Comments on: Microsoft Channel Builder — 30 months of futility and counting http://powersunfiltered.com/2007/10/22/microsoft-channel-builder-30-months-of-futility-and-counting/ An entrepreneur's journey into grid computing and partnering with Microsoft, by John Powers Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:26:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: john http://powersunfiltered.com/2007/10/22/microsoft-channel-builder-30-months-of-futility-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-39428 john Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:57:06 +0000 http://powersunfiltered.com/2007/10/22/microsoft-channel-builder-30-months-of-futility-and-counting/#comment-39428 Deborah, Peter -- Thanks for the comments. Peter's last comment ("thank goodness we connected with the Managed ISV team...") mirrors my own experience very closely. Microsoft PEOPLE can be great, and if you can find a way to connect, you're in for a good (or great) relationship. Microsoft's Web presence, on the other hand, remains poor, and the partner-to-partner aspects of their Web presence remain embarrassingly poor. It is astonishing to me how many Microsoft people are still out there blindly touting Channel Builder as a "valuable resource" for partners. As the site currently stands, it is not a resource at all. It's a time-sink. The IDEA is great, and Microsoft's intentions here are good -- but the Microsoft partner team needs to admit its mistakes, and invest in something better. My ideas are posted above -- anybody else care to join in? Deborah, Peter –
Thanks for the comments. Peter’s last comment (“thank goodness we connected with the Managed ISV team…”) mirrors my own experience very closely. Microsoft PEOPLE can be great, and if you can find a way to connect, you’re in for a good (or great) relationship. Microsoft’s Web presence, on the other hand, remains poor, and the partner-to-partner aspects of their Web presence remain embarrassingly poor.

It is astonishing to me how many Microsoft people are still out there blindly touting Channel Builder as a “valuable resource” for partners. As the site currently stands, it is not a resource at all. It’s a time-sink. The IDEA is great, and Microsoft’s intentions here are good — but the Microsoft partner team needs to admit its mistakes, and invest in something better. My ideas are posted above — anybody else care to join in?

]]> By: Peter http://powersunfiltered.com/2007/10/22/microsoft-channel-builder-30-months-of-futility-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-39419 Peter Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:55:53 +0000 http://powersunfiltered.com/2007/10/22/microsoft-channel-builder-30-months-of-futility-and-counting/#comment-39419 Another big ditto. The *only* inquiry we got was from an off-shore development outfit trying to sell us their services, precisely *zero* useful inquiries, obviously resulting in $0 revenue. I went through exactly the same "update to the new profile" experience, which took things from "really bad" to "really, disastrously, why-am-I-bothering bad". We're a Gold Certified, Managed ISV. No love at all from the MSPP team - thank goodness we connected with the Managed ISV team or we'd be out in the cold like most everyone else. Another big ditto.

The *only* inquiry we got was from an off-shore development outfit trying to sell us their services, precisely *zero* useful inquiries, obviously resulting in $0 revenue.

I went through exactly the same “update to the new profile” experience, which took things from “really bad” to “really, disastrously, why-am-I-bothering bad”.

We’re a Gold Certified, Managed ISV. No love at all from the MSPP team – thank goodness we connected with the Managed ISV team or we’d be out in the cold like most everyone else.

]]> By: Deborah http://powersunfiltered.com/2007/10/22/microsoft-channel-builder-30-months-of-futility-and-counting/comment-page-1/#comment-39022 Deborah Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:08:38 +0000 http://powersunfiltered.com/2007/10/22/microsoft-channel-builder-30-months-of-futility-and-counting/#comment-39022 A big huge ditto. We've received all of three inquiries this year: one bit of spam seeking "technical equity partners", and two more from very lost and inexperienced computer users asking basic questions on how to download software. WRT ISVs, the partner group has run hot and cold over the last 5 years, and the last few years have felt a bit chilly. (or at least very inconsistent in execution). A big huge ditto.

We’ve received all of three inquiries this year: one bit of spam seeking “technical equity partners”, and two more from very lost and inexperienced computer users asking basic questions on how to download software.

WRT ISVs, the partner group has run hot and cold over the last 5 years, and the last few years have felt a bit chilly. (or at least very inconsistent in execution).

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