Microsoft set to invest in channel
Software giant to plough funds into channel as big launches draw closer
Microsoft has pledged to invest further in its channel partners’ skills as it gears up to launch a raft of products over the next 12 months, including what it has hailed as its most important enterprise launch to date.
At last week’s Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2007 in Denver, the software giant announced that its three most significant product launches Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 will all launch in February. Microsoft claimed the launches will present its channel partners with a “feeding frenzy of opportunity”.
As a result the software giant has committed to offering its global channel partners extra marketing, training and sales resources.
Karl Noakes, director of partner solution sales group at Microsoft, told CRN: “The overall theme of the conference was that there has never been a better time to partner with Microsoft. Momentum is building for all the new product launches; there is something for every type of partner.”
Robin Barker, director of Microsoft Gold partner Blueloop, pointed out that it could be daunting for resellers to be faced with several new product launches at once. “I understand the need to launch common products together, but it certainly makes our lives entertaining,” he said.
Noakes said: “We announced our Skills Accelerator at the event and we’ll do a lot of classroom training and continue to invest in sales support, technical specialists, solutions specialists and account management.”