back and in market to help you sell, close and bring forward bigger deals into this calendar year. In one of Microsoft’s biggest launch year in history, there is no better time to understand the offers that will help you close those sales. To see full offer detail visit: www.microsoft.com/canada/smb/big-easy-offer

Key Resources to add to your Favourites:

• Latest Product Incentives/Rebate: www.microsoftincentives.ca
• Sales Rep Rewards: FUEL Program www.microsoftfuel.ca
• Sales and Technical Training: https://trainings.partner.microsoft.com/plc/

Have a great week!

Wes Cooper

SMB Communities Manager

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Ride the Microsoft launch wave:  Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 & Exchange 2010 Value Added Reseller Briefing

The biggest launch of Windows ever is coming October 22nd with the release of Windows® 7 operating system! Come to this session on Wednesday, October 14th to experience the many improvements in Windows 7 as well as the features that will make “Everyday Tasks Faster and Easier. Windows 7 works the way you want and makes new things possible”.


In this session you will also learn about Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system which has many features that are designed specifically to work with client computers running Windows 7. These features will provide greater control and management of remote machines and help provide cost savings across the organization.

Where & When: (Seating will be limited)

Montreal - October 14^th

1st Session: 9:30am - 12:00pm Register Here

2^nd Session: 1:30pm - 4:00pm Register Here

* Both sessions are identical. Please register for only one of the two.

Mississauga - October 23^rd

10:30p.m. - 1:00p.m. Register Here

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Licensing Academy for Value Added Resellers -

VAR Licensing Briefing – brought to you by the Licensing Academy!

Please join us for an in person licensing discussion. This presentation will take place from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm and lunch will be served.
Topics will include:

• Licensing update on Windows® 7 operating system & Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system
  • GGWA – Get Genuine Windows Agreement
  • MDOP – Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack
  • VECD – Virtual Enterprise Centralized Desktop
  • Quick Demo of Windows® 7
• Open Value Level C Review
  • Customer Scenarios & LicenseWise Demo
• Windows, Office, and Big Easy promotions

Where & When: (Seating will be limited)

Calgary - October 27^th Register Here

Richmond - October 28^th Register Here

Montreal - November 2^nd Register Here

Wes Cooper

SMB Communities Manager

Here’s a great article picked up by PCWORLD.ca on one of our top VAR Partner’s and SBSC Member: Bulletproof Infotech, leveraging Office 2007 Professional and Small Business with their hosted Microsoft Exchange Services.

“Microsoft Canada helps Innovative Financial Solutions, a Canadian company with no IT staff and a small business budget, compete.” Click Here for Complete Article

Keep up the great work! Congratulations to Stuart Crawford, vice-president of business development with Bulletproof Infotech

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I am pleased and very proud to announce our SBSC Partners who have recently been chosen as finalists for our FY09 Impact Awards. There are 21 SBSC Partner finalists, in 16 categories out of 25, which is amazing – well done. Please see below for the list of our SBSC Partners who are currently finalists, including our own category Small Business Specialist of the Year.

Since 2003, Microsoft Canada replaced all of its previous technology partner awards with a unified program that also recognizes customer service, marketing, and contribution to the community. Microsoft Canada has outlined 26 categories to honour the achievements of top technology partners. Microsoft Partner Program IMPACT Awards are open to all Technology partners of the Microsoft Partner Program.

The Small Business Specialist award honors a member of the Small Business Specialist Community who demonstrates innovation for deploying a small business Microsoft-based solution (fewer than 50 employees or fewer than 25 PCs) with a tangible impact on the customer’s business.

Congratulation once again to all SBSC Partner Finalists,

Wes Cooper

SMB Communities Manager

On September 29th at 12 pm (EST) please join us here on www.thenewefficiency.com for a kick-off discussion on “The New Efficiency” live from San Francisco as a part of Microsoft’s Virtual Launch Event.

Join in the conversation during this must-see event and see top technology leaders and Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, debate the role of IT during this economic reset. Can cost savings, productivity and innovation come together to drive business growth? Get a closer look at how real companies are justifying IT investments across desktop, server, network and beyond.  You’ll also find sessions related to new releases of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, Microsoft Forefront, Microsoft System Center, and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.

Mark your calendars; watch it live; submit questions in advance.  Don’t miss it!

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Here’s a great opportunity to get an up-close look at the New Microsoft Partner Network and the changes coming for FY10 – don’t miss out! Register Now! seating will be limited.

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Live Meeting:

Sep 24, 2009
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST

We are proud to introduce the Microsoft® Partner Network, a community borne from our continued commitment to serve the needs of our partners and help them reach their full potential.

Please join Carol Terentiak, Sr. Program Manager, MPN, Microsoft Canada for the first in a series of webinars aligned to the rollout of the new Microsoft® Partner Network. You will learn of the 3 phases of the rollout over the next 14 months, new requirements and benefits and see how the planned migration may impact your membership.

Wes Cooper

SMB Communities Manager

Microsoft Canada

September 25th 1:00p.m. – 2:00p.m. EST

Better Together: Windows Server 2008 R2 & Windows 7

Please join us for an interactive webcast as Michael Ryan, Business Development Server Specialist and Jay Tsang, Systems Engineer discusses “making the experience better together with Windows 7”.

Windows Server 2008 R2 has many features that are designed specifically to work with client computers running Windows 7.  These features will provide greater control and management of remote machines and provide significant cost savings across the organization. Some of the key topics that will be discuss are:

· Virtualization & Live Migration,

· Direct Access

· Branch Cache

· Power Savings

The joint launch of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is coming October 22^nd and will be one of the biggest launches in Microsoft history! Come experience the hundreds of new Windows 7 improvements and features that makes “Everyday Tasks Faster and Easier, Works the Way You Want and New Things Possible”.

REGISTER TODAY

(Seating will be limited)

Click here for more information on the Microsoft “Better Together” story

Help Your Customers Upgrade and Save!

Increase your business of Windows desktop operating system upgrades by motivating small- and midsize-business (SMB) Microsoft Volume Licensing customers to upgrade their base of desktop PCs running the Windows XP or Windows Vista operating systems. Use this promotion to offer savings on Windows 7 Professional operating system upgrade licenses—with or without Microsoft Software Assurance for Volume Licensing.

In addition, customers with active Software Assurance coverage for Windows 7 Professional upgrade licenses can upgrade to the Windows 7 Enterprise operating system and get rights to acquire the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) for Software Assurance.

Promotion is valid between September 1^st 2009 and February 28^th 2010.

For more information please visit: https://partner.microsoft.com/Canada/productssolutions/windows/40113458

Digital WPC - Watch WPC Keynotes and Sessions on-demand

Missed a keynote or session? Not able to attend WPC09 this year? Watch the vision keynotes, solution value keynotes and over 100 different breakout sessions on-demand through Digital WPC. And, get important content and presentation from WPC09 posted daily on session scheduler. Check back each day for new session postings.

Save the Date for Worldwide Partner Conference 2010

Join us Monday, July 12–Thursday, July 15, 2010 in Washington, D.C., for WPC 2010. We’ll have more information about the conference agenda, including keynote speakers and schedules, in early 2010. Continue to check Digital WPC for updates.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Go to http://DigitalWPC.com for all the information.

Thanks,

John Krikke

Microsoft Canada SMB PAL 2009-07-30

john.krikke@onwardcs.com

http://www.twitter.com/johnkrikke

(905) 681-9400 x505

Now that I’ve been back from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2009 (WPC09) for a few weeks I’ve had some time to digest much of what I heard and saw. If you have never had the opportunity to go to a WPC you owe it to yourself to do so. It’s 4 intense days of presentations, break out sessions, workshops, hands on labs and meetings, meeting and more meetings. If you want to view the presentations you can go here http://digitalwpc.com/ to view them. However, the best part of the conference is the ability for you to have face-to-face meetings with key Microsoft executives, vendors and other partners.

The next 12 months will prove to be very exciting with the launch of many new products: Windows 7, Office 2010, Windows Server 2008 R2, Exchange 2010, Mobile 6.5 and more. Microsoft is on the offensive again and it is important for you to engage with Microsoft to be able to ‘ride’ this technology wave. You need to get familiar with the products, understand the direction Microsoft is going in and learn how you can align your business with these initiatives.

Microsoft is increasing their cloud computing initiative, also known as ‘Software-Plus-Services’. The offerings keep getting better and enable you to offer a selection of computing platforms to your clients. No need to let a client walk away if they are looking for a hosted solution rather than a traditional on-premise solution. You need to become familiar with Azure, BPOS, SPLA and a host of other acronyms. The Microsoft Partner website has a lot of information on this initiative under the ‘Products and Solutions’ tab.

The Microsoft Partner Program has evolved into the Microsoft Partner Network. If you haven’t been to the site lately need to go there now and get familiar with it. Microsoft is moving “from a program focused on requirements and benefits to the network designed for relationships, connections, and opportunities“. There will be an increased emphasis on customer references and partnering with other partners to deliver complete solutions.

One partner program change that requires examination is the change to the SBSC designation. The blue SBSC logo may go away as the SBSC designation changes into a Small Business Competency. In my meetings and discussions with Microsoft they seemed surprised that this might cause concern among the SBSC community. I need your feedback about this change – is it for the good? Are you marketing around the blue logo? Do you feel this will make the SBSC community disappear into the general Microsoft community?

In the coming months we will explore each of these topics in more detail. In the interim here are some action items that can help you get started:

· Make sure you are testing Windows 7, getting familiar with it, getting ready for the October 22^nd launch date.

· Take advantage of the Action Pack and SBSC program benefits to maximize your engagement.

· Explore the new Microsoft Partner Network site at https://partner.microsoft.com/Canada/

· Use Microsoft Bing as your search engine of choice - http://www.bing.com/

· Comment on this blog, send me emails, make your voice heard – I am here to help you!

Regards,

John Krikke

Microsoft Canada SMB PAL 2009-07-30

john.krikke@onwardcs.com

http://www.twitter.com/johnkrikke

(905) 681-9400 x505