Microsoft brings resellers under one roof

Microsoft is undergoing discussions to group its channel partners together under one umbrella.

Microsoft is undergoing discussions to group its channel partners together under one umbrella.

The software giant, which is planning to announce its intentions in the near future, claims the move will make it easier and quicker for users to choose the service and reseller they need most to solve their particular problem.

It is believed that all 2000 certified resellers, 200 Microsoft solution provider partners, the 40 certified technical education centres and six certified support centres will be consolidated under the title of Microsoft certified partners.

Each Microsoft certified partner will then be divided into four main groups to distinguish companies by their area of expertise: training, support, infrastructure and ecommerce.

Stephen Uden, director of partner marketing at Microsoft, said: "All this is still in the discussion stage, but the company expects to make an official announcement in the near future."

Because Microsoft runs on the calendar year, any changes made will not come into force until January 2001, he said. "Under this proposed scheme, everybody who has made an investment in our technology will be called a partner.

"The aim is to make it easier for our clients' customers to distinguish which sort of service they are looking for, and it will also make it easier for our partners to categorise themselves.

"It will also help us to highlight who specialises in which areas, as well as help to erase any confusion arising from the various names we have had in the past."

According to Uden, the response to the suggested changes has been positive. "We have already spoken to a number of partners about these changes and the response has been pretty good," he said.

"Quite possibly, some companies that were our partners will additionally get to enjoy the title of 'experts' - and I'm predicting that most people who are currently partners will be an expert in at least one category.

"In the future, we may even have to review the situation as the market demands and possibly introduce more categories. At the moment, our main aim is consolidation."

First published in Computer Reseller News