Features

Finding a Virtual Solution in Its Own Backyard

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Web hosting specialist and Microsoft shop MaximumASP went looking for a virtualization solution. After evaluating the field, the Gold Certified Partner ended up sticking with Microsoft for a new virtual hosting business.

Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference: The RCP Track

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Redmond Channel Partner magazine identifies 13 must-see sessions at the upcoming Microsoft WPC in New Orleans.

Tech-Ed Preview: Building Out the Ecosystem

Fri, 01 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

ISVs provide the critical tools and applications that complete Microsoft solutions. Microsoft Tech-Ed is traditionally where many of those vendors announce their next products.

Windows Mobile's New Moves

Fri, 01 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Facing strong competition from Apple and Google, Microsoft looks to re-tool Windows Mobile for the enterprise market.

Putting the Right Brand on Hosted Messaging

Fri, 01 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

With a new Ready to Go Campaign, Microsoft aims to help hosters and VARs sell full-featured e-mail services to small businesses. It's an appealing opportunity, but trust remains an issue.

Shaping a New Identity

Fri, 01 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

How the recession is forcing partners to reinvent themselves and is changing the structure of the Microsoft ecosystem.

Lean and Green

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT

The economy may be bad, but green is still good -- for everyone in the extended Microsoft ecosystem.

Product Roundup: It's Virtually Easy Being Green

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT

A roundup of green alternatives in the virtualization space.

Anatomy of a Merger

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Credit markets are frozen. Venture capital is in hibernation. The overall M&A market is falling off a cliff. Yet, in the worst economic quarter in decades, two midsize Microsoft partner firms in the Twin Cities area consummated a deal. How did it happen?

RCP Platinum Partner Program

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Find out which third-party programs your peers say sell better together with Microsoft solutions.

Web 2.0 Series: Web Wise

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

The best business Web sites are more than online billboards -- they're powerful sales tools. Here's how some Microsoft partners are using their public sites to attract new customers and better serve their existing ones.

Here's What You Think

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

RCP readers weigh in on our annual survey about the Microsoft Partner Program, the IT industry, SaaS and the economy.

Making Sense of the Dynamics Business

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Is Microsoft's Dynamics business holding strong or dropping fast? For partners and industry experts alike, that question is especially tricky to answer these days.

Piecing Together Your Virtualization Model

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Rapid growth in virtual technology means partners with the right business plan can reap serious profits.

SaaS: S+S Gets Private-Label Option

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Joint Microsoft-HP program gives partners the option to put forward their own brand and control customer billing.

Channeling Power: Women Band Together in the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

By banding together, women IT executives hope to drive new opportunities for themselves, the next generation-and the entire partner community.

Oracle Expands SMB Reseller Program

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Additional products become available for 1,000 resellers in Oracle's VAD Remarketer Program.

Windows Mobile: Call Waiting?

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Developers ask if Windows Mobile is on hold.

Peeking into an Underground Economy

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

New research sheds light on how bank-account credentials, credit-card numbers and other illicit goods are sold in a paranoid online black market.

Robobak Speeds Its Exchange Backup Capabilities

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Channel-focused company looking for resellers for its MSP and branch office-focused solution.

Marching Orders 2009

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Thanks to the downturn, plenty of partners are entering the New Year wondering which way to go. In our third annual Marching Orders feature, RCP's experts offer advice to point you in the right direction.

A Tale of Two Partners

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

The collaboration between two Cincinnati partners brought them honors from Microsoft -- and a bumper crop of opportunities.

How Will Barack Obama Change the Channel?

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Barack Obama is set to become the 44th president of the United States. How should partners position themselves for the new administration's IT spending priorities?

Endangered, Not Extinct: Survival Tips for Partners in These Tough Economic Times

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Even with the current threats to easy credit, Microsoft partners have resources to draw upon in the tough economic times ahead.

Is It Time to Take Another Look at Symantec?

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

The Veritas acquisition caused some problems, but close partners say the security giant is back on its game.

Landing New Business: S+S Incubation Centers Gives ISVs a First Step

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Microsoft's Software plus Services Incubation Centers can help ISVs hook into SaaS opportunities by pairing them with experienced hosters.

The SharePoint Upgrade Trap

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

SharePoint 2007 migrations are simple enough, but beware of hidden dangers. Here's a look at some of the more common upgrade and migration problems.

Pointing Prospects to Partners

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Microsoft is testing a new online partner directory called Pinpoint. Partners like its looks so far, but are waiting to see how it performs in the one area that counts: generating leads.

Windows Gurus: May We Help You?

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Microsoft has come up with a toolkit consisting of Windows Gurus and Windows store-within-a-store kiosks at major retail stores to boost the image of Windows Vista. Will the effort be enough?

Answering the Call

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Office Communications Server 2007 R2 can help bridge the traditional gap between IT and telephony while offering rich new opportunities for partners from both camps.

How to Leverage LARs Instead of Losing to Them

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

A large account reseller can be your best friend or your biggest headache. Here's how to leverage the many benefits of working with these elite Microsoft partners while avoiding the very real dangers.

Essential Business Server: Best Practices in a Box

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

While many partners eagerly await the debut of the solution formerly known as "Centro," some grumble that Microsoft's midmarket server bundle leaves them with too few third-party options.

The Microsoft Partner Program Turns 5

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

In an exclusive interview, Allison Watson opens up about the highs, the lows, the challenges and the future of the Microsoft Partner Program.

S+S: From Possibilities to Specifics

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMT

In narrowing its Software plus Services talk into a real program, Microsoft had to go from dozens of promising options to one controversial reality. Many partners see opportunities in the program, but concerns abound.

The New SMB Curriculum

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Seeing big opportunities in small to midsize businesses (SMBs), major IT vendors have retooled their SMB channel programs and offerings to get that business. Here's a primer on emerging opportunities for partners to get a piece of the action.

Talkin’ ’Bout the Next Generation ... of Microsoft’s Partner Ecosystem

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Redmond recently unveiled plans to revise key aspects of the 5-year-old Microsoft Partner Program. Experts and partners weigh in on the likely impact of the coming changes.

Unlocking the Secrets of Microsoft's Calendar

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT

To many outside Redmond, the inner workings of the company's fiscal year are baffling at best. Our quarter-by-quarter guide removes some of the mystery -- and helps partners profit by doing the right thing at the right time.

Sailing into Software Plus Services

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Mitchell Cannady, president and CEO of Spinnaker Network Solutions, knew that selling Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online would change his company's course. He just had no idea how fast that would happen.

Microsoft in Transition

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT

These are turbulent times for the software giant. The company is grappling with upheaval in the industry, in its leadership and in the way it deals with its partners. But one thing hasn't changed: Redmond and the channel still need each other to succeed.