Rebrand costs cause Microsoft partner discontent

Partners claim frequent changes to MPN branding have left them out of pocket

Microsoft has come under fire from its partners which claim frequent changes to its Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) branding have saddled them with additional expense.

The vendor introduced its new MPN logo in July, after last making changes to it in 2010, leaving some partners angry at having to keep up with frequent image alterations.

The logo is displayed across partners' businesses on websites, apparel, vans, marketing material, and even etched into glass in the offices of ANS Group, whose managing director Paul Sweeney said the alternations will cost the company.

He said: "We cannot not do it; we do not want to look as though we are not up to date.

"We want to wear [the brand] loud, but it is a pain [keeping up]. I guess we have to get on with it, but it will cost us for the rebrand."

According to Andy Trish, managing director of Microsoft partner NCI Technologies, Microsoft said: "I've been with NCI for nearly three years now, and I am on partner logo number three," he wrote in a blog post.

Steve Hennessy, sales manager at Computerworld Business Solutions (CBS) agreed that the alterations were "not easy at all" to make.

The regular turnover in designs has led some partners to flout the updates and continue to display out-of-date logos, according to some partners, which claim that it is unfair on those that do upgrade.

Paul Dadge, director of Microsoft partner PC Paramedics, claimed that some companies even continue to display the brand after ceasing to work with the vendor. He called for Microsoft to increase its policing of brand abuse.

He said: "This problem hugely affects us. If customers see Joe Bloggs down the road with the logo, we have to tell them that they do not have the right to display it, but customers are not interested. It is unprofessional.

"It is really affecting our bottom line. Software abuse affects [Microsoft's] bottom line, so they crack down on it, but when it comes to brand abuse, it only affects ours, so they do not bother."

Microsoft was unavailable for comment at the time of publishing.