In-Depth Features


Under Nadella, Microsoft Dynamics Steps Out of the Shadows

The Microsoft business application suite has a new lease on life -- with major investments via 2015 acquisitions, important new cloud components, new management and new partnerships with former rivals.

Does the Cloud Doom Microsoft MSPs?

The shift to cloud services presents huge challenges to managed services providers (MSPs). Industry experts say the successful MSP of the near future looks very different from the successful MSP of the recent past.

RCP Editor's Choice Awards: Top Products for Microsoft Partners

In this first of-its-kind award list for the magazine, Redmond Channel Partner's editors pick the hottest, most interesting, most game-changing technologies and programs for the Microsoft channel in the last year.

Microsoft Resources for Partners: An Illustrated Guide

For cloud-bound partners, navigating Microsoft's various resources can be a time-consuming task. Here are some handy maps to help you figure out where to go for what you need.

What's the Deal with Microsoft's Mobile Strategy?

What mobile-first means now to Redmond in a (mostly) post-Windows Phone era.

Top Microsoft Business Apps for iPhone and Android

While no one was looking, Microsoft assembled a surprisingly large library of major business and productivity apps for iOS and Android. Here are the best ones for partners.

Gallery: Windows 10 Takes Spotlight at CES 2016

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Last year's CES event showcased mostly Windows 8.x devices that could be upgraded to Windows 10. This year, Microsoft's hardware partners were all-in on the new OS.

2015 IT Landscape Review: Tech Giants Undergo Major Shifts

From the Dell-EMC deal to the dawn of the Windows-as-a-Service era, the IT industry saw several significant changes in 2015. Here's a snapshot of the biggest milestones of the past year, and what they mean for the channel.

For Microsoft Partners, What Are the Paths to Encryption?

Demand has never been higher for ways to protect data from prying eyes. Solutions abound for partners looking to encrypt their customers' data in Microsoft environments.

2015 Security Review: Top Hacks, Breaches and Cyber Scams

The stakes were high in security this year with attacks designed not only to steal credit-card numbers but also to shame, spy on or extort their victims.

Why Doesn't Anyone Talk About Microsoft Consulting Services?

For years, there's been conflict between MCS and Microsoft's closest enterprise partners -- sometimes boiling, sometimes just steaming. It's time for Microsoft to start communicating honestly and openly with partners about the role, and compensation model, of MCS.

2015 RCP Rocket Award Winners: Risk-Takers Rise to the Top

For the third straight year, Redmond Channel Partner magazine and Revenue Rocket Consulting Group spotlight three companies that exemplify sustainable growth strategies for the 2015 RCP Rocket Awards.

Q&A with Microsoft's John Case: All About the CSP

Microsoft's top Office executive and a key player in the development of the Cloud Solution Provider program talks to us about what the CSP means for partners.

Microsoft's CSP Ecosystem: A Guide to the Players

Microsoft's Cloud Solution Provider program opens up a whole new world for partners. Here's a guide to the categories of partners, vendors and tools that are emerging to seize the CSP opportunity. 

Should You Be a Microsoft CSP? 20 Points To Consider

Here are the most essential factors Microsoft partners should think about before jumping on Microsoft's new Cloud Solution Provider bandwagon.

Microsoft Q&A: Defining Lanes for Partners, OBC and MCS

WEB EXCLUSIVE: The Microsoft Onboarding Center (OBC) has been controversial with partners since it was unveiled as a way to help customers migrate mailboxes to Office 365. The current iteration goes further, with Microsoft employees migrating data and branching out to other products. A Q&A with senior Microsoft exec John Case.

Microsoft Makes a Stronger Case for Azure

For as long as Redmond has offered Microsoft Azure, it's been available to partners. At the beginning of this fiscal year, though, the company started a much more concerted push to bring more of the channel along. Is there enough incentive, especially on the SMB side, for it to make sense for partners?

Is It Time for Microsoft To Open Source Windows?

Microsoft is already shaking up the Windows ecosystem with its new delivery model for Windows 10. Is it time for Microsoft to take another step and do the once unthinkable -- make Windows open source? We look at the perks, pitfalls and complications that would be involved if Windows were to go open source.

Windows 10 Hardware: More of the Same, but This Time That's OK

Microsoft's OEM partners have a lot of systems ready to go for Windows 10, because they're pretty much the same PCs they've honed or Windows 8.1. 

Microsoft's 'Most Competent' Partners of 2015

Which Microsoft partners have racked up the most competencies in 2015? We scour the Pinpoint partner directory to find out.