MPN To Merge Virtualization and System Center Competencies

Microsoft will merge two of the new Microsoft Partner Network competencies -- virtualization and System Center -- into one in the next few months.

"Just as System Center and Hyper-V have integrated and grown together, partners have told us there's an opportunity for us to streamline the competencies in this area," said Jon Roskill, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group, at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference last week. "We're [merging] the systems management and virtualization competency into one."

Specific details of when the new virtualization-System Center combined competency would take effect weren't available immediately. However, Roskill said the change would fit a pattern that the Worldwide Partner Group will follow in rolling out changes to the MPN competency structure, which was first introduced in a gradual process from May 2010 through November 2010.

"Major changes will be announced in July, and they will go live no earlier than October. This gives you an opportunity to be able to plan for your own businesses," Roskill said.

The virtualization-System Center competency merger is the second recent change to the competency lineup.

In May, Microsoft announced plans to split the Unified Communications competency into two competencies: a Messaging competency based on Exchange and a Communications competency focused on Microsoft Lync.

Roskill mentioned the Communications competency, as well, when he announced the virtualization-System Center competency merger. "The communications competency is a direct response to the next billion-dollar opportunity for Microsoft. You asked for it, we listened, go get it," Roskill said on Wednesday at WPC.

Posted by Scott Bekker on July 18, 2011 at 11:58 AM