UK SBSC : Promotions

Remember Some Microsoft Promotions Will End Tomorrow!

UK SBSC — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:53:38 GMT

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.

Promotion

End Date

BPOS 27% discount

30^th June 2009

Power Through The Downturn – 10% Open discount selected products

30^th June 2009

Windows Server Services Rebate

30^th June 2009

Claims submitted by 31^st July 2009

5% price promotion on Open License for Government

30^th June 2009

Windows Client 10% Software Assurance

31 August, 2009 (extended from 30 June 2009)

Up to 10% discount on BPOS –EA/EAS & MOSP

31 August, 2009 (extended from 30 June, 2009)

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.

Promotions and Offers: May 2009 Update

UK SBSC — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:30:21 GMT

The following may provide a useful update on the key Microsoft promotions currently running:

Power Through the Downturn: 10% discount on selected core Microsoft products bought through Open licensing**

Until 30 June 2009 you can offer up to 10 per cent discount on selected core Microsoft products bought through Open licensing.

** Offer does not include Open Value Subscription or Open Licence for Government or Academic. Offer available from Microsoft Authorised Distributors. See www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/power for more details.

Windows Server Services Rebate offer

How partners participate in this promotion:

Sell a minimum of 2 qualified server operating systems with services between 15th January 2009 and the 30th June 2009.

Submit the product key and related services invoice for each claim by 31st July 2009 by logging into www.serveroffer.com. You will also need to submit your organisational details and the customer name.

Check the status of your rebate request using your claim number and registered email address.

Windows Client 10% Software Assurance Promotion

For customers who have bought PCs in the last six months or are planning to purchase new PCs - attach Software Assurance and receive a 10% discount with Open and Open Value. Software Assurance will enable your customers to move to Windows 7 in the future without incurring additional upgrade licence costs. Plus, customers can take advantage of Windows 7 Enterprise version and gain access to e-Learning courses to help train staff on the new operating system. PCs must have Windows Vista Business or Windows XP Professional as an OEM or FPP licence. Both of these options present a great opportunity for you to sell Microsoft Software Assurance today by attaching this to all business PC and notebook sales (subject to minimum of 5 licences via Microsoft Open Licensing). Full terms and conditions apply (login to the Partner Portal to view). Click here for more details and in addition, download the ‘customer ready’ e-mail shot, which you can customise, plus guidance on how to do this.

5% price promotion on Open License for Government

Running until the end of June there is a new 5% price promotion on Open License for Government. This coincides with the incentive programme that is being run for resellers through authorised distribution partners. So not only is there a great offer for your public sector customers, but there is also the chance to earn something for yourself. For more information email ukpspart@microsoft.com.

Open License for Government Distribution Incentive

There is now another great reason to be selling Open License for Government. Not only is the government sector IT budget still growing but you can also claim a personal incentive for each deal that you do. Distribution partners Bell Micro, Computer 2000, Ingram Micro and Westcoast each have an incentive programme running that will reward you for the Open License for Government deals that you do, e.g. cash back / vouchers. For further details partners should speak to your authorised distribution partner directly.

Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) – 50% discount for Microsoft Partners

You can now purchase BPOS for use within their businesses, at a reduced price of £5.02 per user/month. This discounted price is available to Gold, Certified and Registered partners who are enrolled in Microsoft Online Services, Microsoft Action Pack or Empower Programmes. The number of seats available to partners depends on partner type:

Registered partners can purchase up to 10 seats
Certified partners can purchase up to 25 seats
Gold Certified partners can purchase up to 100 seats

To order, visit the Microsoft Online Customer Portal (MOCP) to request a price reduction. You will need to include their Live ID, Partner ID and Order Number.

** Please note that for each of these promotions terms and conditions apply. Further details can be found on the Microsoft Partner Portal website: www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/promotions

Don't miss out - Open License for Government Incentive

UK SBSC — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:46:42 GMT

There is now another great reason to be selling Open License for Government. Not only is the government sector IT budget still growing but you can also claim a personal incentive for each deal that you do. Distribution partners Bell Micro, Computer 2000, Ingram Micro and Westcoast each has an incentive programme running that will reward you for the Open License for Government deals that you do. For further details please speak your chosen authorised distribution partner.

Microsoft also now have a UK specific Public Sector page on the partner portal. This new area contains UK specific content for partners targeting Government, Health and Education. Click here to access and to learn more about why you should be considering Public Sector as a target market for your business. You might be surprised to know that Public Sector includes organisations such as doctors surgeries, dentists, district councils and so forth. All of these would qualify for Open License for Government licensing and pricing!

Power Through the Downturn- “Every Last Drop” Marketing Campaign Available Now

UK SBSC — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:37:28 GMT

Getting the most out of technology investment is the main priority for many organisations right now, especially as they’re under more pressure than ever to save money. The second phase of the Power Through the Downturn campaign, entitled "Every Last Drop" focuses on helping customers reduce costs through virtualisation and systems management, by selling Windows Server® 2008 with Hyper-VTM and Microsoft® System Center Essentials 2007 and to enable partners to secure additional revenue by offering extra services to help them optimise their technology infrastructure. All content is available on the partner portal (www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/power) and includes:

Campaign Overview
Value Prop for Managing Costs
Through Partner content using ‘every last drop’ creative: Direct Mail Letter, Email, Banners, White Paper.

What's more, to support the marketing campaign there is a 10% Open License discount promotion in place. Until 30 June 2009 you can offer up to 10% discount on selected core Microsoft products bought through Open licensing.

** Offer does not include Open Value Subscription or Open Licence for Government or Academic. Offer available from Microsoft Authorised Distributors.

See www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/power for more details.

Windows Server Offer has now been extended to include Open Program Licensing!

UK SBSC — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:02:24 GMT

To help our channel partners continue their investment in delivering the best business value to their customers, we are offering a services rebate from January 15 to June 30, 2009. The following service rebates will be available when partners sell and provide services for the listed servers:

Partners can claim up to 5 rebates in total per unique customer.
Partners can claim up to 25 rebates in total per unique partner.
The services provided to the customer must exceed the amount of rebate being requested.

Eligible License types include: Open Value, Open Value Company Wide, Open Value Subscription, FPP, COEM (System Builder), DOEM and OEM (ROK) for each listed Eligible Server product.

Here’s how to participate in this promotion:

Sell a minimum of 2 qualified server operating systems with services between 15^th January 2009 and the 30^th June 2009.
Submit the product key and related services invoice for each claim by 31^st July 2009 by logging into www.serveroffer.com. You will also need to submit your organisational details and the customer name.
Check the status of your rebate request using your claim number and registered email address.

Go to www.serveroffer.com now for more information.

Also, why not take the 5W/50 Series - The Small and Midsize Business Server Platform: Which Is Right for Your Customer? Online training?

Power Through the Downturn - Drive you way to better deals!

UK SBSC — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:56:21 GMT

We wanted to advise you all of an initiative Microsoft is driving to address head-on some of the challenges we know you are facing right now in the mid-market space. No-one is immune to the economic pressures in the market, and we are all feeling the impact of reduced customer spending in some form.

By Mid Market Microsoft means customers with between 30 and 250 PCs - a segment of particular interest to many SBSC Partners.

Microsoft has conducted research over the last few months with Mid Market customers and our channel partners to determine the key business priorities and pain points and how they relate to IT spending at this time. From that research we have developed a package of resources to help you have discussions with your customers regarding those issues and how Microsoft solutions can help them...

The key element of the initiative is a series of Value Propositions developed to address the customer business priorities that were highlighted in our research. These propositions are backed up with a great discount offer to help you close the deal:

Up to 10% discount on selected core products through Open licensing* until 27th March 2009.

We highly recommend you visit our campaign pages on the Partner Portal and download the resources to identify and highlight cost saving opportunities. Present these materials, including the facts, figures and real world examples, to your customers. The resources cover:

Unified Communication Scenario
SharePoint Scenario
Windows Server 2008 Scenario
The Value of Open Licensing
Open Licensing 10% offer
Microsoft Financing Fact Sheet
Campaign Call Guide

Microsoft remains confident there is still opportunity in the market and that Microsoft technologies are now more than ever able to deliver significant value to customers. If Mid Market is not your focus segment please do still look at the resources may also offer key customer messaging that will translate into the smaller business segment too!

Please go to www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/power for further information.

Note: * Does not include OPEN Value Subscription or Open Licence Programme for Government. Offers applicable through Microsoft Authorised Distributors only.

Only a few days left to register for Citrix Partner Accelerator Event

UK SBSC — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:46:36 GMT

A friendly reminder to those interested that the Citrix Partner Accelerator event will be taking place on the 10th February at the National Motorcycle museum, Birmingham. The purpose of the event is to bring you up to speed on the latest Citrix vision and strategy and give you the inside track on new Citrix and partner offerings that could help you stay competitive in 2009. Alongside this, Citrix is offering everyone who attends the Citrix Partner Accelerator event on 10 February the chance to win an awesome all-inclusive Grand Prix experience. There are only a few days left to register... to find out more and register go to: http://www.citrixpartneraccelerator.co.uk/reg.php?pg=reg_show&loc=uk

*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.

Through Distribution Server Promotion

UK SBSC — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:36:54 GMT

Have you heard about the Server promotion taking place through authorised distributors? Here are the details and links to find out more information. Also, you can contact your authorised distributors for more information:

Duration – 15 Jan to 30 June 2009

Reward – between $100 and $500 per claim dependent on product

Claim process – log on to www.serveroffer.com; submit you partner organisational details, submit customer name, COA/product key and copy of services invoice proving deployment.

Quantity – minimum of 2, maximum of 25

Eligible Products - Windows Server 2008 Standard, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise, Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard, Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium, Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Standard, and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Premium.

Eligible licence types - COEM, DOE<, OEM Rok, FPP, (does not include Open)

All the information you need, including T&Cs and the claims process, can be found on www.serveroffer.com.

Become a Citrix Partner

UK SBSC — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:00:32 GMT

Citrix have approached Microsoft as they are keen to engage with SBSC partners.As such, they would like to invite you to a Citrix Partner Accelerator event on the 10th February at the National Motorcycle museum, Birmingham. The purpose of the event is to bring you up to speed on the latest Citrix vision and strategy and give you the inside track on new Citrix and partner offerings that could help you stay competitive in 2009. Alongside this, Citrix is offering everyone who attends the Citrix Partner Accelerator event on 10 February the chance to win an awesome all-inclusive Grand Prix experience, including:

Two nights' accommodation for two at 4* Horwood House, a grand manor house set in 38 acres of landscaped grounds just 15 minutes from Silverstone.
Helicopter transfers to and from the race circuit.
Day membership of the exclusive F1 Paddock Club, including gourmet cuisine, fine champagnes, amazing views of the race start and finish, and guided pit lane walkabouts.

Here's a bit more about the event, in their own words...

Find out how your business could join the fast lane in 2009 by becoming a Citrix partner. It's an exciting time to be part of the Citrix Partner Network™: in the last year we launched new virtualisation solutions, expanded our partnerships with the world's top hardware and software vendors and added new incentives to channel programmes. At our Citrix Partner Accelerator event, you'll learn how these investments could help you develop your business - by offering your customers the most powerful and comprehensive value-added application delivery infrastructure solutions in the market.

Get up to speed with Citrix
We'll bring you up to speed with the latest Citrix vision and strategy and give you the inside track on new Citrix and partner offerings that could help you stay competitive in 2009.

Understand the latest developments within Citrix and in the wider market with keynote speeches from senior Citrix executives.

Learn how you can develop new business opportunities by working together with Citrix.

Experience the newest application delivery infrastructure solutions through demonstrations and proof of concepts in the technical sessions.

Connect with Citrix employees, Citrix Distributors and Citrix Alliance Partners who could transform the way you do business.

Focused Workshops for new resellers on developing your business with Citrix, plus a Citrix Access Essentials for Microsoft focused partners and a Citrix strategic sales workshop for those who want to learn more about the value proposition.

Register online today to guarantee your place.

Once you have registered on the website, you will be asked how they heard about the event and there is the option to select 'Microsoft communication'.

Try Autotask Go! and Save £149

UK SBSC — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:49:09 GMT

We have been contacted by David Salzberg of Autotask as they have a special offer for UK SBSC Partners:

Capture more billable hours, eliminate redundant data entry, improve customer satisfaction. Autotask Go! helps run your IT business better – with the introduction of Autotask Go! in the UK, SBSC partners receive the SMB Edition at no charge – a savings of £149. Autotask Go! is perfect for Outsource IT Solution Providers with up to 3 users. The SMB Edition comes pre-configured with valuable templates designed by IT professionals for the SMB Community. Your database includes built-in automated workflows, pre-configured contracts, common service ticket templates, and more. www.autotask.co.uk/go and enter promo code UKSMB0109 on the order form before 31 March 2009.

Office 2007 SBE FPP Promotion launches 21st December

UK SBSC — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:25:12 GMT

Microsoft's authorised distributors will soon be launching a promotion on FPP Office 2007 Small Business Edition. The discounts could be anything up to 25% and will run between 21st December to the 17th January.

For further details please contact your authorised distributor to understand their offer and how you can take advantage of it.

Get Mobile Ready and win a Window Mobile powered device

UK SBSC — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:07:04 GMT

In today's fast-paced environment, small-business customers have the same needs for remote productivity, accessibility, security and connectivity as their larger enterprise counterparts. Microsoft has created some tools and resources to develop Windows Mobile solutions that can help you generate revenue and provide the support your small-business customers require.

For a limited-time offer, exclusively for Microsoft Small Business Specialists: Complete training modules and review guide on deploying Windows Mobile-based systems - and enter for a chance to win a Windows Mobile powered device.

Go here for more information and to access the tools.

SBS 2008 Sales & Technical Training update - new locations and dates!

UK SBSC — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:55:55 GMT

Recently I announced some heavily subsidised technical training available for Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008. In response a number of you got in touch and asked if we could run the same courses, at the same subsidised rate, but outside the London area. I'm delighted to say that we have now added new dates and locations, and still at that subsidised rate!

SBS 2008 Technical Training:

44CO101 - Implementing and Administering Windows® Small Business Server 2008

Summary: This hands-on workshop provides students with the necessary knowledge to plan and implement Windows Small Business Server 2008. Students gain first-hand knowledge on topics such as installing, migrating, monitoring, securing, and backing up data.

Intended Audience: This course is intended for technology consultants, system integrators, and in-house technology staff that serve small and medium- sized businesses.

Objectives: At the conclusion of the course, participants will be able to:

Install Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008.
Migrate to Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008.
Configure Windows Small Business Server 2008 using the Windows Small Business Server 2008 Console.
Manage users and groups in Windows Small Business Server 2008.
Manage messaging and collaboration in Windows Small Business Server 2008.
Manage and monitor Windows Small Business Server 2008.
Secure a Windows Small Business Server 2008 network.
Expand a Windows Small Business Server 2008 network.

Please note the SBS 2008 courses run after the 1^st December will be delivered in 2 days rather than 3 days. This is in response to Partner feedback with regards to availability to attend courses.

Course Title	Duration	Availability
44CO101 - Implementing and Administering Windows® Small Business Server 2008	3 days	London 1st December
44CO101 - Implementing and Administering Windows® Small Business Server 2008	2 days	London 12th January
44CO101 - Implementing and Administering Windows® Small Business Server 2008	2 days	Edinburgh 15th January
44CO101 - Implementing and Administering Windows® Small Business Server 2008	2 days	Stockport 16th February
44CO101 - Implementing and Administering Windows® Small Business Server 2008	2 days	Birmingham 19th February

We also have the following technical training available:

Partner Onboarding: SBS08 – Online Technical Assessment (30mins)
SBS Technical Learning Path: Useful website to direct you to both online and ILT material
SBS Partner Webinar Series: Landing Page for Webinars and online courses

Sales Training:

Don't forget the sales training that is also available.

There are two learning paths available:

We also have an online course on "Essentials of the OEM Pre-Installation Tool Kit (OPK Tools) for SBS2008 and EBS2008 – (Online)". This course will take you through the business value of using the OPK Tools where they fit with SBS and EBS2008. Why you should be using them and most importantly when you should be using them. We will also cover the essentials of using the powerful “Answer File” with SBS and EBS 2008. This single component adds a tremendous value to both the building of multiple SBS and EBS Servers for sale to customers and to installing the SBS and EBS 2008 servers for clients. We will explore when to use the Answer File for building servers and when to use it for migrations from current versions of SBS to the new products.

Objective:

Understand the value of the OPK Tools.
Install and configure the OPK Tool kit for creating Server Images.
Understand how to use an answer file to build SBS and EBS 2008 Servers.

Go here to register.

Solutions Pathway - SBS and EBS upgrades - FAQ For Partners

UK SBSC — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:51:27 GMT

Eric Ligman has written a great FAQ post for partners on Solutions Pathway - SBS and EBS upgrades. I've cut and paste his post here as I think it well worth you reading - especially the point that SBSC partner can receive and additional 10% discount!!

For those customers with Software Assurance on their SBS 2003 Servers, they already get all of the benefits of the SBS 2003 R2 offering and now have rights to the SBS 2008 solutions moving forward, in addition to all of the Software Assurance benefits. But what about, "Where did the Transition Pack go with SBS 2008?" or other questions about moving into and through the SBS and EBS product families?

Some of you may have heard about a new item called, "Solutions Pathway," which helps provide ways to manoeuvre into and between the SBS & EBS products. To help you better understand what Solutions Pathway is and how it works, we are providing this (rather long) FAQ set for you, which will also be posted to the Microsoft Partner Portal soon as well.

Q. What is Solutions Pathway?

A. Microsoft recognizes the need to provide small and medium business (SMB) customers, and the partners serving these customers, with an easy way to migrate their technology products as their business needs change—whether that entails a move to Windows Essential Server Solutions family of products or movement within the Windows Essential Server Solutions family of products or out of the family to its individual components. With that in mind, Microsoft is introducing Solutions Pathway, which will enable the partners help their customers to upgrade to a new product or solution quite easily from the one that the customers are currently using.

Solutions Pathway offers a tiered discount that will be applicable to various mobility scenarios, i.e. into, within, and out of Windows Essential Server Solutions family of products, and will replace previously offered products, such as Version Upgrade (VUP), Product Upgrade Pack (PUP) and Transition Pack (TP), to achieve the same outcomes. Partners, on behalf of their customers, will be able to make the purchase easily from the Solutions Pathway website on Microsoft.com.

Small Business Specialists and Networking Infrastructure Solutions partners can receive an additional 10% discount. Access to Solutions Pathway for these partners is available here.

For more information on becoming a Small Business specialist, click here. To learn more about joining the Networking Infrastructure Solutions competency, click here.

Q. What are the eligibility requirements to participate in Solutions Pathway?

A. The only requirement to be eligible to participate in Solutions Pathway is that the customer has the perpetual license to any one of the qualifying products, as detailed below, that the customer is using and now wants to move out of. Licenses acquired under any subscription-based Microsoft Volume Licensing program (e.g., Open Value Subscription), do not qualify customers to make Solutions Pathway purchases.

The table below captures the allowed mobility scenarios. The entry points to Solutions Pathway are the products listed in first column:

Click image for full size

Note:

a. The individual components relevant to Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server (EBS) 2008 are as below:

Click image for full size

b. Detailed information on these Limited Duration Programs is available here.

Q. In which regions will Solutions Pathway be offered?

A. Solutions Pathway will be available worldwide.

Q. How does Solutions Pathway work?

A. An example scenario will clarify how the Solutions Pathway concept will work.
Let’s say a customer has Windows SBS 2008 Standard. Whatever channel the customer buys it from, the partner (on behalf of customer) can go to the Solutions Pathway online store and choose the mobility path, whether it is an upgrade from the Standard to the Premium edition within the same product or from Windows SBS 2008 to Windows EBS 2008, or from Windows SBS 2008 to standalone products.

On the Solutions Pathway online store, the partner will be asked to input the information about the current product, and the most important piece of that information is the 5x5 product key (xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx). In this example, the partner will enter the Windows SBS 2008 Standard product key. The back-end infrastructure of Solutions Pathway will recognize the product key and then display the available options based on the fact that customer has Windows SBS 2008 Standard.
The partner can then choose the path she wants to take and buy the corresponding server and CALs. At the time of billing, the partner will be given a discount over the total price of the purchase and will be billed that amount—plus taxes, VAT (Value Added Tax, if applicable), and shipping and handling.

With this, the transaction will be complete and the products (server and CALs) will be shipped to the given address.

Q. Are licenses acquired through Solutions Pathway OEM, Full Package Product (aka Retail box), or Volume licenses?

A. Licenses purchased through Solutions Pathway are Full Package Product (aka Retail box) licenses.

Q. What is the discount offered to Partners in Solutions Pathway? Where can I find my pricing on these items as a Partner?

A. The discount level offered depends on the mobility scenario, i.e.

Into Windows Essential Server Solutions 2008 Family

Within Windows Essential Server Solutions 2008 Family

Out of Windows Essential Server Solutions 2008 Family

Below is an illustration of all possible mobility paths available in Solutions Pathway:

Click image for full size

Solutions Pathway offers a tiered discount. There are 2 different discount levels in each tier – one discount for Small Business Specialists (SBSC) and Networking Infrastructure Solutions (NI) partners, another for all other partners and customers. More information on Solutions Pathway for partners can be found here.

Click image for full size

Discounts applied to Windows SBS 2008 prices listed here and Windows EBS 2008 prices listed here.

Q. You mention customers can order this directly from Microsoft.com—doesn’t this mean that Microsoft is now competing with me as a partner?

A. No. Microsoft has always tried to make its technology products as accessible as possible. Partners are an extremely important part of our ecosystem, especially in the small and medium business (SMB) segment. Because of this, partners receive an additional 10% discount on Solutions Pathway pricing and since SMB customers tend to rely on partners for their IT purchases, Solutions Pathway offers the partners with an opportunity to generate additional revenue.

Q. Will these upgrades and credit programs offered through Solutions Pathway be available in LicenseWise or Gear Up tools for putting quotes together for my clients?

A. No, these will not be available anywhere else except for Solutions Pathway.

Q. Where on the Microsoft Partner Portal can I learn more about Solutions Pathway and how it works with ordering steps?

A. Partner-specific information on Solutions Pathway is available here, and general overview is also available here. We are also making available a step-by-step guide that covers the purchase process through Solutions Pathway from start to finish, which can be found here. (Step-by-Step document coming soon, before Nov. 24^th, but I wanted to post the link here for you so you can access it as soon as it goes up)

Q. Can I order the upgrades that are offered in Solutions Pathway through my Distributor?

A. No, right now the upgrades offered through Solutions Pathway cannot be ordered through distributors; however, the next version of Solutions Pathway, scheduled for release on 05/01/2009, will have an interface for the distributors and the partners will then be able to order through the distributors.

Q. Can I order the upgrades that are offered in Solutions Pathway in advance to have in stock for my clients?

A. No, the upgrades offered through Solutions pathway cannot be stocked in advance as the only way to participate in Solutions Pathway is to have the 5x5 product key of an existing eligible product.

Q. Are the upgrades that are offered in Solutions Pathway also available through the Open License programs?

A. No, these will not be available anywhere but Solutions Pathway.

Q. When is Solutions Pathway available and which mobility paths will be offered?

A. Solutions Pathway will launch on 11/12/08 with one scenario activated: moving into the Windows Essential Server Solutions family. Within and Out of Windows Essential Server Solutions family transitions can only be made after 180 days of purchase of the product that is being used to gain entry to Solutions Pathway. Thus the scenarios: moving within and out of the Windows Essential Server Solutions family will be activated starting 05/01/2009.

Q. When is version 2 of Solutions Pathway scheduled for release and what new features can we expect?

A. Version 2 of Solutions Pathway is scheduled for release on 05/01/2009. Among the features that are part of this release are:

Adding interface for distributors to participate in Solutions Pathway

Offer Windows Server 2008, which ships as part of Windows SBS 2008 Premium and Windows EBS 2008 Premium, downgrade to Windows Server 2003 R2

Please note that this list is directional only and is subject to change.

Q. How will upgrading from the previous Windows SBS versions such as Windows SBS 2000 and Windows SBS 2003 R2 work?

A.   All customers who have Windows SBS 2000, Windows SBS 2003 or Windows SBS 2003 R2 will be eligible to purchase Windows SBS 2008 software and CALs through Solutions Pathway at an attractive discount.

Q. Will customers be able to upgrade from Windows SBS 2008 to Windows EBS 2008 easily? What will the cost be?

A.   Customers can upgrade from Windows SBS 2008 to Windows EBS 2008. So, all customers who have Windows SBS 2008 will be eligible to purchase Windows EBS 2008 software and CALs through Solutions Pathway at an attractive discount.

Q. What are the “Exchange Server 2007 Software and CAL Credit” and “Windows Server 2008 Standard CAL Credit” promotions being offered in the Solutions Pathway program?

A. In conjunction with Solutions Pathway, Microsoft is launching two offers for a limited duration of time:

Exchange Server 2007 Software and CAL Credit: Through this offer, any customer that has a perpetual license to Exchange Server 2007 Standard software and has acquired corresponding Exchange Server 2007 CALs will be given a discount when licensing Windows EBS 2008 Standard or Premium software and Windows EBS 2008 CAL Suite or Windows EBS 2008 CAL Suite for Premium users or devices through Solutions Pathway.

Windows Server 2008 Standard CAL Credit: Through this offer, any customer that has a perpetual license to Windows Server 2008 Standard software and has acquired corresponding Windows Server 2008 CALs will be given a discount when licensing Windows EBS 2008 CAL Suite through Solutions Pathway.

The intent of these two offers is to preserve the investments that customers have made in Exchange Server 2007 Standard software and CALs, as well as Windows Server 2008 Standard CALs as these are included in Windows EBS 2008 software and CAL.

Please note that these are limited-duration programs, and more information can be found in the Solutions Pathway terms and conditions.

Q. Will there be an upgrade path from Windows Server 2008 Standard to Windows SBS 2008?

A. No. Microsoft believes that customers with Windows Server 2008 Standard can purchase Windows SBS 2008 and use that Windows Server 2008 Standard in the Windows SBS 2008 domain. This way, customers can enjoy their continued investment in Windows Server 2008 Standard.

Q. When the customer passes the 75-user limit for Windows SBS 2008, what is the next step?

A.   There is a choice: move up the customer to Windows EBS 2008 or to the standalone servers that make up Windows SBS 2008 solution. Both scenarios are supported through Solutions Pathway.

Q. When he customer passes the 300-user limit for Windows EBS 2008, what is the next step?

A.   Partners can take advantage of Solutions Pathway and move the customer to the standalone servers that make up Windows EBS 2008 solution.

Q. Is there a mobility path to CORE CAL?

A.   No. There are no mobility paths to Core CAL through Solutions Pathway.

Q. Will it be possible to step up from S Windows BS 2003 + Software Assurance to E Windows BS 2008 (since Windows SBS 2008 doesn't include an ISA Server)?

A.   Yes, Microsoft is working to create a step-up SKU to Windows EBS 2008 for customers who have Software Assurance on Windows SBS 2003 R2 and want to move to Windows EBS 2008. Details will be available shortly.

Q. Can I add Software Assurance to the Solutions Pathway purchase?

A. Yes, licenses purchased through Solutions Pathway are Full Package Product (aka Retail box) licenses which Software Assurance can be added to within 90 days of Solutions Pathway purchase. See the Microsoft Volume Licensing Product List for details.

Q. How long does it take to receive the media/keys after purchase?

A. It takes 2-3 weeks for shipment to be delivered at the address provided.

Q. What if I experience a problem with my order in Solutions Pathway, who should I contact?

A. At Microsoft, we value our partners and customers and want to ensure a high quality purchase experience. Should you experience a problem with your order, contact your region below:

North America: solutionspathway@one.microsoft.upgrade.com

Latin America: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/contactusen/?ln=es-la

Europe, Middle East and Africa: direct-mar@msdirectservices.com

Asia Pacific: porders@microsoft.com or wwpo@microsoft.com (for Taiwan only)

Q. How are taxes and VAT treated in Solutions Pathway?

A. Customers are required to pay the taxes and VAT (if applicable).

Q. Do customers have to pay shipping and handling charges for their purchases through Solutions Pathway?

A. Yes, customers are required to pay shipping and handling charges.

Q. If I can’t find the 5 x 5 product key (xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx) that I used to install my software, where can I get it?

A. You can contact Microsoft support centers for additional assistance or request a media replacement:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=mscom

Q. Where can I find the Solutions Pathway website?

A.   Customers and partners will have different entry websites to redeem their corresponding discounts. Customers can start here and partners here.

Q. Where can I find an end-to-end Solutions Pathway purchase process?

A.   A detailed Solutions Pathway process document is available here to provide you with additional information and easy step-by-step guide to your product upgrade. (Step-by-Step document coming soon, before Nov. 24^th, but I wanted to post the link here for you so you can access it as soon as it goes up)

I hope this helps answer many of the questions you have had about Solutions Pathway, what it is, how it works, etc. If there are others we have missed, well, you know where to find me to let us know. :-)

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman
Global Partner Experience Lead
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

Microsoft SMB Community Blog : Solutions Pathway - SBS and EBS upgrades - FAQ For Partners

SBS 2003 R2 With Software Assurance Offer has been Extended

UK SBSC — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:28:37 GMT

Have you taken advantage of the Windows SBS 2003 R2 with Software Assurance promotion? For those who are not aware, the SBS 2003 R2 with Software Assurance offer has been extended to December 31, 2008.

What are the Customer Benefits?

If a customer buys Windows SBS 2003 R2 with Software Assurance can take advantage of the following benefits while they get ready for Windows SBS 2008:

A Windows SBS 2008 upgrade license at no additional charge
A license upgrade to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 at no additional charge
- A license upgrade to Microsoft Internet Security and Accelerator (ISA) Server 2006¹ and Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007
- (Premium Edition only)
Key Software Assurance benefits, such as technical support and the ability to spread payments over time (with Open Value)

Go here for more information go to https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40077574 or visit the official site: https://sbsrebate.com