April 2006 - Posts - Mike Marshall's TS2 Rag

Sometimes I feel like Nicole Kidman...

There are times when it comes to Software Assurance I feel like Nicole Kidman... no.. seriously... I'm Nicole... and Microsoft is Tom Cruise over there... got a new girlfriend/future wife... new baby ...and where does that leave me? I'm the original one who believed in Software Assurance...bought into it... got the Koolaid from the initial day, got the two year, and then the three year... and now it looks like my SA reward for my three year period...the "upgrade" I'll get is the SBS 2003 R2 upgrade. I mean yeah I'm a patchaholic and all that.... and the green check in the daily email is very cool....but ..uh... um....kinda a Nicole moment here 'eh?

"SA is a hard sell"

It is isn't it?

True statement by a Var/Vap about Software assurance...that he had a hard time selling it...

In my industry I'm used to subscription models, but it's a guarantee that every year or month or quarter I'll get a new update (law changes and what not), as there were changes needed for that ..but not necessarily function changes. And support under this model was built in. But for other industries... where the upgrade story isn't as obvious, it's a tough sell...

But what if you are the "Katie" in this view of looking at Software Assurance... you know that if you buy OEM right now you get the R2 Technology upgrade program that guarantees you the green check. You know that if you buy OEM you are stuck with that software on that box, it CANNOT be moved to new hardware....but ... you know if you buy software assurance to add to that OEM within 90 days you "can" move that operating system off that box and get the 64 bit SBS upgrades in the next Longhorn cycle..which... looks somewhat reasonable to hit within the three year period.... and if you do go three years you get the one support call, the media sent to you (which, I'll admit, as the "Nicole" here.. is nice to have as I don't have to go digging up the media it comes to me). And there are even some monthly installment payment plans you can do these days. So from looking at Software assurance as a "Katie", it's something that looks reasonable.. ensures you WILL get on that 64 bit SBS platform. And all my AD guru guys says that AD and Exchange just has to go on the 64 bit to get that good stuff. 32 bit was a total drag on our boxes... on all boxes.

But there's another thing the "Katie's" have... one of the var/vaps the other day said that they actually were better able to sell a solution the other day with the "managed service"/Software assurance. The client really LIKED the proactive stance that the consultant gave because the SA gave them planned 'forward thinking'. This was a firm that "got IT" and knew it was a part of their strategic overall plans. As a "Katie" they totally got Software assurance was part of their strategic overall plans and goals for that firm. Interesting viewpoint isn't it.... especially as folks are moving to the "managed services" viewpoint. "Katie" wanted software assurance because she was mapping out her technology future and wanted to ensure that it included an investment in technology.

The fact is for me, the "Nicole" here is that I did get a good SA deal in the SBS 2000 era.. I got Live Communication Server (which I still argue they need to code up a SBS lite version of LCS, but I digress), so my disappointment of being "Nicole" in the R2 era is tempered with my gains in the past.

For those of you that have clients that are "Katie's", think about the forward looking view... that 64 bit coming down the road.... those that have managed services clients... something to think about isn't it ...to position that Software Assurance as an "investment"

But Microsoft... just make sure that in the future both the "Katie" and us "Nicole's" feel like we're treated well... you know what I mean?

So what about you? You find that it's easy to sell software assurance... or it's a hard sell?

Posted by mmars | 1 comment(s)

Thursday, April 20, 2006 9:10 AM

Empower the People in Your Organization!

Celebrate the people who are at the center of your customer business. Find out how our People-Ready campaign can help you benefit from Microsoft-based lead generation and reach beyond technology owners to organization-wide decision makers.

Empowering People for Business Success

Two of the most significant investments companies make are in people and in technology. To make the most of both investments, companies need to adopt technology that maps well to specific job roles — not just technology that’s cost-effective or that provides a broad-spectrum solution, but technology that supports people.

In support of this idea, and to help people and companies realize their potential, Microsoft has conducted more than two years of hands-on research on people performing specific roles within companies of various sizes and types. We’ve used what we’ve learned to create customer models built on roles. Models include specific tasks; the information needed; how, where, and when this information is needed; and the part a person in this role plays in the overall running of their company.

Engage with the People-Ready Campaign
How can you benefit by positioning your company with Microsoft on the frontline of this new opportunity? People-Ready can help you:

-Connect to potential new customers.
-Benefit from Microsoft-based lead generation.
-Broaden your customer conversations to include everyone from technology owners to organization-wide decision makers.

Three Steps to get People-Ready
1. Benefit from People-Ready leads: Enter your solutions in Partner Solution Profiler.
2. Take advantage of People-Ready partner resources.
3. Get tips and case studies on how to grow your business.

The People in People-Ready

CEO/President

Charlie
President and CEO

Charlie focuses on keeping the business viable by determining product and company direction. To do this, he works closely with Engineering, Sales, Finance, and Operations. He also depends on accurate information from his staff to understand how the company is doing.

Operations

Vince
Operations Manager

Vince ensures the timely and cost-effective delivery of products by managing the operations of several different departments. These include the Inventory, Engineering, Production, Plant Management, and Shipping and Receiving departments.

Sales and Marketing

Kevin
Sales Manager

Kevin is a Sales manager for a mid-sized company. He has been in the industry for 11 years and with his current company for 3 years. He is also the National Sales and Marketing Coordinator and is responsible for sales and marketing throughout the US.

Julia
Marketing Manager

Julia is responsible for the overall marketing strategy of the company. She monitors the effectiveness of marketing efforts and their success in the industry, and she builds and presents the business case to those who make the decisions.

IT

Tim
IT Manager

Tim is fairly knowledgeable in most aspects of IT. His personal interests include networks and programming, so he has some added expertise in these two areas.

Tim’s goals are to quickly deploy systems into production and make sure that they stay up at all times. He prefers having all his tools in one location. He also believes that GUI tools are easier to use and learn, and are much easier to pass along to less experienced IT staff.

Finance

Sara
CFO

Sara develops and refines the financial plans and goals for the company. She then constantly monitors performance against those goals. Others also rely on her to evaluate and assess the financial viability of opportunities within the company. In turn, she relies on the Controller and on the Accounting and Operations managers to provide her with the information she needs for business insight.

Ken
Controller

Ken is accountable for the financial processes of the company. The CEO and CFO expect him to understand the financial health of the company at any given time and rely on him to research specific strategic decisions and their impact on the bottom line. If the company implements any of those ideas, Ken is responsible for communicating and implementing any necessary changes to the processes.

HR

Claire
HR Manager

Claire is responsible for ensuring that the right people are hired for the company. She implements the policies, procedures, and programs to develop and retain the people that are hired. In addition, she oversees the administration of company policies such as employee compensation, benefits, termination, and retirement.

Posted by mmars | with no comments

Monday, April 10, 2006 11:26 AM

Learn About Competitive Migration Tools and Resources at a TS2 Event Near You!

Organizations that own Lotus Domino or Novell NetWare have reached a fork in the road in the future of their collaboration platform. Attend a TS2 event to learn about competitive tools and resources that can help you help your customers migrate to Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Click here for more info!

http://partners.ms-sst.com/ctrevents.aspx

Posted by mmars | with no comments

Thursday, April 06, 2006 12:37 PM

Engage with the Microsoft People-Ready Business Campaign!

Celebrate the people who are at the center of organizational productivity. Find out how our People-Ready campaign can help you benefit from Microsoft-based lead generation and broaden your customer conversations from technology owners to organization-wide decision makers.

Two of the most significant investments companies make are in people and in technology. To make the most of both investments, companies need to adopt technology that maps well to specific job roles — not just technology that’s cost-effective or that provides a broad-spectrum solution, but technology that supports people.

In support of this idea, and to help people and companies realize their potential, Microsoft has conducted more than two years of hands-on research on people performing specific roles within companies of various sizes and types. We’ve used what we’ve learned to create customer models built on roles. Models include specific tasks; the information needed; how, where, and when this information is needed; and the part a person in this role plays in the overall running of their company.

Engage with the People-Ready Campaign
How can you benefit by positioning your company with Microsoft on the frontline of this new opportunity? People-Ready can help you:

-Connect to potential new customers.
-Benefit from Microsoft-based lead generation.
-Broaden your customer conversations to include everyone from technology owners to organization-wide decision makers.

Three Steps to get People-Ready
1. Benefit from People-Ready leads: Enter your solutions in Partner Solution Profiler.
2. Take advantage of People-Ready partner resources.
3. Get tips and case studies on how to grow your business.

The People in People-Ready

CEO/President

Charlie
President and CEO

Charlie focuses on keeping the business viable by determining product and company direction. To do this, he works closely with Engineering, Sales, Finance, and Operations. He also depends on accurate information from his staff to understand how the company is doing.

Operations

Vince
Operations Manager

Vince ensures the timely and cost-effective delivery of products by managing the operations of several different departments. These include the Inventory, Engineering, Production, Plant Management, and Shipping and Receiving departments.

Sales and Marketing

Kevin
Sales Manager

Kevin is a Sales manager for a mid-sized company. He has been in the industry for 11 years and with his current company for 3 years. He is also the National Sales and Marketing Coordinator and is responsible for sales and marketing throughout the US.

Julia
Marketing Manager

Julia is responsible for the overall marketing strategy of the company. She monitors the effectiveness of marketing efforts and their success in the industry, and she builds and presents the business case to those who make the decisions.

IT

Tim
IT Manager

Tim is fairly knowledgeable in most aspects of IT. His personal interests include networks and programming, so he has some added expertise in these two areas.

Tim’s goals are to quickly deploy systems into production and make sure that they stay up at all times. He prefers having all his tools in one location. He also believes that GUI tools are easier to use and learn, and are much easier to pass along to less experienced IT staff.

Finance

Sara
CFO

Sara develops and refines the financial plans and goals for the company. She then constantly monitors performance against those goals. Others also rely on her to evaluate and assess the financial viability of opportunities within the company. In turn, she relies on the Controller and on the Accounting and Operations managers to provide her with the information she needs for business insight.

Ken
Controller

Ken is accountable for the financial processes of the company. The CEO and CFO expect him to understand the financial health of the company at any given time and rely on him to research specific strategic decisions and their impact on the bottom line. If the company implements any of those ideas, Ken is responsible for communicating and implementing any necessary changes to the processes.

HR

Claire
HR Manager

Claire is responsible for ensuring that the right people are hired for the company. She implements the policies, procedures, and programs to develop and retain the people that are hired. In addition, she oversees the administration of company policies such as employee compensation, benefits, termination, and retirement.

Posted by mmars | with no comments

Thursday, April 06, 2006 12:29 PM

Customers Seeking Microsoft Partners with Public Sector Experience!

Did you know Microsoft has a search tool on the Microsoft Public Sector site that helps customers find partners like you? By profiling your company's public sector expertise on Partner Solution Profiler, customers will be able to find you on the Public Sector product page.

Profile yourself at this link:

https://partner.microsoft.com/40020720

Posted by mmars | with no comments

Thursday, April 06, 2006 12:18 PM

Multiply Your Small Business Opportunities!

Join the Small Business Specialist Community and gain access to exclusive offers that can help you reach more small business customers. If you specialize in the design, deployment, and customization of small business solutions, discover the benefits of becoming a Small Business Specialist.

https://partner.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/40021525

	If you specialize in small business solutions using Microsoft technology, become a Small Business Specialist. You will be able to use the Small Business Specialist logo, increase your visibility in Microsoft partner directories, and gain access to specialized training and readiness opportunities that can help you grow your business.

Small Business Specialist Resources

	Take the Small Business Specialist training, exams, and assessment
	Learn more about the Microsoft Professional Accountants’ Network (MPAN)
	Review the Small Business Specialist Step-by-Step Enrollment Guide
	Learn more about benefits and requirements
	Access additional small business information
	Find resources for small business-oriented technologies
	Get small business insights from Harry Brelsford, expert columnist
	Find success stories that can help you market to your customers
	Discover small business weblogs
	Learn how becoming Small Business Specialists has helped partners be successful


What are the benefits?
	Small Business Specialist Logo Use the Small Business Specialist logo to market to customers. Small Business Training Receive specialized training and readiness opportunities. Marketing Promotions Obtain opportunities to highlight your expertise through sales and marketing promotions. Small Business Specialist Listing Gain increased visibility to customers as a Small Business Specialist in the Microsoft Resource Directory and in the Small Business Partner Finder. Partner Points Earn 25 Partner Points, which will be available in your partner program account in early 2006. Note: Your account will display one placeholder point upon enrolling as a Small Business Specialist. The Small Business Specialist points will be awarded in the “Additional Competency & Designations” category. This category has a maximum of 25 Qualifying Partner Points. Small Business Specialist points will only apply to program-level promotions after January 2006.

What do I need to do?
	Follow these easy steps to become a Small Business Specialist. Step One: Enroll in the Microsoft Partner Program (if you aren’t yet a partner). Step Two: Pass one of two technical exams. View exam details and training resources that can help you prepare. Save 20 to 30 percent on Exams. Step Three: Pass the Small Business Sales and Marketing Assessment. Note: you must turn off your pop-up blocker in order to take the assessment. Step Four (for Registered Members only): Subscribe to the Microsoft Action Pack or Microsoft Empower for ISVs.