Microsoft Partnering 101


Top Windows Exec Steven Sinofsky Abruptly Exits Microsoft

Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows and Windows Live group, and widely considered a possible successor to CEO Steve Ballmer, has unexpectedly left the company.

Will Windows 8 Bring Boom Times for Ultrabooks?

OEMs looking to take advantage of the Windows 8 wave are flooding the channel with new, touch-capable models -- but many face pricing challenges. With the PC market struggling, what are the chances for the Ultrabook's success?

Verizon Rolls Out UC Management Services for Microsoft Lync

Enhancing its existing enterprise offerings, Verizon on Thursday released a new unified communications management service for large enterprises in conjunction with Microsoft Lync Server 2010.

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2013 Hits Beta

The beta test version of Microsoft's BizTalk Server 2013 became available on Thursday.

Microsoft Releases SQL Server 2012 SP1, Talks Self-Service BI

The first new service pack for SQL Server 2012 is now available, Microsoft announced on Wednesday at the annual PASS summit event being held this week in Seattle.

Skype Launches Networking Platform for SMBs

Microsoft's Skype team opened its online networking platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to the public on Thursday.

Microsoft Scraps Messenger, Replaces It with Skype

Microsoft is shuttering its Messenger instant-messaging service in favor of Skype's voice-over-IP service, the company announced on Monday.

Reading Between the Lines of Microsoft's Surface Pricing

Microsoft launched the Surface RT tablet with a price tag that failed to impress. Surely, there's a reason for that.

Next Dynamics CRM Online Update To Feature Yammer, Skype Integration

The Q4 service update to Dynamics CRM Online will be rolled out in mid-December, Microsoft announced on Thursday.

Windows Server 2012 Essentials Available for Download, Hardware Lagging

Microsoft made Windows Server 2012 Essentials, its new server for small businesses and home office users, generally available as a software download on Thursday, but the hardware is still to come.

Microsoft Replaces 'Metro' Name with 'Windows Store App'

Microsoft appears to have officially changed the "Metro" term for the user interface (UI) and app style for Windows 8 to a new "Windows Store app."

Windows 8 Migration Tools for Early Adopters

With analysts at Gartner Inc. discouraging enterprises from upgrading to Windows 8 yet, the expectation is for a fairly slow rollout of the radically different OS. For customers willing to leap right away, though, there are a few tools that partners can use to ease migrations.

Office 2013, SharePoint 2013, Exchange 2013 Released to Volume Licensees

Volume licensing customers can now access Microsoft Office 2013, plus various application servers with the "2013" branding, according to a report by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley.

Seller Beware: Customers Want Vertical Partners, Not 'Generalists'

"Geographic generalist" partners that offer any services for anybody, anywhere, are a struggling breed.

Windows 8 Ultrabooks Gallery, Part 2: Convertibles and More

RCP shines the spotlight on five more early Ultrabook models from Lenovo, Dell and others that are looking to take advantage of Microsoft's touch focus in Windows 8.