Microsoft's

Mid-Atlantic SMS&P Newsletter

SALES, MARKETING & TECHNICAL NEWS

July 2006

IN THIS ISSUE

Headline News

Local Partner Programs

Dynamics Sales & Marketing Programs

Platform Sales & Marketing Programs

Software Licensing News & Offers

Training: Sales & Technical

Helpful Links & Resources

Neighborhood News

HEADLINE NEWS

Want to check out the next wave?

Get your hands on beta versions of Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007 now!

https://www.microsoft.com/betaexperience/enus/ for developers/end users.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/beta/preregister.mspx for IT Pros.

Learn About YOUR FY07 Mid-Atlantic Sponsorship Opportunities

July 27 | 10 am | At the time of the call, click here and dial: 866-500-6738 pc: 8752881

The Microsoft Mid-Atlantic team invites you to join us for this special webcast to rollout all Sponsorship opportunities for the first half of FY07. This webcast will include both platform and Microsoft Dynamics opportunities for co-sponsorships. We understand that this is a critical time in your business in which you must make decisions about key investments for the coming year. This webcast is designed to provide you with all of the info you need to make smart investments in FY07.

FY07 Partner Marketing Training

August 15 | 9a-12p | Reston, VA | Click to Register

Get ready for FY07 with this deep dive into marketing opportunities and best practices. In this training you will not only learn about available marketing tools and opportunities you will learn from the MAA team how to best leverage them.

Do You Have Friends & Family Involved with a Non-Profit?

Help your favorite cause win free software and services. The NPower Technology Innovation Award recognizes a DC area nonprofit which has demonstrated an innovative use of technology to help them improve key aspects of their operation and more effectively fulfill their mission. NPower Greater DC Region, a local nonprofit that provides technology services to other nonprofits, is administering this award program. For more info and to register, visit: http://www.npowergdcr.org/education/events/detail.asp?iEve=300&iType=970

Want to receive the Mid-Atlantic partner newsletter? Visit: www.insertlinkhere.com

LOCAL PARTNER PROGRAMS

Shark Tank Blitz for Mid-Atlantic Partners

July 26 | 8am-1pm | Microsoft DC office | Click here to register

Participate in the Shark Tank Blitz and receive targeted lists of prospects according to your competency and geographic focus to drive net new services and licensing opportunities, leverage the Microsoft Caller ID to open doors and get those initial conversations, network with other partners and get focused prospecting time, and hear about the latest product innovations from Microsoft technical specialists.

Drive your Prospects to “Discovering Dynamics”

Aug 2 | Columbia, MD | Click to Register

Sept 14 | Reston, VA | Click to Register

Drive your prospects to this event to help you close the deal! Microsoft technical specialists will present Dynamics ERP solutions to drive more business for you. Email Rachel Clay (rachelc@microsoft.com) with questions and customer-ready invitations.

Advanced Sneak Preview of Microsoft Sharepoint Seminar

July 25 & 26 | 8a – 4p | Westfields, Chantilly, VA

August 1 & 2 | 8a – 4p | Baltimore Waterfront Marriott, Baltimore, MD

August 8 & 9 | 8a – 4p | Bethesda North Marriott, Bethesda, MD

August 22 & 23 | 8a – 4p | Washington, DC

Join Knowlogy for a two-day seminar offering an advanced sneak preview of Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 and Windows Sharepoint Services. Learn how Sharepoint helps you to manage content and business processes, improve business insight, simplify collaboration among co-workers, clients and partners and empower your enterprise to make a strategic impact. For more information and to register, email Donna Wood DWood@knowlogy.com.

“Human Capital Assessment” – FREE Assessment & 15% Discount

Based on our Partner Briefing theme Hiring and Retaining Great People, partners are eligible to receive a “Human Capital Assessment” from Administaff at no charge! This assessment will deliver a summary of your company’s current HR initiatives, a benchmark of your current status and programs you can incorporate for hiring and retaining great people. Effective immediately, Administaff is taking an additional 15% enrollment fee discount for all MS Partners effective immediately. For details, to schedule your assessment and to secure this discount rate, email Gil Weiser gil_weiser@administaff.com.

Pass Savings and Bonuses on to your Customers

Partner up with a local System Builder and provide exclusive Buy Local BONUS PACK offers to your customers worth up to $1200 at no cost to you. These valuable offers will help you add more value to every PC you sell. To partner up with a local System Builder and learn more about the offers and guidelines from companies like DLink®, T-Mobile®, New Horizons®, and many more please email Deana Grammo: dgrammo@microsoft.com.

MICROSOFT DYNAMICS SALES & MARKETING PROGRAMS

Find Out About the New Program Replacing BDF!

July 20 | 2-3 pm | Click to Register

We’ll take a look at the marketing initiatives and opportunities partners can leverage for the upcoming year including investments Microsoft is making to broaden and accelerate capacity within partner organizations and continued efforts in broad advertising and PR coverage. In addition, we’ll drill into details on the tools and resources partners can expect to see from Microsoft over the next twelve months – including expanded details about cooperative marketing opportunities and funding.

Sage “Switch & Save” Migration Offer – EXTENDED!

Users of Peachtree, BusinessWorks, MAS90, MAS200, or MAS500 can save $200-$500 dollars off per-seat on new Dynamics licenses.Offer extended to Sept 28th, 2006. For more info, visit www.microsoft.com/dynamics/product/compare/sagemigrationoffer.mspx

Announcing the Microsoft Dynamics Partner Playbook!

This document is a reference tool for Partners, providing you with links to essential Microsoft resources that will help them create a successful and sustainable Dynamics practice. We encourage you to download & review the playbook and share it with your sales team. The playbook is available in PDF format: https://mbs.microsoft.com/partnersource/resources/partneressentials/mspp/dynamicspartnerplaybook.htm

Participate in the Dynamics Telemarketing Program

We are working with four established Dynamics-specific telemarketing vendors – two ERP and two CRM specialized companies – that you can choose from to generate leads for your sales team. We negotiated a discounted rate on your behalf to make telemarketing an affordable way to generate new business. Email Rachel Clay to get started rachelc@microsoft.com.

Announcing the Dynamics GP Sales & Marketing Kit & Contest

The Microsoft Dynamics GP team is excited to announce a new vertical industry sales and marketing toolkit available to all Microsoft Dynamics GP partners this May. This free kit consolidates a wide variety of customer-focused materials you can use to effectively position and sell the latest Microsoft Dynamics GP technology. Win marketing funds up to $5,000. For more information, click here.

MICROSOFT PLATFORM (Desktop & Server) SALES & MARKETING PROGRAMS

2007 Microsoft Office System Core Technical Training

September 25-26 | 9a – 5p | Washington, DC

Microsoft is offering a two day technical hands on lab course in 18 U.S. cities to assist partners in exploring the core of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. In this training, you will interact with the client-side technologies that drive information worker productivity locally and the server-side components that extend productivity to teams, divisions, and partners. For more information and to register, visit: 2007 Microsoft Office System Core Training Registration Site

Free Beta 2 Kit for Microsoft Office System

The Beta 2 kit for 2007 Microsoft Office system is free to participants of the Information Worker Partner Engagement Program. Gain first-hand experience of the new look and feel, features, and functionality of the 2007 release of Office 2007. The kit costs $10 through the Beta download site or FREE through this offer. Order your kit today.

Join the Microsoft Platform WIN (What’s Important Now) Webcast

Thursday, Aug 8 | 10:00 AM (Mark your calendars; 2^nd Thurs of each month)

We’ve transitioned our Rainmaker WIN Webcasts to include content pertinent to all managed partners and Get Connected platform partners. Please designate someone from your company to participate on a monthly basis so you don’t miss out on new co-marketing/sales opportunities, customer offers, local trainings, and more! Click here at the time of the meeting to join the Live Meeting. Dial in for audio: 1-866-500-6738 passcode 670886.

Accelerate Growth with Information Worker (IW) Services Offerings

If you are a certified partner looking to gain or grow your experience in office desktop deployment, business process automation, collaboration and application development services but have not yet earned your IW competency, Microsoft Mid-Atlantic has openings in the Information Worker Flight School program to assist you. For information on IW Competency see https://partner.microsoft.com/US/competency/iwsolutions/. To join Flightschool, email Lisa Ruff lisaruff@microsoft.com

SOFTWARE LICENSING NEWS & OFFERS

Learn to Maximize Value with New Software Assurance Benefits

Attend a global Software Assurance webcast series to understand the extensive value of Software Assurance and how existing and new benefits can assist your customers. Each webcast covers individual benefits in detail for your IT Professionals, including how to activate them. Click here for more webcast info and to register.

Overcome Customer Objections and Increase Sales

Address your customers' objections and remove barriers. Use these guidelines in approaching and working with customers to help them develop a Software Asset Management plan. This series of articles can help you prepare to address some of the most common concerns. Click here for more info.

Looking for an easy way to provide a licensing quote?

Use the “Licensing Configurator” tool located at www.ms-gearup.com! This tool:

· Enables you to create quick and comprehensive price quotes for any of our volume licensing programs

· Provides price comparisons that you can share with your customers

· Highlights the Software Assurance benefits your customers will receive with their purchase

· Lists current promotions and much more!

SALES, MARKETING & TECHNICAL TRAINING

Microsoft Exchange 2003:

Best Practices for Backup and Recovery, Archiving and Storage Management. Click here to register!

US Windows Vista Deployment Roadshow

Coming to a city near you! – Discounted registration available – click here!

Great Plains 9.0 Sales, Marketing and Technical Tools

As the release of 9.0 draws closer, you want information to accelerate your knowledge. From demo scripts and presentations to training opportunities and collateral, you’ll find 9.0 information and materials by clicking here. For technical readiness go to the Partner Readiness Site by clicking here: Partner Readiness Site

Microsoft Dynamics Learning Plans Now Available!

These plans help your employees focus on specific goals and access the training they need to gain in-depth product knowledge and obtain certifications on Microsoft Dynamics products. Download the PDF format learning plans to start your learning today! Click here for more info.

PARTNER RESOURCES

Top 10 List of Helpful Links and Resources:

1. US Partner Resource Desk: When you don't know where to start with a question you have for Microsoft, contact the US Partner Resource Desk at 800-426-9400 x81797 or prd@microsoft.com. For MBS questions, contact the MBS Partner Resource Desk at 800-426-9400 x81792 or mbsprtnr@microsoft.com.

2. For Microsoft Partner Program assistance: 800-SOL-PROV (800-765-7768) or partners@microsoft.com or MSPP Re-enrollment.

3. Microsoft Incentives: Be a hero! Inform your customers of current Microsoft promotions that will result in significant cost savings.

4. Licensing Configurator: Provide quick, comprehensive Microsoft product price quotes for any of our volume licensing programs, including current promotions!

5. Partner Training Center: Quickly find the Microsoft technical and sales training your organization is seeking

6. Competitive Selling: Leverage a wealth of Microsoft resources to help you win competitive opportunities!

7. Partner Events: Post your customer events on Microsoft's event web site to increase your customer reach and leverage our online registration -- free for all Microsoft partners!

8. MS Partner Direct: Check out all the great Microsoft sales and marketing content and resources you can leverage

9. Virus and Security Patch Information: Information about what to do to secure your systems against virus attacks: 866-PC SAFETY (866-727-2338) or www.microsoft.com/security

10. Customer Care Program: Submit an online form, call 1-866-MSLISTEN, or email MSFTCARE@microsoft.com: Promptly log all customer satisfaction issues you encounter on behalf of either your customers or your company.

Neighborhood News

HoopDreams Congressional Reception

On Thursday, May 11^th, Microsoft participated as a sponsor in the eighth annual Hoop Dreams Congressional Reception held in the Mansfield Room of the U.S. Capitol. An unforgettable night was spent with college bound high school seniors and many luminaries including Sen. Ted Kennedy, Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Jack Reed, Sen. John Warner and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. For more on Hoop Dreams and the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund, please see www.hoopdreams.com or contact Donna Woodall, Microsoft Community Outreach Director at dwoodall@microsoft.com.

Youth IT Challenge

Microsoft partners annually with the National Urban League to do our part in closing the digital divide nationwide. The Youth IT Challenge is an annual competition comprised of 20 high school students in each representative city. The students in the program create a business plan based on a business idea fueled by technology. The 10-week program culminates with a local competition in each city. One winning team from the nine cities will be chosen to receive $15,000 in cash and prizes. For more on this community program, please see www.youthitchallenge.com. Volunteers can get involved by contacting Donna Woodall, Community Outreach Director at dwoodall@microsoft.com.

GetNetSafe

Microsoft and our community Internet safety partners, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and I-Safe, kicked off an Internet Security Tour. The tour focused on Internet Safety for families. School assemblies and town hall sessions occured at select elementary, high schools, senior population community centers and two Boys and Girls Clubs in Washington DC. The outreach covers Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, MD. For information on future events contact Donna Woodall, Community Outreach Director at dwoodall@microsoft.com.