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February 2008 - Posts

Friday, February 29, 2008 1:47 PM

Windows Desktop Deployment Specialization - New specialization in the Advanced Infrastructure competency

Is desktop deployment an area of expertise of your organization? If so, then the Windows Desktop Deployment Specialization may be a good fit for your Partner organization. The Windows Desktop Deployment Specialization is a new specialization in the Advanced
Posted by mssmallbiz | 2 Comments
Friday, February 29, 2008 11:23 AM

Windows Server 2008 Partner Activation Guide

Clients with Volume Licenses for Windows Server 2008 or who have Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance (thus getting them the rights to Windows Server 2008) are able to utilize Volume Activation 2.0 in the deployment of their Windows Server
Posted by mssmallbiz | 2 Comments
Friday, February 29, 2008 9:18 AM

4 Steps to building a Microsoft Response Point practice for Partners

Whether you have been selling phone systems for years or are just getting started with VoIP and phone system technologies, you'll find Response Point is a great solution for your small business customers. To get started building a Response Point practice,
Posted by mssmallbiz | 3 Comments
Friday, February 29, 2008 6:32 AM

The cost of inactivity and doubt – Part 2

For those of you that have been following the Blog for awhile, you may recall my post back in September on, “ The cost of inactivity and doubt .” This post followed my " Let’s have some fun, and see who’s paying attention… " where I made an offer to give
Posted by mssmallbiz | 2 Comments
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Friday, February 29, 2008 4:04 AM

Open Value Subscription Partner pricing and part number Cheat Sheet

Being a former owner of a Microsoft Partner company, I often think about what I would provide to my sales staff and what I would use if I were still in that position when it comes to several of our programs and offerings today. In looking at Open Value
Posted by mssmallbiz | 13 Comments
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 6:05 AM

Join in the launch activities virtually today, even if you are not at a launch event

Today we kick of a series of global events to launch Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008. If you are interested in attending one of the upcoming live launch events we have coming up, you can still register for some of the cities.
Posted by mssmallbiz | 1 Comments
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 1:28 PM

Northern California Partner Licensing Bootcamps hosted by Microsoft & TechData

Here is your chance to participate in an interactive Product & Licensing Seminar to learn how to earn additional income and expand your services business. Demonstrating your expertise in providing licensing solutions and services around Unified Communications
Posted by mssmallbiz | 4 Comments
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 8:18 AM

Microsoft Small Business Solutions Brochure – Exclusive offer for my Blog readers

Have you seen the Microsoft Small Business Solutions Brochure that the Microsoft U.S. Small Business Team put together earlier this year? This is a full-color, 22-page, customer-ready brochure showing the various technologies designed for Small Businesses
Posted by mssmallbiz | 9 Comments
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:04 AM

Windows Small Business Server (SBS) CALs for only 4¢* per day! Just 63¢* more per day will get you the SBS Server license as well.

Yes, you read that right! Starting in less than one week, you can get Microsoft Windows Small Business Server Client Access Licenses (CALs) for as little as 4¢* per day through the new Microsoft Open Value Subscription program . Plus, you can add a Microsoft
Posted by mssmallbiz | 4 Comments
Monday, February 25, 2008 1:47 PM

Simplifying the Microsoft Partner Portal – What are your thoughts?

As a Microsoft partner, you may remember that when you join the Microsoft Partner program, you are exposed to a handful of benefits and resources listed in our welcome email. As you click on such resources, you are directed to our Partner portal. As you
Posted by mssmallbiz | 0 Comments
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Monday, February 25, 2008 10:48 AM

Upgrade to Windows Vista Business or Enterprise for $35*! That’s less than 10¢ per day!

$35* to upgrade to Windows Vista Business or Enterprise? Really? Yes, it’s true. Just like I talked about in my, “ Microsoft Office Professional Plus for 25¢* per day? That’s only $7.50* per month! ” post where I showed you how you could get Microsoft
Posted by mssmallbiz | 4 Comments
Monday, February 25, 2008 9:39 AM

Debating if you should attend SMB Summit? Attend this webcast to find out.

Have you been thinking of going to SMB Summit in Dallas this April but haven’t registered yet? Attend the SMB Summit 5W/50 webcast on Wednesday where the presenters will take you through the conference agenda, go over content details, speakers, logistics,
Posted by mssmallbiz | 1 Comments
Monday, February 25, 2008 7:45 AM

7 days to the Open Value Subscription Launch – Are you ready?

Just under eight weeks ago, my “ Big news: Open Value Subscription launching in the U.S. and Canada! ” post announced the upcoming launch of Open Value Subscription here in the US and Canada. Now, we are just one week away. Are you ready for the launch?
Posted by mssmallbiz | 9 Comments
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 4:03 AM

Solution profiler on Microsoft.com. Give your feedback to the Partner Team.

The Microsoft Partner Team is looking for your input and feedback on the addition of the Solution Profiler directly to the Microsoft.com site. Please note, the Solution Profiler is not Small Business specific, like the SBSC Partner Locator Tool you see
Posted by mssmallbiz | 1 Comments
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Monday, February 18, 2008 8:08 AM

Microsoft Office Professional Plus for 25¢* per day? That’s only $7.50* per month!

What if I told you that you could get Microsoft Office Professional Plus for just 25¢* per day, which equates to only $7.50* per month? Note: I’m talking about Microsoft Office Professional Plus here, the version you get through Microsoft Volume Licensing,
Posted by mssmallbiz | 4 Comments
Monday, February 18, 2008 4:03 AM

Exchange 2007 CALs – Why everyone needs Standard CALs

In a recent thread between Partners, the question of what Exchange 2007 CALs are needed in an Exchange 2007 Server environment arose. Just like with Exchange 2003 Server, there are two editions of the Server product: Exchange Server Standard and Exchange
Posted by mssmallbiz | 3 Comments
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Friday, February 15, 2008 10:03 AM

Install software on new PCs without paying for it? Yes, through the Open Value Subscription annual true-up process, you get this flexibility

A benefit unique to the new Open Value Subscription Program , is the annual true-up and true-down feature. Through this process, for any of the Enterprise products you are licensed for through Open Value Subscription (this is not a feature of any other
Posted by mssmallbiz | 6 Comments
Friday, February 15, 2008 6:15 AM

February 19th “Partner Introduction to the NEW Microsoft Open Value Subscription Program,” session canceled. Sign up for Feb. 28th session

Due to an unavoidable conflict that has recently arisen, the February 19 th , “ Partner Introduction to the NEW Microsoft Open Value Subscription Program ,” Live Meeting session is going to be canceled. I tried to arrange things in a way that would allow
Posted by mssmallbiz | 1 Comments
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 9:01 AM

Do we forfeit the licenses we use for the Up-to-date discount?

One question I have received from a few Partners about the Up-to-date discount I have covered in the “ Partner Introduction to the NEW Microsoft Open Value Subscription Program ” Live Meetings as well as the various Blog posts on this (such as: Yes, you
Posted by mssmallbiz | 2 Comments
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 6:11 AM

What are the Open Value Subscription product groups? Enterprise Products, Additional Products, and Up-to-date discounts

In the new Microsoft Open Value Subscription Program, there are three groups of product offerings available: Enterprise products, Additional products, and Up-to-date discount SKUs. Here is a 2:34 minute overview of what these three groups are, what’s
Posted by mssmallbiz | 3 Comments
Monday, February 11, 2008 11:04 AM

Open Value Perpetual vs. Open Value Subscription – What are some of the key differences?

In my What are the various Open License Programs and how do they fit together? post, I show where Open Value Subscription fits into the overall Open License picture as part of the Open Value Program with perpetual vs. Non-perpetua l being one of the key
Posted by mssmallbiz | 1 Comments
Monday, February 11, 2008 7:57 AM

Side-by-side overview and comparison of Open License Programs

With the announcement of the upcoming launch of Open Value Subscription, there is now a non-perpetual way to acquire Microsoft technology through our Open License programs. So how do the various Open License programs compare to each other and which one
Posted by mssmallbiz | 3 Comments
Monday, February 11, 2008 4:04 AM

Have you applied to get free access to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live through the Early Access program?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live is our new Microsoft-hosted CRM solution that delivers a fast, flexible, and familiar customer management solution for businesses looking to combine the power of online services with the richness of their everyday productivity
Posted by mssmallbiz | 1 Comments
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Friday, February 08, 2008 10:43 AM

Microsoft Office Small Business Open Value Subscription Part #s and Prices

In my Open Value Subscription pricelist now available! (Except Up-to-date discounts SKUs) post, I shared that the Open Value Subscription pricelists are now available and the Up-to-date discount SKUs would be published shortly. Well, the UTD list is now
Posted by mssmallbiz | 3 Comments
Friday, February 08, 2008 8:59 AM

Microsoft Windows Vista Business Upgrade Open Value Subscription Part #s and Prices

In my Open Value Subscription pricelist now available! (Except Up-to-date discounts SKUs) post, I shared that the Open Value Subscription pricelists are now available and the Up-to-date discount SKUs would be published shortly. Well, the UTD list is now
Posted by mssmallbiz | 4 Comments
Friday, February 08, 2008 7:30 AM

Microsoft Office Pro Plus Open Value Subscription Part #s and Prices

In my Open Value Subscription pricelist now available! (Except Up-to-date discounts SKUs) post, I shared that the Open Value Subscription pricelists were now available and the Up-to-date discount SKUs would be published shortly. Well, the UTD list is
Posted by mssmallbiz | 3 Comments
Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:25 AM

Perpetual vs. non-perpetual licensing. What’s the difference?

Recently, I was asked by a Partner what the difference between perpetual and non-perpetual licensing is. They had heard both referenced when reading about the Open Value Subscription launch in March. To help answer this question for the broader Microsoft
Posted by mssmallbiz | 8 Comments
Thursday, February 07, 2008 6:40 AM

What are the various Open License Programs and how do they fit together?

With the announcement of the upcoming launch of Open Value Subscription, I have had a few Partners ask the question of, “So where does Open Value Subscription fit in with the other Open programs and which program should I use when?” To help answer this
Posted by mssmallbiz | 8 Comments
Wednesday, February 06, 2008 8:31 AM

The “break-even” point of Open Value Subscription

Since shortly after the initial announcement of the upcoming launch of Open Value Subscription, there have been some questions around the “break-even” point of Open Value Subscription. What I mean by that is, when comparing Open Value Subscription to
Posted by mssmallbiz | 2 Comments
Tuesday, February 05, 2008 7:33 AM

4th Annual SMB Summit - "Cougar" and "Centro" Readiness Training: April 18-21

Have you read about and signed up for the upcoming SMB Summit taking place April 18 th – 21 st in Texas? If not, just look at what you are missing out on: Expected topics presented by Microsoft PSS, SBS Dev Team, MVPs, and Partners include: Installing,
Posted by mssmallbiz | 2 Comments
Tuesday, February 05, 2008 4:00 AM

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP1 RTM

For those of you who did not see the announcement on Monday, both Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP1 RTMed yesterday. You can view the full Microsoft Press Pass on the Windows Server 2008 RTM for full details on that announcement. For more information
Posted by mssmallbiz | 0 Comments
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Monday, February 04, 2008 1:45 PM

NOTICE: If you downloaded Visual Studio 2008 from VLSC prior to January 31st, you should delete those bits and re-download

A couple weeks back, I posted about the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) where customers who purchase through Open License can access and download installation media for the products they purchase instead of having to wait for the installation media
Posted by mssmallbiz | 1 Comments
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Monday, February 04, 2008 11:30 AM

What are the “Enterprise Products” available through Open Value Subscription?

With the new Open Value Subscription program, one of the requirements is that the initial Agreement order be for at least one of the Enterprise products on a company-wide basis. Plus, for those of you interested in taking advantage of the Up-to-date discount
Posted by mssmallbiz | 21 Comments
Monday, February 04, 2008 8:30 AM

The Big Easy Offer is now live on Microsoft Incentives

For several weeks now, I have been posting about the “Big Easy” offer that we just launched on Friday letting you know about resources available to you as a Partner, such as: Did you hear about the “Big Easy” promotion last week? and “Big Easy” promotion
Posted by mssmallbiz | 9 Comments
Monday, February 04, 2008 6:00 AM

Win a trip to Jamaica and more in the Big Easy contest through Microsoft Partner University

Microsoft Partner University is now offering The Big Easy Quiz and contest which is based on the Big Easy Offer, Open Value Subscription and Microsoft Financing. This contest is open to all U.S. Partners and is officially open for entries right now. What
Posted by mssmallbiz | 3 Comments
Monday, February 04, 2008 4:00 AM

Open Value Subscription pricelist now available! (Except Up-to-date discounts SKUs)

As I have been conveying through my Blog posts and during my Partner Introduction to the NEW Microsoft Open Value Subscription Program Live Meetings, the Open Value Subscription pricelist went live on Friday, February 1 st , and your Distributors have
Posted by mssmallbiz | 8 Comments
Sunday, February 03, 2008 1:39 PM

Work-life balance. What a scam…

Here’s a slightly off topic thought for all of you out there.. Here we are on a weekend day, Super Bowl Sunday, the big game just under two hours away (for those of you sports fans or commercial lovers) and it got me thinking about an often discussed
Posted by mssmallbiz | 4 Comments
Friday, February 01, 2008 9:45 AM

Download the Partner to Partner Booklet: Building Your Business by Selling SBS

For those of you that have not seen this yet, here is a great resource authored by some of your peers: Arlin Sorensen (Heartland Technology Solutions), Dean Calvert (Calvert Technologies), and Andy Trish (NCI). This electronic booklet, available for Microsoft
Posted by mssmallbiz | 0 Comments
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Friday, February 01, 2008 4:54 AM

It’s official: Microsoft proposes acquisition of Yahoo!

Here’s some late-breaking news for all of you around a topic of debate for quite some time. There has been talk and speculation around, “Will they or won’t they?” when it comes to an acquisition of Yahoo! by Microsoft. Well, the Press Pass announcement
Posted by mssmallbiz | 2 Comments
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