Microsoft Partnering 101


2017 Wrap-Up: Top 10 News Headlines of the Year

From product updates, to the Skype-to-Teams transition, to the latest Windows 10 release, here are the headlines that got the most attention from our readers this year.

Structuring a Partner M&A Sale: Asset or Stock?

Deciding on the best deal structure for an M&A transaction requires careful evaluation. Here are a few things partners should look out for.

Considering CSP? Here Are Some Things Microsoft Won't Tell You

Microsoft's Cloud Solution Provider program is growing rapidly, and that means growing pains. Potential CSPs should learn about some of the program's current challenges before making the leap.

Oracle To Buy Cloud Platform Aconex for $1.2 Billion

Oracle is expected to acquire Aconex, a provider of cloud-based collaboration solutions for the construction industry, for $1.2 billion U.S. or $7.80 per share.

Study: Organizations Save Less with 'Direct Match' Cloud Migrations

Businesses that migrate their on-premises workloads to the cloud using a "direct match" method are missing out on significant cost savings, according to a recent study by Microsoft Azure migration partner TSO Logic.

Microsoft Axes Live Meeting, Brings Skype Features to Mac Users

Microsoft issued some good news recently to Mac users of its Skype for Business Server 2015 product. However, there's bad news for organizations still using the aging Office Live Meeting unified communications service.

Microsoft Readies Azure VM Migration Tool for First Half of 2018

Microsoft is slated to release a new "Azure Migrate" solution within the next six months, a company executive said in a recent presentation.

2017 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

WEB EXCLUSIVE: From Microsoft mega-events like Build and Ignite to smaller one- and two-day training sessions, we've got your 2017 conference schedule covered.

Microsoft Brings Skype's Calling Capabilities to Teams

Microsoft's new Office 365 Teams collaboration service is inheriting some of the calling capabilities of Skype for Business, Microsoft announced this week.

What Nadella's 'Refresh' Button Means for Microsoft Partners

The Microsoft CEO's new book covers a lot of ground, but has just one reference to the company's broad community of partners. That's a cause for concern.

Report: Price Hikes Coming with Microsoft Unified Support

Microsoft's new Unified Support plan will result in potentially substantial price increases for organizations when it takes effect in about six months, according to a recent report by Gartner Inc.

Microsoft's Menu of Indirect CSP Partners Gets Bigger

In the last few years, the number of Cloud Solution Provider Indirect Providers operating in the United States has jumped from just five to more than 14. Indirect Resellers have lots of choices, ranging from distys to LSPs to cloud distys to CSP specialists.

Global Server Sales Up 16 Percent on Strength of Cloud Demand

Recent data from Gartner indicates that worldwide server revenue went up by 16 percent in the third quarter of this year.

Microsoft Expands Azure Compute Offerings with Two New VM Types

Microsoft added two new virtual machine (VM) families to its lineup of Azure compute options this month: the lower-cost B-Series and the memory-intensive M-Series.

How Microsoft Partners Helped Customers Rebound After 2017 Storms

As monster hurricanes Maria, Irma, and Harvey struck this summer and fall, Microsoft partners prepped their customers, helped them keep businesses running or emergency operations going, and continue to support them in the storms' aftermath.