Microsoft has re-released Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 to OEMs. Quality control problems with the version originally released to OEMs in July caused Microsoft to recall the original code a month ago. The version sent to OEMs at the time contained non-final versions of a few core components. Originally, the product was expected to be available in August. The recall and re-release mean availability to system builders and availability pre-installed on server hardware from Dell and HP will now occur in September. Meanwhile, the company launched a new partner program for SBS 2003 R2, called "Assess & Win." Partners who conduct and submit five customer business assessments using the Technology Assessment Toolkit will receive a free, resaleable copy of SBS 2003 R2 Standard Edition.
Posted by Scott Bekker on August 31, 20060 comments
Microsoft on Thursday announced a new process designed to make it easier for ISVs to redistribute Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2. The redistribution agreement for Virtual Server 2005 R2 can now be completed on Microsoft's Web site. Microsoft is hoping to encourage ISVs to bundle Virtual Server and benefit from the ease with which the partners' customers can then test their applications in a virtual environment. Early adopters of Virtual Server redistribution include Portlock and VMLogix. Virtual PC 2004 also includes redistribution rights as part of its licensing agreement. Microsoft has committed to the same approach with Virtual PC 2007, expected to enter beta later this calendar year. Information on the Virtual Server 2005 R2 redistribution license is available
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Posted by Scott Bekker on August 31, 20060 comments
One of the most interesting areas of technological development in Windows Server "Longhorn" is Terminal Services. New features include Remote Programs, Gateway and Web Access. If you're in the business of providing remote access for clients and want to find out more about what's coming in Longhorn's Terminal Services, Microsoft posted an information page this month
here
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Posted by Scott Bekker on August 31, 20060 comments
I've never been impressed with the
Microsoft Partner Program Web site
. It's one of those sites that gives you the feeling that you're missing out on resources that you're entitled to just because the site is so poorly organized. Never a good thing.
Here's my latest gripe with the site. I'm testing Windows Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 2, which I like very much. I tried to follow a link for a new OEM System Builder blog, and I got this warning message:
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Posted by Scott Bekker on July 19, 20063 comments
Simon Witts gave enterprise partners their marching orders at the Worldwide Partner Conference, "Go and sell the enterprise versions of our products."
Witts, the vice president for the Enterprise and Partner Group, wants partners to focus on three upcoming enterprise editions: Windows Vista Enterprise, Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 and the Enterprise CAL Suite. "I think this is a game change," Witts said of the opportunity with the enterprise editions.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on July 17, 20060 comments
I got a chance to talk to Robert Deshaies, the new vice president for the U.S. Partner Group, at the Worldwide Partner Conference last week. We'll run the full transcript of the interview in an upcoming issue, but I thought I'd share a couple of notes now.
The partner conference was really Deshaies' start in the job that Margo Day held for five years. He says he hasn't thought too much about what he'll do in the partner group yet, because he was busy wrapping things up in his old job as regional vice president for the East Region Small and Mid-Market Solutions and Partners organization. His plan is to spend the first 90 days immersing himself in the new job before he starts putting his stamp on things, which sounds smart to me.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on July 17, 20060 comments
Microsoft COO Kevin Turner is a critical executive to partners. Recently, Allison Watson's Worldwide Partner Group moved into his chain of command, following a similar shift for Simon Witts' Enterprise and Partner Group earlier in the year. Turner delivered the closing keynote at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference: Velocity 2006, giving a lot of partners their first glimpse of the former Wal-Mart executive.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on July 17, 20060 comments
Ben Romano did a really nice
profile of Allison Watson
in
The Seattle Times
. I swear I'm not just plugging the story because Ben quoted me. I found out some things I didn't know about Microsoft's channel chief.
Posted by Scott Bekker on July 17, 20060 comments
One of the things Microsoft promised partners for its Worldwide Partner Conference this week was a little more clarity on how the Live (a.k.a. Software plus Services or Software as a Service) initiative would affect them.
According to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the net effect won't be much over the next year or so. "I don't think most of you should expect any major impact plus or minus from Live to the core of the business that we do together in the next year," Ballmer said during his WWPC keynote Tuesday.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on July 13, 20060 comments
Microsoft is saying that nearly 1,000 global ISVs have committed to developing applications on Windows Vista. The company's list includes 15 of the top 25 global ISVs.
In a news release
on the number, Microsoft called attention to Trend Micro, which has a beta available for its PC-cillin Internet Security using new security features in Vista, and SolidWorks Corp., which makes computer-aided design software that takes advantage of Vista's 3-D graphics capabilities.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on July 13, 20061 comments
The Microsoft Partner Program competency for BizTalk Server, called Business Process & Integration, is signing up partners left and right. According to Burley Kawasaki, group product manager for BizTalk Server Product Management, the number of partners who have achieved the competency increased by 1,041 percent in a year. Last July, there were 124 firms with the competency. This July, there are 1,415.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on July 13, 20060 comments
Microsoft did some serious signaling of its licensing intentions today at its Worldwide Partner Conference in Boston.
For one thing, the company announced that Software Assurance customers using the virtualization capabilities embedded in Windows Vista Enterprise will be allowed to run up to four copies of the OS in virtual machines on a single device for a single user. The reasons Microsoft will allow users to pay for one copy of the OS and run four (including Windows 2000, Windows XP and others) are for application compatibility, training, helpdesk functions and software testing. Microsoft describes allowing four virtual machines as generous, and it is for client systems. At the same time, the company is using this generous virtualization as a carrot to protect its Software Assurance revenues.
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Posted by Scott Bekker on July 12, 20060 comments