Microsoft Partnering 101


Office 2013 Preview Edition To Be Included in Windows RT Devices

Confirming rumors, Microsoft said in a blog post Thursday that a free "preview" version of Office Home and Student 2013 RT will come preinstalled on Windows RT ARM-based devices.

Microsoft Issues RC of User Experience Virtualization Tool

The test version of Microsoft's User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) tool was made available as a release candidate (RC) last week.

Microsoft Pulls Plug on Five Forefront Products

Five of Microsoft's Forefront enterprise security products will no longer be sold after Dec. 1, 2012, Microsoft announced on Wednesday.

Dynamics GP 2013 Beta Released; Final Version Expected December

The beta of Microsoft's Dynamics GP 2013 enterprise resource planning (ERP) product is now available to partners, Microsoft announced on Wednesday.

Microsoft Launches Visual Studio 2012

Microsoft officially launched Visual Studio 2012 and .NET Framework 4.5 on Wednesday in a live event for partners and customers.

Don't Worry, the Cloud Won't Kill the Channel -- Just Change It

Doomsayers are blaming cloud computing for the theoretical demise of the channel, but from Howard's point of view, it's all FUD.

Microsoft Rolls Out Windows Server 2012 Admin Tools for Windows 8 Preview

Microsoft last week released Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT), a software utility that lets IT pros manage Windows Server 2012 from their desktops.

Microsoft Releases System Center 2012 SP1 Beta

The beta test version of System Center 2012 Service Pack 1, which promises to considerably broaden Microsoft's cloud product strategy, became available on Monday.

Office 365: Microsoft Partners Reset Their Plans Around Direct Billing

With the introduction of a mainstream partner billing option for Office 365, Microsoft overcame the biggest partner objection to its cloud productivity suite. Now happier partners are looking for ways to restart their efforts with new business-model options.

HP Taps Former Microsoft Exec To Lead Autonomy Division

Former Microsoft executive Robert Youngjohns will join Hewlett-Packard Co. as general manager and senior vice president of the company's Autonomy division.

Dell Unveils Windows Server 2012 Products, Outlines Virtualization Vision

Dell on Tuesday detailed its virtualization support efforts and rolled out its Windows Server 2012 product line.

Microsoft, HP Embark on 'Private Cloud Initiative'

Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday announced it has partnered with Microsoft on a "joint private cloud initiative" centered on HP hardware and management solutions, Windows Server 2012 and System Center 2012 Service Pack 1.

What About Windows RT?

Windows 8 has taken the lion's share of the spotlight, but Windows RT still has big implications for Microsoft partners.

Nokia Enters Windows Phone 8 Era with Two New Lumia Smartphones

One week after Samsung announced the first Windows Phone 8 device, Microsoft and Nokia took the wraps off two more devices running the forthcoming smartphone OS -- the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820.

2012 RCP Salary Survey: Boom After Bust for Microsoft Partners

By all accounts, the market for technical employees is tight. Even as national unemployment remains high, partners across the country report low tech unemployment and intense competition for talent. Against that backdrop, we release the sixth annual RCP salary survey.