by Jeff Shuey , Director of Strategic Alliances at Winshuttle How does a first-time WPC attendee (aka a “WPC Newbie”) get the most out of the event? Follow the Four F’s of WPC and I predict you will have a very successful WPC experience.   First, what is WPC? WPC is the Microsoft Worldwide Partner...

by Angus Norton , General Manager, US Microsoft Office Division The Worldwide Partner Conference is one of my favorite partner events. In the span of a few days, my team and I get to meet with hundreds of Microsoft partners who share with us their ideas, insights, and feedback. That information is invaluable...

This post was updated February 28—you can still enter the Watch and Win Sweepstakes through March 5. See updated content below. Last month’s MPN Live kicked off the new series of live webcasts beautifully, with a discussion about Women in Technology that was fun to watch as well as follow on Twitter...

by Julie Golding, U.S. MPN Lead Each January, the Microsoft U.S. Partner Team prepares for a large number of our partners to renew their membership in the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN). By renewing your membership on time, you keep valuable benefits like partner advisory hours , MSDN and TechNet subscriptions...

by Julie Golding, U.S. MPN Lead Partner advisory hours are used as currency for technical presales and advisory services offered by the Microsoft Partner Services team. As part of your company’s Microsoft Partner Network membership, your organization receives partner advisory hours for attaining a Microsoft...

If you have recently passed a Microsoft Partner Network Sales and Marketing Assessment , or completed training for sales professionals or IT decision makers, you may be well on your way to earning a Microsoft Partner Network Sales Specialist accreditation or Microsoft Partner Network Pre-Sales Technical...

by Julie Golding, U.S. MPN Lead Each month in the U.S. partner newsletter , Julie Golding delivers a message to Microsoft Action Pack Solution Provider (SP) and Microsoft Action Pack Development and Design (DD) subscribers, offering information about growth and engagement opportunities and tips for utilizing...

by Julie Golding, U.S. MPN Lead Earlier this year, we launched the new Microsoft Small Business competency to help partners build on their experience in the small business customer segment and capitalize on cloud opportunities in that market. In response to partner feedback, a new exam focused on the...

The U.S. Lounge at the Worldwide Partner Conference is located in the Solution Innovation Center in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) and is open Monday through Thursday, from 11:30am – 5:30pm. Staffed by members of the Microsoft U.S. Partner Team, the U.S. Lounge offers you opportunities to...

Post by Sharon Collins, Microsoft Partner Network Manager and Competency Lead, U.S. Partner Team. Last week, we put the final touches on the new Microsoft Small Business competency, and Julie Bennani announced its official availability on her blog. The Small Business competency helps partners build on...

Post by Sharon Collins, Microsoft Partner Network Manager and Competency Lead, U.S. Partner Team. Each month in the U.S. partner newsletter , Sharon Collins, U.S. Microsoft Partner Network Manager and Competency Lead, delivers a message to silver and gold competency partners about maintaining and...

By Sharon Collins, Microsoft Partner Network Manager and Competency Lead, U.S. Partner Team. New Microsoft certifications are made available shortly after Microsoft releases a new version of a product. To ensure ongoing relevance to your customers, the Microsoft Partner Network updates the requirements...

Partner advisory hours are used as currency for services offered by the Microsoft Partner Services and Support team to Microsoft Partner Network members. If your company has a Microsoft Action Pack Development and Design subscription , or any silver or gold competency , you receive partner advisory hours...

In October, there are several updates taking place to Microsoft Partner Network silver and gold competency benefits and requirements, which may affect your company. Below is a list I have compiled that gives you a quick look at what you can expect to see in the next few weeks, and provides you with resources...

As many partners work to renew their membership in the Microsoft Partner Network and meet the new competency requirements, here is a quick recap about how we are helping partners manage their transition. First, Microsoft extended the period in which you can continue using your old Microsoft Partner Network...

Happy New Year! I hope you had a restful holiday and a strong finish to 2010, and that you’re ready for a fantastic 2011. You may find some inspiration in the article, “ Marching Orders 2011 ,” from Redmond Channel Partner, where you’ll find tips from Microsoft partner executives and channel experts...

I recently had the opportunity to chat with my teammate Sharon Collins, the U.S. Partner Team lead for the Microsoft Partner Network , about the new membership options and competencies that we launched on November 1. Over the past couple of years, leading up to the launch of the new Microsoft Partner...

It’s the last day of the Daily Double, and it’s been really fun talking with you this week about the resources we have to help you feel confident about the new Microsoft Partner Network. The final stages of updating our systems for the transition are under way today and over the weekend, and on November...

In today’s Daily Double, we’re getting practical, with tips about how to build your transition plan. Remember that you will need to meet the new competency (and Small Business Specialist Community) requirements before your next re-enrollment date if you intend to continue to hold one or more competencies...

In yesterday’s first Microsoft Partner Network “daily double ,” we provided you with foundational resources to help you assess your current membership and determine what your initial next steps are as we finish the transition to the new Microsoft Partner Network. At the end of this week, the Partner...

On Monday, November 1, the Microsoft Partner Network evolution will be complete, with new membership opportunities and a wider variety of ways to engage with Microsoft. If you have heard that there are changes coming, but have been waiting for us to tell you that we were really, really serious, here...