Just for Action Pack subscribers - your very own online technical support: https://partner.microsoft.com/global/actionpackcommunity
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The MAPS Online Technical Community* provides an environment in which Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS) holders can discuss business practices and share development and testing ideas and in-depth product knowledge. Get answers to your questions from Microsoft support professionals within eight business hours. Find resources designed to help you make the most of the tools within the Action Pack. Stay competitive. Meet your sales goals. And grow your business.
*This service is limited to Microsoft Action Pack Subscription holders.
Based on partner requests, more than a dozen Microsoft products are supported in this community, including, but not limited to, products in the following families: Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Office, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft System Center, and Windows Server.
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https://www.microsoft.com.au/events/register/home.aspx?levent=144052&linvitation
This is your opportunity to 'get your feet on the ground, head in the clouds' and connect with top architects, developers, and IT Marketing professionals in the community for a day of technical sessions and compelling discussions about the exciting future of the Microsoft platform.
The day will concentrate on important announcements released at October’s Professional Developer's Conference, and will focus on our Software plus Services paradigm. This is Microsoft's vision for the next generation of computing that brings together the best of cloud-based services and traditional client computing software to deliver a richer experience to your customers.
You will also:
· Learn how to adopt and market your solution on a new platform via the global marketplace resource, InnovateOn,
· Hear about how to choose the right ISV Licensing Agreements and Hosting Provider for your business,
· See Silverlight, Expression, Vista and IE8 in action,
· Get excited about the new Software plus Services Incubation Program, and
· Discover how Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 can benefit your solution
Ready to be inspired by change? Register now!
More info here: https://partner.microsoft.com/Australia/40047632
Microsoft - Realising Platform Value
https://www.microsoft.com.au/events/register/home.aspx?levent=733468&linvitation
- Sydney - 29 October 2008 - 30 October 2008
- Melbourne - 26 November 2008 - 27 November 2008
Realising Platform Value is a 2 day interactive workshop within which many internal Microsoft personnel have already participated. It is designed to show participants how to articulate and sell the value of the Microsoft platform to customers which will help you form binding relationships with your customers, enhancing the value these customers can receive from their investment in the Microsoft platform and your Partner services.
Topics covered during the session will include:
- how to articulate the Microsoft platform value message
- how to document the customer’s “as is” IT environment, and to then document a “to be” environment built around the Microsoft platform
- Using the Microsoft Infrastructure Optimisation Models to establish long term relationships with customers
- how to generate genuine value for customers by focusing on fundamental issues – not symptoms – framing customer discussions in terms of business needs that IT can address
- how to use the platform value discussion to uncover and pre-qualify opportunities
- how to gain customer agreement to continue the journey with the appropriate Partner resources
The innovation, integration and simplicity of the Microsoft platform is a key point of differentiation – if you are able to stage “platform” rather than “point solution” discussions with customers, you will win more business and generate more opportunities, whilst at the same time improving customer satisfaction.
At the end of the workshop participants create a Personal Action Plan that includes appropriate next steps for pursuing the Microsoft Platform Value journey.
Interesting to see some of the articles coming out of the UK around Steve Ballmer's visit there. Lots of articles on his 'windows cloud' presentation. As I've said lots of times, watch out for much more coming out of what is expected to be the most significant PDC (professional Developers Conference) in many years, if not ever..
And of course the secret is out Steve will be here in Sydney in November - expect more then as well. And a tease on one of the SteveB events is here.
As you know Microsoft is always looking at ways of improving things for our Partners. We ask that you please take a few minutes out of your busy day to let us know, what the top 5 things you go to the Partner Portal to do are? i.e. look for information on competencies, look for training, look for marketing materials etc.
Also, please let us know what your main concerns surrounding the Partner Portal are.
With your help and input we aim to improve the Portal experience for all our Partners.
Please email Portalhelp to send your feedback.
See Mike Gannotti's blog:
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Earlier this week I had the pleasure of co-presenting Enterprise Web 2.0 to some great folks down in Ft Lauderdale, FL as a part of the Microsoft Connections events there. During the presentation, as well as in after event conversation over a few brews at a local Champs, one of the hot topics of discussion was the Podcasting Kit for SharePoint. With many organizations looking to tap in to the collective knowledge of their workforce, lower training costs, and looking to facilitate easier knowledge capture, the Podcasting Kit for SharePoint was a very attractive solution that we demonstrated. Podcasting Kit for SharePoint facilitates easy content contribution, rich tagging/rating/commentary of content, the ability to attach important ancillary content, provides rich media web viewing of the content (Like a ‘YouTube” for the Enterprise), individual downloads, subscriptions, rich search of content, and much more. Best of all if you already own SharePoint you have already paid the cost of requirements software wise as it is a Codeplex release. Given the many existing demands around corporate communications, marketing, tacit knowledge capture and re-use, as well as training it is easy to see why the audience at the event got excited about the solution. The one question though on everyone's mind was when will the first major release be (as it was still in pre-production release form)? Well I am happy to say that the time is NOW! 
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More....
Not a great time for Australians, but you can see the recorded version when complete... I know this is an important topic to many partners and of course is a great business opportunity. This is part of the Live Academy series...
Presented by: Mark Aggar, Josh Henretig and Francois Ajenstat
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
8:00-9:00am Pacific Time (US & Canada) (GMT-07:00)
PLC Registration Link
Live Meeting Link
Level: 100
Partner Type: Enterprise Software Advisor, Independent Software Vendor, Large Account Reseller, Managed (Field Managed Service Partner), Regional Solution Partner, System Builder, Systems Integrator, Value Added Provider
Partner Role: Exec/Owner, Implementer, Sales, Support
While the lower costs and environmental benefits associated with “Green IT” have long been proven, power consumption by the world's data centers has doubled since 2000 and continues to grow. What's more, this doesn't consider the footprint of technology outside the data center. IT can play a significant role in rethinking business practices and dramatically lowering the impact that we can all have on the environment. How is Microsoft helping customers reduce energy consumption while increasing the utilization of existing infrastructure? This session will focus on the imperatives for Sustainable IT; how IT can reduce the environmental impact of computing, tools that can simplify your deployment efforts and how IT innovation and technology can help accelerate business solutions to address broader environmental issues
These have been very popular so please register quickly if you'd like a place:
Volume Licensing Boot Camps – Last Chance to Register
Want to build your licensing capabilities and strengthen your understanding of new technologies?
Ingram Micro and Microsoft would like to invite you to attend the first in a new series of Volume Licensing Boot Camps. This series of Boot Camps will help build your licensing capabilities in the areas of Open License, Open Value, and strengthen your understanding of Software Assurance, Software Asset Management and Virtualisation. Boot Camps will be run on a quarterly basis with new sessions available each time, and fantastic prizes to be won.
The remaining October sessions are:
PERTH
7 Oct 2008: 8:30AM to 11:00AM AWST
MELBOURNE
8 Oct 2008: 8:30AM to 11:00AM AEST
BRISBANE
9 Oct 2008: 8:30AM to 11:00AM AEST
LiveMeeting (Internet: Webinar)
05 Nov 2008: 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM AEDT
For further details about the agenda, locations, and to register your attendance, please click here.
Be sure to pass this invitation to other interested parties and peers.
For more Microsoft training, click here
For more information on Volume Licensing, click here
The latest version of Virtual Earth (6.2) has now been released. News of the updates can be found at Chris Pendleton’s Microsoft blog.
Virtual Earth Map Control 6.2 includes new geocoding and parsing improvements, plus other features including:
- Pushpin clustering.
- Expanded number of rooftop geocodes.
- New near-matching capabilities.
- New landmark hints in routing for such things as gas stations and fast-food restaurants, called out by name (US and Canada only).
- New imagery metadata. Users can now find out the relative age of a given image.
- New functionality to hide base layer tiles. Developers reportedly now have more granular control to hide the Virtual Earth base map tiles for those applications in which they choose to use their own imagery or overlays
- Weather integration with near real-time local weather and cloud formations.
To check out these features yourself please visit http://maps.live.com/?mkt=en-us
Mel Barlow, Microsoft Australia’s SMB Public Sector Director, talks about the Local Government Networking Nights, which will be held during this September and October.
They’re an excellent way for you to find out how you can boost your profits in this sector, which is ripe for growth and ready to boom. If you’re a Certified, Gold Partner or a Small Business Specialist, then register now to attend this exclusive networking event and discover how you can present a flawless business case for the Citizen Service Platform. Come along and discover why we’re so excited about the potential of this market and how it can increase your sales and licensing revenue in the year ahead.
Click here for more information and registration >
Agenda:
- Registration
- Welcome and overview
- Evidence: hear the Partner point of view on selling into local government
- Out in the market place: discover customer opportunities and how best to engage with Microsoft regarding the Citizen Service Platform
- Networking opportunity: share ideas with industry colleagues, Partners and key Microsoft personnel
Hurry – seats are filling fast! Make sure you register today to secure your spot at this complimentary event.
PDC (Professional Developers Conference) is going be a milestone event this time - cloud OS, Windows & etc. Our ISV blog just summarised the key points to look forward to:
http://blogs.msdn.com/msftisvs/archive/2008/09/25/new-pdc-announcements.aspx
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The PDC team just made a few new announcements on the PDC web site that we thought would interest you:
This year, Ray Ozzie will lay out Microsoft’s vision for cloud computing and building applications that seamlessly bridge the gaps between PC, Web and mobile devices. "
More...
For all partners who manage customers' infrastructure, and many others, please make sure you are fully aware of the actions needed relating to daylight savings changes. Here is some useful information for you :
What is the impact of Daylight Savings changes?
Effects can range from the incorrect time display on the clock, to calendaring problems, to financial and reputation loss if business critical services fail.
The 5th of October commences the second window of time zone harmonisation for this year, however, we expect a greater impact in October as the change is 21 days difference, whereas the adjustment earlier in the year was only 7 days.
What is affected?
- All Microsoft Windows PC, server and mobile devices in the affected time zones must be updated to ensure accuracy of internal time zone tables and correct operation of the system clock.
- Microsoft Office Outlook calendars may need to be adjusted. Client and Server-based tools are available to automate this service.
- Microsoft, third party and custom applications which schedule events at future dates should be reviewed to ensure they will operate correctly during the extended daylight saving period. Previously scheduled events may also need to be adjusted.
- Microsoft recommends that all PC and server systems are updated regardless of location to ensure consistency of operation.
What do I need to do?
Thorough planning and testing for these changes is critical to ensure the change results in minimal user impact, so to help customers prepare Microsoft has developed the Australia 2008 Daylight Saving Planning document which details the nature and impact of the DST changes, along with planning guidance to avoid user impact.
What if the systems have been previously patched?
Where servers, workstations and mobile devices have been added to the infrastructure, organisations will need to audit their environment to ensure all systems are patched according to the organisation’s Daylight Savings Plan.
Where the environment does not have a consistent Daylight Savings Time (DST) patch level, appointments may have been created with a mix of correct and incorrect DST transition dates. Furthermore, Microsoft recommends customers & partners update all systems to ensure consistency of operation, even if none of your systems are in the affected time zones.
Planning for Daylight Savings changes
Microsoft has revised the Australia 2008 Daylight Saving Planning Guide with learnings from the April transition and additional considerations for the October transition. Download the guide and update your daylight savings plan.
Support Options:
In the next few weeks you may receive a request to complete an online survey about your levels of satisfaction with Microsoft.
Success for Microsoft is to have you say you are ‘very satisfied’ rather than ‘somewhat dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ – this is in line with the general practice of customer and partner satisfaction surveys.
How can you help?
I’d like to ask for a few minutes of your time to complete the survey and provide us with your feedback if you do receive an invitation.
This survey is truly one of the most important ways in which we receive your feedback, and it drives changes in the way we work with you. Unless you see value in our relationship, and are satisfied with Microsoft’s engagement, we cannot be confident of the long term growth of our business and of course of the health of the partner ecosystem that is so important to us.
What’s in it for you?
As well as asking for your feedback, I’d like to provide you with some insights from the feedback we received last October and summarise our plans to improve as a direct result of that feedback.
What has Microsoft changed as a result of the feedback from our Registered Partner base?
When we summarise your feedback we see the following priority areas you would like us to improve on together with our committed actions
| Area of Improvement | Description | Action Plan |
| Programs | Partner Program benefits, technical training feedback, portal, communications – you’d like more clarity, other options, easier ways to understand what there is available. | In March we launched an on-boarding program for new partners and this month we have launched a benefits program. Have a look top left on the Partner Home Page to learn about online technical communities |
| Internal Use Software | Vista Ultimate not being supplied as part of your Action Pack | Vista Ultimate has been supplied. |
| Piracy | Misuse of Action Pack subscriptions – customers purchasing | We have instigated a technical exam that needs to be undertaken prior to a partner being able to order an Action Pack subscription. |
| Microsoft Cares | Responsiveness – especially to email communication - with our Partner Hotline. | We have put more focus on this and the email responsiveness is now quicker – within 24 hours. |
| Licensing | Helping you with product licensing complexity. It is challenging for non-reselling (and some reselling) partners to understand our licensing models. | · Licensing bootcamps are available now and throughout 2009 to demystify volume licensing. Book your place here. · We will continue to work with our global teams on simplifying the licensing programs so you can more easily service your customers with Microsoft software. |
Your feedback really helps us shape our actions and priorities – and we are determined to improve in the areas you tell us we need to. So thank you for your participation in our survey, and please remember – you can always provide feedback to me via this blog (see the contact button). In addition, our Partner Hotline is available via 13 20 58 Option 4 or via sppartner@microsoft.com.
We are just launching a new awareness campaign for some of the top MSPP (Microsoft Partner Program) benefits for partners. First cab off the rank: Online Technical Communities.
Share ideas and get help from other Partners
When it comes to resolving specific issues for your customers, don’t forget to make use of Microsoft’s Online Technical Communities.
These handy, online communities can connect you to other Microsoft Partners – and can help you:
- Get answers to specific questions – as you can join technical communities based on Partner type, or business or product interest.
- Enjoy the confidence that your information is safe and secure – Microsoft support professionals monitor each community and respond to all posted questions and inquiries.*
- Connect with customers and Partners – by sharing ideas, discussing issues, or finding resolutions to common problems.
- Quickly find reliable, accurate advice – when you connect to Microsoft Online Technical Communities, you know you are engaging with quality professionals who can provide detailed, expert advice on a range of areas and issues.
So if you’re not already using this fantastic (and complimentary) resource, make sure you check it out. Go there now >
Or download the battlecard PDF here.
Also you may want to watch Swavley & Associates on Partner TV talk about this benefit:
