Microsoft Kicks Off Worldwide Partner Conference
The centerpiece of Microsoft's partner year,
the Worldwide Partner
Conference, gets underway today with a kickoff keynote by CEO Steve
Ballmer.
With the official name "Velocity," the conference has the theme "driving
your business forward fast and profitably." Sub-themes include
positioning the Microsoft platform and your solutions to targeted
customer needs; learning about Microsoft's technology plans and
competitive strengths; and successful business models tailored to
specific businesses.
According to Microsoft, more than 7,000 partners from 50 countries are
attending the four-day conference in Boston. Attendees will have more
than 160 sessions to pick from among seven tracks -- distributor,
enterprise, ISV, Microsoft Business Solutions, mid-market, small
business and OEM/system builder.
Each of the first three days has a theme. Today's is the 2007 Office
System and Windows Vista. Aside from Ballmer and Allison Watson, the
corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group, keynote
speakers on Tuesday will focus on partner opportunities in the launches
of Windows Vista and the Microsoft Office 2007 system. Mike Sievert,
corporate vice president of Windows Client Marketing will talk about
Vista and Chris Capossela, corporate vice president for the Information
Worker Product Management Group will discuss Office 2007.
The theme Wednesday is "business applications, platforms, server, and
tools." Keynote speakers are Andy Lees, corporate vice president for
Server and Tools Marketing; Sanjay Parthasarathy, corporate vice
president for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Group; and Satya
Nadella, corporate vice president for Microsoft Business Solutions, who
will outline opportunities and strategies in the Dynamics business
applications area.
On Thursday, the keynotes will focus on segment strategies and
opportunities in the Microsoft roadmap. Watson; Simon Witts, corporate
vice president for the Enterprise and Partner Group; and Rick Devenuti,
senior vice president for Microsoft Services & IT, will issue specific
calls-to-action for partners. In the closing keynote, partners will hear
from COO Kevin Turner, who recently acquired management of much of the
partner organization when the Small and Midsize Solutions and Partners
group was shifted into his organization.
Keep checking back on our new blog. Anne Stuart, Lee Pender and I will
be here in Boston all week to bring you updates from the show. After the
conference, we'll keep working to make this blog a premiere source for
timely independent news and information for Microsoft partners.
Posted by Scott Bekker on July 11, 2006