Microsoft Partnering 101


Google to Bid for Wireless Spectrum

Google Inc. confirmed its plans to bid for a prized piece of the airwaves in an upcoming government auction, further underscoring the Internet search leader's determination to shake up the wireless market and plumb more profits from mobile phones.

Open Source Limited in SMB Market, Report Finds

The viability of selling open source software (OSS) to the small and medium business (SMB) segment of the market may not be as big of an opportunity as previously thought, according to a report released by the 451 Group.

Microsoft Starts Talking Up UC Tools Strategy

Microsoft has talked a ton about why Unified Communications can be a big value to users.

Web the Perfect Medium for Ad Targeting

Golf club manufacturers have long placed ads in printed golf magazines. Movie studios tend to run television spots before a weekend rather than after. Targeting got even more precise as advertising moved to the Internet.

11 Deals that Changed the Channel in 2007

Channel partners saw a lot of upheaval in 2007 among their big vendor partners. Here's a recap of the year's most significant deals.

MS101 for Microsoft Partners

Attendees at that first event in Maryland received a gift bag that included the Demo Showcase, a valuable set of customizable online demos.

MS101 for Microsoft Partners DONT USE THIS ONE

Attendees at that first event in Maryland received a gift bag that included the Demo Showcase, a valuable set of customizable online demos.

Knowledge Is Power: Who's Who at Redmond

Ballmer, Raikes, Watson are names we know already. Here's a list of other Microsoft execs -- like Flinders, Bennani and Park and 17 others -- that partners should keep in their sites.

Citrix Access Essentials: Good for the SMB -- and the Microsoft Reseller

With version 2.0, Citrix makes its thin-client tool even more SMB-savvy, while opening up its reseller program to non-Citrix partners.

Where the Dollars Are

While past performance is no guarantee of future results, Microsoft partners that serve the financial-services industry report that business is brisk-despite the recent chaos on Wall Street.

Satisfaction Skepticism

Do you really believe Microsoft can objectively monitor customer satisfaction and, better yet, partner performance Seeking Satisfaction," September 2007]? Taking the example of Dynamics AX: Deploying this software almost always requires a VAR and affects many divisions, sites, plants, people and operations.

Best Buy for Business Turns to Ingram Micro Services Network

Best Buy partners with Ingram to provide for its Best Buy for Business, aimed at select customers.

Software as a Question Mark (Saa?)

The mystery is what how Microsoft plans to handle the online counterparts to its service offerings.

A New Day Dawns for Sun and Microsoft

By the end of this year, you'll be seeing something different in the market-Sun x64 servers bearing Windows Server 2003 stickers. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based giant announced in September that it will resell Windows, expanding on the 2004 alliance with Microsoft. The move represents a concession of sorts from Sun, which-particularly under former CEO Scott McNealy, who stepped down in 2006-held steadfast for years in its refusal to sell Windows on its servers.

2007 RCP Partner Survey: It's (Almost) All Good

RCP's most recent reader survey reveals that Microsoft partners are a happy bunch -- satisfied with the partner program and excited to be working with the software giant. However, that doesn't mean that everything's perfect in the Microsoft channel. A few concerns remain, even in good times.