UK SBSC

Microsoft is proud to recognize the winners and finalists in the 2009 WPC (Worldwide Partner Conference)  Awards Program. These partners have developed exemplary solutions for their customers during the past year, and demonstrated the ability to optimize their use of Microsoft technologies to meet critical business needs.

In total there were 69 awards this year and nearly 2,000 excellent entries.It’s a little disappointing to see that there were no UK winners for the SBSC Partner of the Year award this year, though we know the entries were all of high calibre and that judging was a difficult task!

For those who are interested, here’s who did win:

Small Business Specialist Partner of the Year

Evolve IT, Australia

When Australian Rules football clubs needed a technology solution for its business, it turned to Evolve IT, Microsoft’s leading Small Business Specialist Community partner in Australia. Evolve IT delivered a solid solution—based on the Microsoft small- to midsize-business stack—that included networking infrastructure deployment with Windows Small Business Server integrated with mobility, productivity, and security solutions from Microsoft. The Evolve IT business motto “we fix business problems, and not computer problems” shows how Evolve IT succeeds in satisfying the technology needs of its small- to midsize-business customers.

Finalist: Bulletproof InfoTech, Canada

Finalist: Quadrasystems.net, India

To learn more about the other categories and winners, click here.

Click here to read Microsoft’s press release about the awards.

A special thanks goes to all of our UK partners who entered, and if your entry was not selected, we look forward to another high-quality entry next year!

And here is some more guidance around SBS migration, posted by Nick King, Senior Technical Product Manager for SBS at Microsoft:

Recently I received the feedback that we needed a better way of representing all of the tasks during the SBS 2008 migration process.  We spent some time looking at what could be done to support a smoother migration, and came up with this document for partners and IT Pro’s.

Migrating from Windows SBS 2003 to Windows SBS 2008, guidelines and checklist

This guide is designed to be your step by step companion during SBS migrations and includes feedback and insight from our Support teams, MVPs (Susan Brady, Wayne Small and Eriq Neale)

While you’re migrating you should also check out these great resources;

Technet SBS migration docs

Practice you migration with this click through demo

Or check out Jeff Middletons third party swing migration

Nicholas King : SBS migration guidelines, training tools and checklist

We thought that this might be of interest, posted on The Official SBS Blog:

We have updated the SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 Migration Best Practices blog post with a few new recommendations.  Please review the following post before attempting an SBS 2003 to 2008 migration: SBS 2008 Migrations from SBS 2003 – Keys to Success

The Official SBS Blog : SBS 2003 to 2008 Migration Best Practices Post Has Been Updated

Do you think Microsoft Licensing is complicated?

Do you struggle to find time in your busy working week to attend training on the subject?

We’ve listened to partner feedback and are delighted to offer this new Saturday morning Licensing’s Cool Workshop to show you just how simple Microsoft Licensing can be!

• When: Saturday 25^th July, 09:30 – 13:30
• Where: Microsoft Campus, Reading, Berkshire

Why understand Microsoft Licensing?

By increasing your understanding of the licence types that Microsoft offers you can help your customers save money, speed software deployments and make the best financing arrangements. In return, your company can increase sales and stay ahead of the competition by being better informed and able to offer the most suitable solutions for your customers.

Agenda:

• Microsoft Licensing Fundamentals: Understand the Microsoft licensing programs and how to identify the right licensing solution for your customers.
• An introduction to Microsoft’s licensing accreditations
• Microsoft Products Fundamentals - Key Microsoft technologies and how you can cross and up-sell these products to your customers.

Prove your knowledge

There will also be the opportunity to take the Microsoft Licensing Sales Specialist (MLSS) Lite exam.  Achieving this accreditation will show that you understand both our licensing programmes as well as the licensing of our products, helping you to become a trusted advisor to your customers and boosting your bottom-line.

This course is ideal for anyone who wants to learn more about Microsoft licensing basics and is appropriate for anyone in a sales, marketing or support roles.

Don’t delay – Register here now!

Following the demand and success of our recent Windows 7 Showcase events, Microsoft will be running several more events that you may like to register for and attend. These showcase events are ideal for sales and technical roles. They are half day sessions which will explain how Windows 7 can be integrated into your solutions and the partner and customer training, sales and marketing resources.

Dates and Registration Details:

All Partners:

• Reading, 21 July, invitation code 40DCA8
• London, 30 July, invitation code 643157
• Manchester, 28 July, invitation code 443324

Agenda

System Builders Specific:

• Birmingham, 20 July, invite code 075251
• Reading, 21 July, invite code CD220E
• Edinburgh, 22 July, invite code E4221A
• Cambridge, 23 July, invite code 0E9B1C
• Cardiff, 27 July, invite code 4308B0
• Manchester, 28 July, invite code 7F08A4
• Exeter, 29 July, invite code 316CDD
• London, 30 July, invite code 21D1B7

Agenda:

For those of you making the most of Microsoft promotions currently in market please be mindful that several of them will end tomorrow.

Here is a summary of promotion end dates. Please be aware that some distributors have heard from partners that there is an expectation Microsoft will extend the Power Through the Downturn 10% discount. To be clear, there are no plans to extend this offer.

For the two extended promotions, here’s a little more information:

• Attach Software Assurance and receive 10% discount with Open and Open Value
• For customers who have bought new PCs in the last six months or who are planning to purchase new PCs - attach Software Assurance and receive a 10% discount with Open and Open Value Licensing. This will provide you with additional revenue and significant savings for your customers - enabling them to upgrade to Windows 7 when it launches. PCs must have Windows Vista Business or Windows XP Professional as an OEM or FPP licence. Full terms and conditions apply. Click here to utilise a customer ready email to assist you in promoting this to your customers.

• Up to 10% discount on BPOS –EA/EAS & MOSP
• Up to 10 per cent savings on Business Productivity Online Standard Suite per user monthly subscription step-up licences from Core CAL Suite Software Assurance or Enterprise CAL Suite Software Assurance. This promotional offer is available through Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Agreements (EA /EAS & MOSP) and is valid on purchases made through 31 August, 2009 (extended from 30 June, 2009). Products included: Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite (includes rights to Microsoft Exchange Online Standard, Microsoft Office Communications Online Standard, Microsoft Office Live Meeting Standard and Microsoft Office SharePoint Online Standard). Click here to learn more.

Full terms and conditions for all our promotions can be found on the Microsoft Partner Portal and via your Authorised Distributor.

We thought you might be interested to see where another one of our SBSC partners has acted as an “Ask the Expert” on our Small Business Centre Customer facing website. What’s more, this article was also linked to in the Small Business Customer newsletter which reaches a substantial number of small business customers. Whilst promoting himself, Paul Dadge of PC Paramedics.it has also helped promote the SBSC partner channel – especially visible where he concludes:

“If you have any further questions, I recommend you contact your local Microsoft Small Business Specialist who will be able to advise you further. –Paul”

Here’s a clipping from the article:

Keeping it all together with Windows Mobile

Paul Dadge, Senior Consultant, PC Paramedics.it

Paul Dadge is a Senior Consultant with PC Paramedics.it, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist based in Cannock, South Staffordshire. He has been working with small business customers for 15 years, helping them to ‘go mobile’ and enabling the employees to access company resources remotely.

Question: The current downturn means my colleagues and I are spending a lot more time out on the road chasing business, so we need to pick up messages and keep track of our diaries on the move. Is there a way we can synchronise email, calendar appointments and Outlook contacts between our PCs and mobile phones? - Richard, Brighton

Answer: Hi Richard. You’re absolutely right - staying competitive these days means you really have to be mobile, which in itself can presents challenges – not least staying in touch while you're out and about. That’s never more true than for smaller companies where it’s a case of “all hands on deck”.

The words ‘email’ and ‘mobile phone’ often conjure up the BlackBerry – which is fine if all you need is to send and receive email and texts. But for a small business like yours, there are more cost-effective solutions to help you perform as efficiently away from the office as in it….”

Click here to read more: Keeping it all together with Windows Mobile - Microsoft Small Business Centre

Many thanks to Paul for his input.

If you want to be an “Ask the Expert”, email sbscuk@microsoft.com for more information.

Remember the SMB Insights Survey you participated in back in February? Well, we do apologise for the delay in sharing this with you but are now pleased to be able to show where/ how the insight was used.

On 25th March Microsoft published a press release entitled Microsoft Study Shows SMBs Using Technology to Cut Costs, Grow Business. Click here to read the press release. Following this press release a number of UK press channels followed up and wrote articles. Here’s a list of some of the ones we had visibility of:

• ComputerworldUK - 25th March 2009: SMEs set to embrace software as a service
• CRN UK - 26th March 2009: Microsoft gives insight into SMEs
• Vnunet.com -  26th March 2009: Microsoft gives insight into SMEs
• Computing - 26th March 2009: Microsoft gives insight into SMEs
• Infomatics - 26th March 2009: Microsoft gives insight into SMEs
• Manufacturing Computer Solutions - 27th March 2009: Specialists rate virtualisation, consolidation and business intelligence in downturn

Here are some interested snippets from the findings:

“Based on a five-country survey of more than 600 Microsoft Small Business Specialists, Microsoft found that the major concerns driving SMB technology investments are declining revenue, competition from larger businesses and general economic difficulties. In response, many SMBs are focusing on IT investments that directly benefit their bottom line — either by reducing operating costs, improving employee productivity, or acquiring and retaining customers.”…

…“The “Microsoft SMB Insight Report” reflects the insight of Small Business Specialists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Brazil. The following are some of Microsoft’s key findings on the technologies most likely to drive growth and profitability for SMBs in 2009:

• Fifty percent of the surveyed Small Business Specialists identified virtualization or IT consolidation through a small or midsize server as the technology most likely to reduce operating costs.
• The Small Business Specialists expect a 20 percentage point increase this year in the number of SMBs that use software as a service.
• More than 50 percent of the Small Business Specialists considered customer relationship management (CRM), virtualization or IT consolidation through a small or midsize server as the best investment for maximizing business growth in a down economy.
• Nearly 40 percent expect an increased interest in business intelligence and identified it as a critical tool for helping improve a customer’s experience and increase loyalty.
• More than half of the surveyed Small Business Specialists anticipate an increase in the number of SMB remote workers, and nearly 60 percent expect that the shift to more remote workers also will lead to bigger roles and more responsibilities for those individuals working remotely.”…

…“Microsoft offers a broad range of business solutions to help small and midsize businesses (SMBs) maximize productivity and expand business capabilities. Microsoft’s partner program includes more than 640,000 local technology experts, including nearly 20,000 Small Business Specialists. Microsoft also provides a variety of financing, flexible licensing programs and other resources to help SMBs grow their businesses and respond to changes in the market.

More information on Microsoft Small Business Specialists and other SMB resources is available at the Microsoft Small Business Center at http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness.”

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those SBSC partners in the UK who took the survey and shared their feedback. We found it a very useful exercise that has shared insight but also promoted the Small Business Specialist partner channel.

Did you know…

Don’t let opportunities pass you by. Click here to find out what the partner and customer opportunities are for selling an Office Ready PC. You will also be able to download a guide and FAQ to help you sell Office with a new PC.

Plus, watch a rather amusing rap video of two guys who attempt to tell you about the benefits of MLK and OPC. It has to be seen!

Evaluate Windows Server 2008 R2 RC Now, Reap Benefits Later.

Download Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Release Candidate (RC), and get ready to offer new virtualization tools, Web resources, management enhancements, and Windows 7 integration. And be sure to review the release documentation prior to installation.

We could not let the opportunity pass-by to showcase a shining example of Microsoft partners collaborating with one another to deliver value to customers as well as drive their own businesses!

Richard Tubb of Netlink IT, an active SBSC partner based in the Midlands, has just written a post on his blog to discuss the value his company gets from collaboration with other partners. He specifically references a recent project his company got involved in which required collaboration with a number of Microsoft partners, including some members of the Small Business Specialist Community! 

Aparion IT, an IT Consultancy based in Nottingham, approached Richard for assistance with a project for a large multi-national Transport company operating within the UK. Aparion had recently won a large project based overseas which was keeping them very busy so were under-resourced to tackle the Transport project immediately, but loathe to pass up on the opportunity - hence they approached Richard. Richard took the opportunity onboard and soon realised it also required additional expertise and on-the-ground staff for the various UK site visits that needed to be carried out. Unfortunately Netlink IT were not in a position manage all the workload so Richard therefore called on many of the trusted relationships he had built up with Microsoft partners through networking and the project was successfully completed for the client.

Do take some time to read through Richard’s account on his blog as it is very inspirational and might make you think twice about partnering with others.

Here’s a few quotes we’ve pulled out from Richard’s article:

“As the business grew and I started to face up to the reality that Richard Tubb alone couldn’t work 24x7x365, I turned to some of these trusted partnerships I’d built and we worked together to solve mutual problems – issues such as sickness and holidays started becoming manageable instead of impossible, working with clients in geographical areas outside the standard became logistically possible, and those larger projects we’d previously shied away from as being “too big” started to look possible to tackle. As well as growth through taking on staff, our business naturally evolved to the stage where we treat our trusted partners very much like we would an employee – with induction programs, training plans and shared opportunities for personal and professional growth.”…

“All of this work was delivered on the back of partnerships built between companies delivering similar services that many would traditionally look upon as competitors who shouldn’t, or couldn’t, work together. I personally think it’s the perfect example of how partnerships and collaboration can work at the SMB level and I’m pleased to have been a big part of it!”

Go here to read more: A great example of Microsoft Partners collaborating to deliver value - Windows Live

If you would like to start networking with other partners why not sign up to the Microsoft Partner Community. The MPC is a business networking platform designed to facilitate UK partner to partner connection, knowledge and information exchange. Sign in with a Windows Live ID (guidance is provided), complete your profile and start connecting!

Another way to network is to join any one of the active SBSC user groups. Find out more about user groups local to you by visiting the “Connecting with Peers” tab on the Community page of the Small Business Specialist partner portal pages: www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/sbsc.

Ingram Micro have just advised us that they have several places available at their Unified Communications workshop tomorrow. It will be held at Microsoft’s offices in Reading, registration 09:30am, kick off at 10am. This in a unique opportunity to understand Microsoft’s unified comms proposition.

Learn how to sell Microsoft Unified Communications from a reputable, world leading training partner. What’s more, Ingram are offering this to partner free of charge!

Agenda:

• 09.30 – Registration and coffee
• 10:00 – Introduction by Ingram Micro
• 10:15 – How to Sell UC (section 1)
• 12.00 – Lunch
• 12.45 – How to Sell UC (section 2)
• 14.15 – Obtain attendee feedback
• 14:30 – Concorde
• 15:00 – Closure by Ingram Micro

If you can rearrange your schedule tomorrow to attend please contact Ita McAndrew (itam@microsoft.com) to reserve your place.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Timelines Shared at Computex: Steve Guggenheimer’s anniversary keynote address at leading OEM conference highlights partner opportunities with upcoming Microsoft innovations.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — June 3, 2009 — Today during a keynote address at Computex 2009 in Taipei, Microsoft’s OEM Division Corporate Vice President Steve Guggenheimer revealed that the company is confident with the progress made with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and that as a result, Microsoft will deliver Release to Manufacturing (RTM) code to partners in the second half of July. Windows 7 will become generally available on Oct. 22, 2009, and Windows Server 2008 R2 will be broadly available at the same time.

Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Division Corporate Vice President.

“As we’ve said many times, quality is our primary goal,” Guggenheimer said. “We announce each milestone once we’re confident of where we are in the development cycle and that it is ready to be shared with customers and partners. We’ve received great feedback from our partners who are looking forward to offering Windows 7 to their customers in time for the holidays.”

In addition to this, Guggenheimer announced that Microsoft will make available an upgrade option, so partners can offer customers the ability to purchase a Windows Vista-based PC and install Windows 7 when it’s ready.

“Microsoft has been working closely with partners to help our mutual customers be able to enjoy the many benefits of Windows 7,” he said. “With that in mind, we’re excited to say that there will be a Windows upgrade program available. Consumers can buy that new PC, whether for a student heading off to college or just because they need a new one, and know they’ll get Windows 7 as part of the deal.”

The actual start date for the program will be announced when it is ready for consumers, and partners are ready to provide details to customers.

Click here to read more: Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Timelines Shared at Computex: Steve Guggenheimer’s anniversary keynote address at leading OEM conference highlights partner opportunities with upcoming Microsoft innovations.

Have you heard about the Heartland Technology Group (HTG)?

The HTG peer group experience is a unique forum for technology industry resellers who are serious about implementing a model for success in their own businesses through sharing and collaboration of best practices. They network similar companies based on their size, number of employees, relative lines of service, ownership structure, and markets served to find unique solutions to common problems. Because HTG peer groups are national in scope, members are not seen as operating in competing markets. The result is an intimate network where the expectation of confidentiality is an underlying facet of the group’s inherent design. The agenda for each meeting is designed around the felt-needs of the group and toward meeting the concerns and issues that face you in a fast-paced, increasingly complex business.

According to CRN, “VAR consortium the Heartland Technology Group (HTG) is kick-starting its plans for international growth with a UK operation. Announcing its UK group ­ dubbed HTG11 ­ last October with seven members, HTG is on the hunt for more local resellers.”

Microsoft UK has been approached by HTG as they are keen to engage with SBSC partners. In fact, one or two familiar SBSC partners are already signed up to their first UK group, HTG11, and have nothing but good things to say about it. We therefore wanted to highlight what they had to say, and you can make your own decision as to whether or not this may be something that can benefit you and your business:

Success by association
Richard Tubb, IT consultant at Microsoft small business specialist Netlink IT, said: “[We] discovered HTG at Microsoft’s worldwide partner conference in July. We met some other members there too.

“We quickly realised there are a number of benefits to associating successful businesses with other successful businesses. Some members in the group achieve £1m annual turnover.”

Tubb said joining HTG11 has opened the reseller’s eyes to what can be achieved, by discussing things such as the pros and cons of mergers and hiring more staff.

“One idea that has thoroughly helped Netlink IT was based on having a tighter control of our finances. Previously we may have been lacking in certain areas. The other businesses revealed how they conduct weekly reports, which we have taken on board, as well as implementing a system to track overdue invoices,” said Tubb.

Vijay Singh Royait, technical director at software outsourcing firm and HTG11 member Ardent-Isys, said everyone in the group is accountable to everyone else.

“There are many peer-to-peer networking groups in the Microsoft small business community,” he said. “HTG11 offers the next step beyond that. It is a group that focuses on developing and growing your business.”

As with NetlinkIT, Ardent-Isys discovered HTG at Microsoft’s worldwide partner conference last year.

“Microsoft was promoting HTG to its business specialist community,” said Royait. “The group has helped Ardent-Isys organise a structure for its business processes; for example, for its financial management and revenue growth achieved each month. We have rebuilt our business plan around this.”

Hand on your Heartland - 08 May 2009 - CRN

There is a membership fee of $1200 per year plus the prorated cost of the HTG UK group’s meeting expenses each quarter.   Membership occurs by unanimous vote following a first time attending.  Potential members participate fully and will share in preparation and meeting costs.  After the meeting ends, the group will vote on membership.

Here are some other resources you might want to check out:

• Link to the HTG website.  http://www.htgmembers.com/
• February 09 HTG newsletter http://www.htgmembers.com/Newsletter/Feb09_htg.htm This is an example of one of the ways they communicate with their membership and partners.
• Link to the latest HTG Summit Agenda.  http://www.htgmembers.com/HTGSummit09/Agenda.htm
• Arlin Sorensen speaks on the relationship with HTG vendor partners: http://www.varvid.com/2008/10/arlin-sorensen-speaks-with-aaron-booker-of-varvidcom.html
• Arlin Sorensen speaks about the HTG member model and what makes it work: http://www.varvid.com/2008/10/arlin-sorensen-from-htg-peer-groups-speaks-with-aaron-booker-of-varvidcom.html
• Arlin Sorensen speaks on the value of HTG peer groups: http://www.varvid.com/2009/01/arlin-sorensen-speaks-with-aaron-booker-about-the-value-of-htg-peer-groups.html

If any of this interests you, why not speak directly with Dave Sobel, who leads HTG11 in the UK and find out more or how you might get involved: dave@evolvetech.com.

*Please note that the offer above is provided by a third-party partner and is not under the control of Microsoft.   Accordingly Microsoft does not assume any responsibility or liability for the offer and is providing it solely as a convenience, and the inclusion of such content does not imply endorsement by Microsoft of the offer or of the third party advertiser. Individuals may be subject to additional and/or different terms, conditions, and privacy policies when using third party products, services, content, software, or sites.

What is Bing? It’s a search experience with a brand new look and feel that helps you find what you’re looking for more quickly and easily. It gives you better UK results than ever before and will evolve in the coming months to give you a richer search experience through a range of innovative features.

Go here to learn more about Bing: http://www.discoverbing.co.uk