by Julie Golding, U.S. MPN Lead

Your company’s Microsoft competency in the Microsoft Partner Network offers valuable benefits that can help you succeed in your role, and help your company capitalize on new opportunities in the market with the latest Microsoft product releases.

• Product knowledge. In addition to the no-cost and low-cost sales and technical training we offer to MPN members to get certifications and accreditations, one of the most valuable benefits available to you is software licenses for internal use, which can be deployed within your company’s IT environment so you get firsthand knowledge of features and capabilities of products like Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, and the new Office.
• Close deals and increase business productivity. Partner advisory hours provide you with access to Microsoft experts who can help you close deals, compete more effectively, speed up your solution development and deployment time, reduce your cost of operations, and more.
• Marketing support. Your competency is noted on your Microsoft Pinpoint listing, and you receive prioritized marketplace exposure. Review and update your Pinpoint profile to accurately reflect your company’s solutions and increase your appeal to prospects.

The full list of core benefits is available in the Membership section of the partner portal, and your company’s specific competency or competencies may have additional associated benefits, too. For a third-party perspective about the potential value of membership benefits to partners with a competency, read the IDC white paper at http://aka.ms/getyourbenefits.

You can read the November 16 issue of the U.S. partner news online, and read previous Competency Partner-related blog posts at http://aka.ms/uscompetencyblog.