Welcome to this week’s issue of the US Partner News Online! Each week, we’ll bring you the latest news and information for Microsoft partners. You can read previous weeks’ issues at http://aka.ms/uspnewsletter. If you’d like to see the next post in your email inbox, go to http://aka.ms/uspblog and enter your email address under “Subscribe and follow” on the right hand side.
To stay in touch with me and connect with other partners and Microsoft sales, marketing, and product experts, join our US Partner Community on Yammer and choose how you want to stay informed.
Top stories
Guidance for the MPN Changes That Take Effect on Monday, February 24
Review and download the presentations from our MPN 101 group on Yammer that contain specific partner guidance for the changes to MPN that will take effect on Monday, February 24. Request your invitation to join the Yammer network for US partners.
- Summary of Changes
- Action Pack Subscription Changes
- Cloud Programs and Cloud Integration (there is also a downloadable Online Services Internal Use Rights Transition Guide).
- Competency Changes
- Prepare Your Renewal
- You can also download the comprehensive deck here.
March 4: Microsoft Virtual Federal Forum
Register for the Microsoft Virtual Federal Forum, streaming live from the Reagan Center in Washington, DC. The event, Real Impact for a Lean and Modern Federal Government, will give you an opportunity to hear from Microsoft executives, product solution leaders, Federal sales teams, and more. On Twitter, follow the conversation at #LeanGov.
44 Days (and Counting) Until Support for Windows XP Ends on April 8
It's just a few short weeks until the end of support for Windows XP. It's time to help customers move to a modern experience. Get answers to frequently asked questions and links to resources for migrating to Windows 8 or Windows 7 and information about the Microsoft device buyback program.
- Office 2003 support also ends on April 8. Use the Get Modern campaign from Ready-to-Go Marketing and Countdown2Modern page to find sales, marketing, and technical content.
- Exchange Server 2003 support also ends on April 8. Technical guidance for upgrading to a supported version is on TechNet. Exchange Online may be an option for many customers—use the materials in the Exchange campaign from Ready-to-Go Marketing to help them understand this option.
Optimizing Your Business Model for the Cloud
In this blog post by Josh Waldo, Senior Director for Cloud Partner Strategy worldwide, learn why cloud-oriented partners are experiencing more profits and faster growth than partner companies that remain in more traditional business models, and what decisions and investments your business should make today to capitalize on cloud opportunities.
Streamlining Charity Pricing
Charity pricing is a great benefit we offer for our customers, and that partners can offer to their customers. It can allow for software licenses to be purchased at a discounted price to qualified charitable organizations whose mission is to benefit their local communities. Based on feedback from partners, we have streamlined the process for partners to offer charity pricing to customers.
WPC 2014 Updates: Awards, Content, Sponsorship, and More
- Nominate your company for a Partner of the Year award in one or more of many available categories that cover application development, cloud, competency, citizenship, public sector, and sales excellence.
- Find out about the plans for the Leadership Track, one of five tracks in our streamlined approach to conference sessions that will focus on helping you be more profitable.
- Build your partner to partner connections as a WPC 2014 Sponsor and Exhibitor. Showcase your solutions in front of more than 14,000 of the best and most committed partners in the Microsoft ecosystem. Exhibiting at WPC 2014 is a great way promote your business and build strategic alliances with the right Microsoft partners.
- Activities for US partners at WPC 2014 include the US Partner Celebration on Tuesday, July 15. Last year, we loved hosting our partners at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. This year’s venue is just as amazing. We’ll reveal the location soon—stay tuned for our next WPC US blog post.
Drive Microsoft Office 365 Trials with Ready-to-Go Marketing Syndication
Position your business as a leader in the cloud solutions market. Ready-to-Go Marketing’s web syndication tools let your customers preview your Office 365 solution through a trial experience.
Ready-to-Go Marketing Resources Help Your Customers Get to Modern Versions of Windows and Office
Windows XP and Office 2003 support is ending. Talk to your customers about the importance of software upgrades with sales and marketing resources from the Ready-to-Go Marketing Get Modern campaign.
No Time to Organize and Deliver an Event? Try the Direct from Microsoft Events Service
Direct from Microsoft Events has everything you need for event planning and delivery, including customizable registration pages, reminders, and content for in-person or online events.
Build a Marketing Program to Nurture Customers with the Microsoft Dynamics Partner Outsource Model
Are you a Microsoft partner short on time, marketing headcount, or would simply prefer to focus your staff on other facets of your business? The Microsoft Dynamics Partner Outsource Model (OSM) can help! The OSM nurture marketing program takes 30–60 minutes to set up and less than an hour per month to maintain.
Microsoft Dynamics Partners: Marketing Services Bureau Special Offers
Accelerate your marketing with offers from the Marketing Services Bureau (MSB). Whether you need a customer list, consulting services, social media solutions, or want to implement an end-to-end marketing campaign, our list of MSB vendors can help. Information about MSB and special offers are on the PartnerSource web site, and sign in is required to access.
Are your customers interested in learning how to grow their business? Microsoft is offering a kit that includes the Focus Research white paper, Is your Business Ready for ERP, customer case studies, and details about cloud versus on-premises deployments. Encourage your customers to download the kit today.
Resources
February 27 Partner-to-Partner YamJam: Learn About New Relic’s Windows Azure App
In our monthly YamJams, we are inviting Windows Azure ISVs to share information about their Azure-powered apps as a way to help you discover new solutions for your customers and identify new partnership opportunities. Join us on Yammer to meet Sylvia Vu, Kempton Izuno, and Maya Newhagen from New Relic. They will “Yam” about New Relic's all-in-one web application performance tool that lets you see performance for the end user experience, through servers, and down to the line of app code.
Build Your Partner to Partner Connections as a WPC 2014 Sponsor and Exhibitor
Showcase your solutions in front of more than 14,000 of the best and most committed partners in the Microsoft ecosystem. Exhibiting at WPC 2014 is a great way promote your business and build strategic alliances with the right Microsoft partners.
DigitalStride: Skyrocket Your Business with Digital Marketing
Acquire new customers at a lower cost of sales with this new paid service for MPN members. Take your digital marketing to the next level with DigitalStride: Skyrocket Your Business with Digital Marketing, a set of offerings to assess your digital IQ, make proven recommendations, and provide a competitive score for continuous improvement.
SMB Advantage: Cloud Easy Offer Extended Through February 28
With the SMB Advantage: Cloud Easy Offer, customers earn subsidy funds on Office 365 sales through Advisor, to pay for future purchases of Microsoft products and associated services from you. Encourage your customers to purchase Office 365 now and redeem within 30 days of purchase. Offer ends February 28. Terms and conditions.
Engage with Microsoft and Other Partners on the US Partner Community Yammer Network
Join the conversation on Yammer in groups like MPN 101, SMB Partner Center, Cloud Partner, Device Guy, Lync Partners, and more. Request your invitation for the network.
Training and Certification
Stay informed about training opportunities that align to your business, role, and Microsoft Partner Network membership.
March Hot Sheet: Find and Register for Upcoming Training and Partner Calls
The Hot Sheet is a frequently updated schedule of live virtual and in-person training and informational calls that are coming in the next few weeks. Subscribe to the US Partner Learning blog to receive the Hot Sheet as soon as it's published each month.
Microsoft Dynamics Training Schedule for 2014
Take advantage of virtual and in-person opportunities for sales and technical training that will increase your product knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ERP solutions.
Virtual Data Center Immersion Training and Sweepstakes
Learn how to take the big, complicated, heterogeneous infrastructure of today and bring it forward into the new world of cloud with Microsoft System Center, Windows Server, and Windows Azure. You will be entered to win Dr. Dre Beats wireless speaker for each module assessment you complete and a Surface Pro 2 tablet when you complete all assessments.
Sweepstakes ends March 31. Open only to authorized representatives of companies enrolled in the Microsoft Partner Network with a valid MPN ID who are legal residents of the United States, age 18 and older. Limit 20 entries per person. Official rules.
Data Insights Immersion Training and Sweepstakes
Get hands-on experience with components of the Microsoft data platform, such as SQL Server relational databases, Windows Azure SQL Database, Azure HD Insight, and Microsoft Power BI tools within Excel. You will be entered to win Dr. Dre Beats wireless speaker for each module assessment you complete and a Surface Pro 2 tablet when you complete all assessments.
Sweepstakes ends March 31. Open only to authorized representatives of companies enrolled in the Microsoft Partner Network with a valid MPN ID who are legal residents of the United States, age 18 and older. Limit 20 entries per person. Official rules.
March 24–April 11: Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise Academy: Fast TrAX Consultant Training
This course provides an end to end training program to focus not only on helping new individuals prepare for certification and providing them an opportunity to learn from Certified Trainers with real world experience, Microsoft Support Organization and insights from R&D.
April 1–3 in Denver, Colorado: Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise Academy L200 Industry Foundational Trainings
Step 2 in your Microsoft Dynamics AX ramp up, attendees at this training get a deeper understanding of Manufacturing, Public Sector, Retail, and Services. Learn key features and processes necessary to provide customers with a robust experience that is specific to their industry-related needs. This training is the successor to Microsoft Dynamics AX Enterprise Academy/Fast TrAX Foundational attended class or the equivalent real world experience.
April 8–10 in Downers Grove, Illinois: Microsoft Dynamics ERP SMB Integrated Marketing and Sales Workshop
This workshop was rescheduled from January 7. This 2.5 day workshop is an immersive experience in building a marketing and sales approach for reaching and engaging customers in SMB markets. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the buying psychology motivating today’s prospective buyers, and how—by offering high-value prospective customer experiences and aligned sales engagement—they can accelerate sales results.
Calendar Through March 7
This list is a sampling of upcoming partner calls, training, and events. Refer to the March Hot Sheet for a comprehensive list for the next several weeks that's frequently updated.
Note that courses on the Partner Learning Center may not be accessible on February 22–23, as updates to support the February 24 MPN release are being made.
- February 24 – MPN Updates Go Live
- February 25 – Practice Accelerator for Office 365
- February 25 – Ignite Technical Training for Office 365: Updated Message Tracing
- February 25–26 in Cleveland, Ohio – Ahead of the Game Technical Series
- February 27 – Ignite Technical Training: Future Look at Exchange Server 2013 SP1
- February 27 - Cloud 1-2-3 for CRM Online: Climbing the Microsoft Cloud Knowledge Mountain
- February 27 in Irvine, California – Office 365: Drumbeat Sales and Presales Technical Training Day
- February 27 – Ask Me Anything on Reddit with Brad Anderson
- February 27 – Partner-to-Partner YamJam: Learn About New Relic’s Windows Azure App
- February 28 – SMB Advantage Cloud Easy Offer ends
- March 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada – Drumbeat Partner Sales and Presales Technical Training at SharePoint Conference 2014
- March 3–6 – Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2014
- March 3 – Practice Accelerator for Windows 8 and the Flexible Workstyle
- March 3 – Partner Event at Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2014
- March 3 in Raleigh, North Carolina – SMB Live: Expand Your Portfolio
- March 4 – Microsoft Virtual Federal Forum
- March 4–7 – Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2014
- March 4 – Partner Practice Enablement for Windows Azure: Introductions, Course Overview, and Infrastructure Services Introduction
- March 4 in Nashua, New Hampshire – SMB Live: Get in the Cloud
- March 4 in Portland, Oregon – SMB Live: Expand Your Portfolio
- March 5 in Farmington, Connecticut – SMB Live: Expand Your Portfolio
- March 6 – Ignite Technical Training: SharePoint and Office 365 Adoption
- March 6 in Chicago, Illinois – SMB Live: Get in the Cloud
- March 6 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – SMB Live: Expand Your Portfolio
- March 7 in Bloomington, Illinois – SMB Live: Expand Your Portfolio
Featured Video
Watch this short video about how Microsoft partner Nimbo helped a customer gain an additional $8M each year with Windows Azure BizTalk Services.
