Selling IW to Customers - Terry Stein - It's an IW World, and I'm Just Living In It!

5/21/2008

Last Wednesday, I had the honor of presenting to the partners in South Central about our Unified Communications solutions. I'm super excited about the direction that we're headed with our Unified Communications solution, and I've spent the better part of the last 12 months working with many of the partners in the Heartland Area to help them get OCS deployed in their environment so they can better understand the value of the solution.

I have a very strong belief that it's much easier to articulate the value of a solution if you work with it regularly. When you understand how it benefits you, your story to the customer is much more credible.

If you're interested in learning more about Microsoft's UC solution, the webcast is available on-demand here.

Posted at 11:16 AM by NORTHAMERICA\terrys | Category: Office Communications Server; Selling IW to Customers | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

Looking for a Great Demo? Look No Further

Frequently, I hear from partners asking for a good VM that can be used on a specific solution or product to deliver to a customer. Normally, these requests come to me with 1-2 days of lead time, so it doesn't allow for enough time to download a VPC, get it in the hands of the partner, and then have them be able to work with it and learn it before the customer meeting.

Some of you are probably aware of something called the Demo Showcase, but for those who aren't aware or forgot that this terrific tool exists, I thought it might be a good idea to provide a little refresher.

The idea behind the Demo Showcase is that it is solution-based, rather than product-based. All of the demo scripts and VMs were built on a scenario foundation. At last count, we have 24 different scenarios targeted towards different customer roles and tasks those roles would be interested in making easier in their organization.

The message in the Demo Showcase is that it's the integration of the Microsoft product stack that allows a person to seamlessly work, without worrying about which product is actually being used.

The Demo Showcase is updated a couple times each year to include some of the latest products, so check back regularly for updated scenarios and VM images.

Ready to check them out? Click here to get more information and download the VMs.

Posted at 8:54 AM by NORTHAMERICA\terrys | Category: Selling IW to Customers | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

5/20/2008

Get it Now - The EPM 2007 Demo Virtual Machine

Great news for all our of Project Management partners out there looking for a great way to show off Microsoft's project management tools, technologies, and solutions!

Introducing the Enterprise Project Management 2007 Demo Virtual Machine!

The Enterprise Project Management 2007 Demo VM is designed to allow you to demonstrate the features and functionality of Microsoft Office Project 2007, Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, and Microsoft Office Project Portfolio Server 2007 in a live environment utilizing a single PC or laptop computer.

The Enterprise Project Management 2007 Demo has the RTM versions of the Project 2007 stack installed and configured plus the new Project Server and Portfolio Server demo databases. Demo scripts are included with this image, more will be posted at a later date. There is an instruction document to describe the role and logins of the users.

The contents of the VM are:

· Windows Server 2003 R2

· Microsoft SQL 2005 SP2

· Microsoft SQL 2005 Analysis Services SP2

· Microsoft SQL 2005 Reporting Services SP2

· Microsoft Office Project Server 2007

· Microsoft Office Project Portfolio Server 2007

· Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

· Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007

· Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007

· Microsoft Office Visio 2007

· .Net Framework 3.0

The image is 3.5 GB and we recommend that you have about 13GB of free disk space in order to install and run. We broke the installation into eight pieces to facilitate an easier download.

Interested in getting the VM? Click here to go to the link and get the instructions for downloading.

Posted at 1:46 PM by NORTHAMERICA\terrys | Category: Office Desktop Applications; Project Management; Selling IW to Customers; SharePoint | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

5/16/2008

Invite Your Customers! Get Office 2007 Deployed

Tips & Tricks for Microsoft® Office 2007 System (Level 100)

Live Meeting Presentation

Learn about Microsoft® Office 2007 System features built to help you:

Deliver better results faster
Get more out of your information
Be better connected

On June 5, 2008 we invite you to attend a Live Meeting offering that will help you get the most out of using the Microsoft® Office 2007 System. This session is a great way for you to learn time savers and new features that will enhance your experience working with Office 2007, regardless of your skill level. Beginner, intermediate, or advanced – everyone will have something to learn!

Tips & Tricks for Microsoft® Office 2007 System

Office 2007 has evolved from a suite of personal productivity products to a more comprehensive and integrated system. The 2007 release presents the Microsoft® Office Fluent user interface as well as new features that will allow you to complete tasks more quickly and easily. In just 90 minutes, you’ll experience very useful tips and tricks demonstrations within Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint® and PowerPoint.

We encourage you to take the time out of your busy schedule to attend this offering. Led by a Microsoft® technology presenter, Andy Reed, the session will be informative and entertaining, geared to help you deliver better results faster, get more out of your information, and work more effectively with others.

June 5, 2008

Tips & Tricks for

Microsoft® Office 2007
11:00a.m. – 12:30p.m. (Eastern)

Windows Vista® Ultimate

Microsoft^® Office
Professional 2007

Register Now

* No purchase necessary to win. Winners will be selected from the participants who attend the Live Meeting and have completed and submitted the evaluation form at the end of the event. For detailed official rules and posting of winners, please email Legal Rules Governing Raffles CR.

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Posted at 2:09 PM by NORTHAMERICA\terrys | Category: Selling IW to Customers; Office Desktop Applications | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

5/14/2008

SharePoint Deployment Planning Services Available to Qualified Customers Worldwide on May 19th!

On May 19th,we will announce the release of SharePoint Deployment Planning Services (SDPS), a new partner and MCS delivered offering designed to help Software Assurance customers successfully plan and deploy SharePoint. SDPS includes a broad range of planning tools and services that help optimize the effectiveness of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server’s core capabilities (Portals & Collaboration, ECM and Search) and help lower the cost of deployment. Reception of this program has been VERY well received by both partners, customers and the field during our 4 month pilot that took place from January – April this year.

SDPS is a packaged service offering that is a benefit for customers with qualifying Software Assurance. Customers now have the flexibility to choose Desktop Deployment Planning and/or SharePoint Deployment planning services as part of their SA investment.

The number of Packaged Service days is determined by a combination of the number of qualifying Office licenses and the number of Core CAL suite and Enterprise CAL suite licenses.

Currently we have over 300 certified consultants that are available to deliver an SDPS engagement.

Over 18,000 Customers can leverage this service starting May 19th.

What does an SDPS engagement entitle customers to receive?

A 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 day deployment planning engagement will be offered depending on the customer’s SA benefit level.

The types of services delivered will depend on the length of the engagement

1. A Strategy Briefing defines the vision for achieving technical and business goals and is part of all engagements,

2. An Architectural Design Session introduces SharePoint technologies, solutions and concepts is added in a 3 Day Engagement,

3. A Deployment Planning Session covers a specific SharePoint capability in depth is added in a 5 Day Engagement, and

4. A Proof of Concept demonstrates the solution in the customer’s environment is added in a 10 and 15 day engagement.

Where do Customers find information on their SA benefit?

To determine the software assurance the customer has purchased, they must identify who, within the organization, “owns” the contract with Microsoft. This could be a legal resource, a contracting specialist, or an IT executive and is known as the Notices Contact and the Agreement Administrator. This person would receive their entitlement details at http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/sa/default.mspx.

What is the value of SDPS to Customers and Partners?

Customers

§ SDPS enables customers to obtain a roadmap to understand how to effectively deploy SharePoint within their Organization and helps remove the customer-perceived risk and cost of planning for a SharePoint deployment.

§ SDPS offers an engagement that is customized for each customer, addressing their specific business or technical challenges.

§ SDPS enables customers to get more value out of their existing Software Assurance investment, and is available to them at no additional cost.

Partners

§ Partners receive the SDPS tools, training, and support to help customers deploy SharePoint and increase their revenue in the process.

§ SDPS helps minimize the up-front partner investment and pre-sales planning and helps customers get a SharePoint deployment plan in place, opening the door for increased partner service revenue opportunity.

§ Microsoft pays qualified partners to deliver SDPS services.

Where can I find more information?

The external site for partners to register is www.microsoftsdps.com, which will point them to the new partner community center where partners can leverage SDPS selling and engagement materials at www.partnersdps.com.

Customers can understand the opportunity and benefit of SDPS as part of the Software Assurance investment at http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/sa.

What is next?

Get certified to delivery SPDS services and have Microsoft pay your consulting fee for the engagement! www.microsoftsdps.com.

Posted at 2:43 PM by NORTHAMERICA\terrys | Category: SharePoint; Selling IW to Customers; Competencies & Certification | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

5/12/2008

Get Recognized for Outstanding Work

Microsoft Heartland Partner Awards

Deadline to submit: May 17, 2008

2008 Microsoft Local Partner Award Opportunities

Nominate Your Solution For A Local Award! Open Now!

Each semester, your local Microsoft team recognizes partners who have excelled in sales, marketing, growth, competing to win, partnering, and customer experience.

Each winner will receive a custom-engraved plaque, a framed letter from the Area General Manager, and you’ll be included in a partner award press release.

You can view full details on the award categories and self-nominate using our new web-based submision tool. Nominations for this award period are open from February 12 to May 17, 2008.

Submit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3LTqMoFB0r_2bvRLzMmuiBCA_3d_3d

Given how busy things are this time of year, I recommend you designate someone within your organization as the Partner Award lead to make sure you don’t miss this opportunity for recognition.

If you have any questions please let me know or email: HLAPC@MICROSOFT.COM for assistance.

Posted at 4:38 PM by NORTHAMERICA\terrys | Category: Selling IW to Customers | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

5/1/2008

What’s All This Talk About IO…And What Do I Do About IT?

If you've spent any time at all with the Microsoft field teams in the last 9 months, you've heard us talk about Infrastructure Optimization.

The model comes in 3 flavors: Core Infrastructure Optimization (CIO); Business Productivity Infrastructure Optimization (BPIO); and Application Platform Optimization (APO).

As I've traveled the Heartland talking to partners about IO, the question invariably turns to how a partner can make IO real with a customer. Some of our partners are just getting started with IO, and others have gone so far as to build their entire organization around the IO models.

Since I tend to focus my attention around business productivity, let me start by pointing you to a great learning tool called BPIO University Online. Working through the online course is a wonderful way to get up to speed on how Microsoft looks at BPIO, as well as how you can begin to have conversations with customers using the concepts in the model. This is a more sales-oriented course, but then how many of you are NOT sales people...even if you don't carry a quota?

The course is FREE for all Microsoft partners and you can take a look at it here. You'll need to register for a password for the system prior to taking the course.

If you're looking for a little more of a technical readiness around BPIO, we have that too! The pre-sales technical readiness workshop is also online and you can get to it here.

So, now you're ready to have the conversation with a customer about IO. Now, how do you go about an actual assessment? Would you be interested in an online tool for that? Wish granted. We have posted an online tool that is available for all to work through. You can even find a sample report to take a look at. You'll find the tool by clicking here.

Posted at 12:51 PM by NORTHAMERICA\terrys | Category: Selling IW to Customers | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)