Powers Unfiltered

For the folks following our Adventures in Partnerland, here’s an update.
About two weeks ago, I wrote a post here about how the persistent technical difficulties with the Microsoft Partner Program Web site (partners.microsoft.com) had spilled over from every-day inconvenience to genuine negative impact on our relations with our customers. I howled, because I think Microsoft [...]

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As a vocal detractor of Microsoft’s Channel Builder, I feel I have to report anything positive that happens there, too (note that prior to this week I have never had anything even remotely good to report in my 2.5 year history of using this tragically misguided Microsoft tool). So I promise, buried in this long [...]

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I spent portions of the last three days at the Visual Studio Industry Partners (VSIP) summit in Redmond.  Thanks and congratulations to the whole VSIP team for a worthwhile and fun event!
VSIP is another of the Microsoft partner programs that can deliver great value if you’re patient and willing to work a bit.  As a continuing public service, [...]

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OK, I promise to stop posting about the WWPC soon, but it was a very productive event for us.
In addition to the many sessions I’ve already described, I had a chance to sit down with Darryl Taft of eWeek.  While he was in Boston covering the Microsoft event, he took the time to interview me [...]

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Thank you, Margo Day!
Margo is moving on, from VP of US Partners to Western Region VP of Sales.  She’ll be missed by the US Partner community, but as a Western Region partner, we’ll continue to work with her. 
Last night, she (and the Microsoft US Partner team) threw an awesome party.  I hope this tradition of good parties continues [...]

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I attended the keynote sessions again this morning at the Microsoft WWPC.  The highlight of the morning, for me, was Andy Lees, who talked extensively about the progress Microsoft had made in the server market.  He was quite clear about how he sees the high-performance computing (HPC) market, and the opportunity for Microsoft and its [...]

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(Composed Tuesday, 7/11/2006 at Microsoft WWPC)
I always enjoy Steve Ballmer’s presentations – he’s enthusiastic and loud, insightful and funny, and that works well with a big, supportive crowd.  He did well today, but I’ve seen him before, and I have to say he was not fully on his game today. 
He hit on the expected themes [...]

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George Laszlo has responded to my comments about about his earlier post, regarding the Microsoft BioIT Alliance.  It’s easier to just reproduce most of his response here:
First, please note that my primary concern is the welfare of the client who buys hardware, software or services from any vendor. My experience tells me that [...]

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I just posted some advice about the benefits of partnering with Microsoft.  Those benefits are real.  Now, for an equally real rant.
It’s not until you’re fully engaged with Microsoft, and you are in fact working like hell to make the most of that relationship, that you realize just how fully maddening their Partner Web site really is.  The [...]

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Don Dodge and Cliff Reeves of the Microsoft Emerging Business Team (EBT) continue to crank out good advice about partnering with Microsoft, especially for ISV startups – but I think it’s time for some of us ISV startup partners to weigh in, too. 
“Partnering with Microsoft” is an easy thing to say, and, superficially, an easy thing to do.  [...]

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