Bekker's Blog

Blog archive

A Little Less Octane

There's been a lot of buzz over the last few months about "Octane." It's the code-name for the unspecified changes coming to the Microsoft Partner Program (MSPP). And we've all been expecting those changes to be announced, presumably, at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), which is happening this week.

It made sense; the MSPP has had very few structural changes since the current framework was set up in 2004. Then there were the Microsoft executives and spokespeople repeatedly saying over the last few months that they weren't ready to talk about Octane. Later the message changed: Microsoft probably wouldn't be ready to talk about Octane at the partner conference. All of that mystery reinforced the idea that Octane might be a big deal.

Well, maybe not. I talked to Julie Bennani, new general manager of the Microsoft Partner Program, here at the WPC in Denver. According to Bennani, Octane is just a code-name for MSPP enhancements; it's not some massive overhaul of the program.

"I think people came under the impression that Octane was a point in time," Bennani said. Instead, she said, it's more routine, ongoing enhancements taking place now and into the next year. Major elements of Octane include evolving the initiatives to help Microsoft partners get more profitable, making an effort to collect customer satisfaction data on partners, and working to improve skills development and bridge current gaps.

Posted by Scott Bekker on July 11, 2007


Featured

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Microsoft Gives Orgs More Power to 'Tune' AI Agents

    At its Build 2025 conference this week, Microsoft unveiled significant advancements aimed at empowering enterprises to create more sophisticated AI agents.

  • Build 2025: Microsoft Charts Wider Path for AI Agents

    At Build 2025, Microsoft unveiled its strategic vision for the future of AI agents, emphasizing the development of autonomous systems capable of performing complex tasks across various applications.

  • Microsoft to Orgs: Ditch Your Passwords for Passkeys

    May marks the first-ever "World Passkey Day," the occasion of which Microsoft marked by leaning into its vision of a passwordless future.