As we approach the new year - there are a number of things on the plate for all of us. We need to close 2010 and finish the current year strong. We need to plan and put on paper our goals for 2011 - to have SMART goals that can be measured and watched over time so we can be accountable to execute them consistently and completely. We need to celebrate our blessings and be grateful for all the good things we have experienced. A new year is a time of new opportunity.
Unfortunately I have been watching with some amazement the reaction, or lack there of, to the new Microsoft MPN partner program. I wrote about this back in August and encouraged partners to begin planning and putting their strategy in place. It seems many have ignored or failed to take any action, and now as we move into the key season of partner renewals, there is panic and frustration that partners are not ready for the transition. This program has definitely raised the bar - but that is not news either. In fact, it has been the plan and came at the request of partners from around the world. This has been in planning stages for some time, and was covered in my blog post back in April as well as dozens of communications from Redmond as well.
The landscape has changed and it is time for true Microsoft partners to jump on board and embrace MPN. Diane Golshan wrote a great blog post last week addressing some of the key misconceptions. Putting things off is not the right answer. Just living under the grandfathering of benefits is not the same thing as embracing the program and putting your strategic plan in place and becoming fully engaged with MPN. Take a read of Diane's post - check out some of Eric Ligman's posts as well. This transition is a change - none of us like change - but it is the future and we need to get on board - embrace it and take advantage of the differentiation that all of us desire. Don't miss the boat on this important opportunity. Spend some time - leverage the resources available - and put your company in a place that will be different than most of your competitors who are just sitting back and waiting. We don't see a lot of chances like this in the channel to really be different. My advice is to get after it and do it quickly.
Showing posts with label MPN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MPN. Show all posts
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Microsoft Partner Network
The amount of discussion around the new MPN is increasing, and the information available to help explain it seems to have settled out, so I am going to take a little time to address the coming changes. There are a series of common questions and whines that seem to be consistent, so I'll share my take on what is to come from what I believe to be true.
The first question regards when the new MPN takes effect. October is the launch of the program broadly, although some aspects have been slowly intergrated into the current program over the last months. But October is the official date, so that is when things kick into gear. I have had lots of questions and confusion around why we continue to get the report cards monthly with points listed on them. These are informational and are important for companies whose renewals are happening prior to October. The information is valid under the current program, but will go away once we reach the October launch. No more points. Note: your renewal date will actually be the transition date from the old program to the new. Everyone does not make the switch on October 1, but as your renewal date comes you will be moved to MPN.
A very common discussion is around the gold level. The new gold in MPN is not equivalent to the current gold in the program today. My perspective is this, and my disclaimer is that this is my opinion only so take it for what it is worth. I think the current gold level becomes roughly equivalent to the silver certified level in the new program. Gold in the new MPN (formerly called advanced competencies) is a level that is not available today. But it is very much like becoming gold in the current program was some years back. It is designed to be a differentiator, and it is designed to be difficult, and it is designed to keep most partners from being at the new gold level. It is supposed to be hard to achieve. Just because you are gold today you SHOULD NOT expect to be gold at your next renewal. They are not equivalent levels. So many partners are voicing displeasure (whining in my vernacular) about the fact that they can't or at least are not planning to make the investment required to remain gold under the new program.
Here is the reality. If being gold in the new MPN is important to you - it really is not unattainable. It takes 4 engineers and some sales to achieve it. That allows you to be at the highest certification level that Microsoft offers a partner. I don't think that is too much to expect. Some will say "easy for you to say since you have so many employees". The hard truth and reality is that a company with less than 4 people cannot expect to be equal to a company with 75, nor can we at 75 expect to be equal to companies with hundreds or thousands of engineers. All IT companies are not equal. Microsoft has taken a good shot at making differentiation possible. I would never say that we have the same level of expertise that our larger competitors have. We are not as deep, don't have as many resources, etc etc. I know it is a hard pill to swallow but we at HTS will move from a half dozen competencies to one or two in this program. It is a reality that change is coming. And that is the design.
Change happens. It always has, and it always will. The speed of change continues to increase so that means we have a few choices to make:
Funds are available for you to drive demand generation efforts through Ready-to-Go Marketing (includes Events, Campaigns, and various Marketing Services). We want to help you to grow your business.
Don't wait: These funds exclusive to SBSCs are valid until December 31, 2010 or until supplies last. More information is available here. To get your reimbursement, submit your invoice at www.mspartnerdirect.com/rebate. Your special promotional code is: 'SBSC500H1'.
Get started today. Spend the marketing money. Use the online tool. Call the toll free help line. Just start the process and work toward your goal. Planning makes this happen. Remember that vision without execution is hallucination. And if you don't think it is worth the effort - that is your choice - just remember who made it. Don't complain about Microsoft if you choose not to participate in the new MPN. That is something you will decide, not them!
The first question regards when the new MPN takes effect. October is the launch of the program broadly, although some aspects have been slowly intergrated into the current program over the last months. But October is the official date, so that is when things kick into gear. I have had lots of questions and confusion around why we continue to get the report cards monthly with points listed on them. These are informational and are important for companies whose renewals are happening prior to October. The information is valid under the current program, but will go away once we reach the October launch. No more points. Note: your renewal date will actually be the transition date from the old program to the new. Everyone does not make the switch on October 1, but as your renewal date comes you will be moved to MPN.
A very common discussion is around the gold level. The new gold in MPN is not equivalent to the current gold in the program today. My perspective is this, and my disclaimer is that this is my opinion only so take it for what it is worth. I think the current gold level becomes roughly equivalent to the silver certified level in the new program. Gold in the new MPN (formerly called advanced competencies) is a level that is not available today. But it is very much like becoming gold in the current program was some years back. It is designed to be a differentiator, and it is designed to be difficult, and it is designed to keep most partners from being at the new gold level. It is supposed to be hard to achieve. Just because you are gold today you SHOULD NOT expect to be gold at your next renewal. They are not equivalent levels. So many partners are voicing displeasure (whining in my vernacular) about the fact that they can't or at least are not planning to make the investment required to remain gold under the new program.
Here is the reality. If being gold in the new MPN is important to you - it really is not unattainable. It takes 4 engineers and some sales to achieve it. That allows you to be at the highest certification level that Microsoft offers a partner. I don't think that is too much to expect. Some will say "easy for you to say since you have so many employees". The hard truth and reality is that a company with less than 4 people cannot expect to be equal to a company with 75, nor can we at 75 expect to be equal to companies with hundreds or thousands of engineers. All IT companies are not equal. Microsoft has taken a good shot at making differentiation possible. I would never say that we have the same level of expertise that our larger competitors have. We are not as deep, don't have as many resources, etc etc. I know it is a hard pill to swallow but we at HTS will move from a half dozen competencies to one or two in this program. It is a reality that change is coming. And that is the design.
Change happens. It always has, and it always will. The speed of change continues to increase so that means we have a few choices to make:
- Resist it, fight it, refuse to participate
- Grumble about it, drag our feet, grudgingly move toward it
- Embrace it, support it, lead others through it
Which of those describes your approach to change? The train has left the station so I encourage you to embrace it and figure out where you will fit into the new MPN. There are some resources available to you:
You can create a customized transition plan to the Microsoft Partner Network by calling the Microsoft Partner Network Experts at 1-877-254-6825. You can work with an MPN Expert to develop a customized transition plan to help you understand your current partner status and identify what actions your organization will need to take to meet your membership goals under the Microsoft Partner Network:
- Your organization’s status toward achieving new silver or gold competencies based on the competencies you have currently achieved
– Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs)
– Exam requirements for those MCPs
– Training and Assessments - Licensing Assessment
- Sales & Marketing Assessment
- References
If you prefer to work on it yourself, the new transition tool is now available. You can find it here. Eric Ligman wrote a great blog post to lead you through using it that can be found here. Lots of resources to begin the process. But the message is to get started now. It will require some tests to be passed and some planning to be done in most cases. Don't sit back and wait. Find out where you are today, and then you will know what your options are and what needs to be done to move to the place in MPN you desire to be.
There is another piece of great news from Microsoft that you should be aware of. This week the US SBSC team has made $500 available to their partners. Microsoft Small Business Specialists (SBSCs) have access to rebate funds reserved exclusively for them! SBSCs are eligible to receive up to $500 back on marketing investments.
Funds are available for you to drive demand generation efforts through Ready-to-Go Marketing (includes Events, Campaigns, and various Marketing Services). We want to help you to grow your business.
Don't wait: These funds exclusive to SBSCs are valid until December 31, 2010 or until supplies last. More information is available here. To get your reimbursement, submit your invoice at www.mspartnerdirect.com/rebate. Your special promotional code is: 'SBSC500H1'.
Get started today. Spend the marketing money. Use the online tool. Call the toll free help line. Just start the process and work toward your goal. Planning makes this happen. Remember that vision without execution is hallucination. And if you don't think it is worth the effort - that is your choice - just remember who made it. Don't complain about Microsoft if you choose not to participate in the new MPN. That is something you will decide, not them!
Friday, April 23, 2010
The New Microsoft Partner Program (MPN)
While there is some buzz of discontentment about the new MPN program, I applaud the moves that Microsoft is making to revamp their partner program and create some differentiation once again among their channel partners. Under the current model – there are far too many gold certified partners, and it has become impossible to create any differentiation. The new model creates three levels with very different requirements that definitely not all partners will be able to achieve. SBSC was on the chopping block for a while, and through the determined support of some inside the walls at Microsoft, and a number of us as partners, it has survived and will play a vital role in providing community for all partners serving SMB that want to be part of it going forward. That is very good for the partner community as it gives all a place to fit in the new model.
The Small Business and Midmarket Solution Provider competencies allow differentiation one step up – and will fit many serving the SMB marketplace. The stakes are a bit higher but the benefits of having two different places to fit are very good. When you add the Advanced Competencies for these two areas, you really begin to differentiate the channel. Purely the required number of staff to even qualify here is one major separation point. And the levels these folks need to achieve is significantly higher than the old gold certified requirements. Throw in some of the other requirements and you have a level that is once again a challenge to achieve. I personally have lobbied for this for some time now – to allow companies that have some scale and have made significant investments in their team to be able to differentiate in the SMB channel. This level is not designed to fit all – only a small minority will be able to achieve this level. But that is not a turning away from the SMB – it is a matter of Microsoft listening to partners and creating a tiered partner program that allows companies to make investments and commitments to set themselves apart in the chosen areas they want to focus.
IMHO – Microsoft is showing a real commitment to the SMB partner by adding these two areas as full fledged competencies. After all, previously we only had SBSC to serve as the SMB banner and it wasn’t a real level – sort of some hybrid less than full certification. Now we are finally seeing the SMB treated just like the enterprise competencies with the same kinds of requirements and ultimately the same ability to market and focus on specific targets we want to build practices around. Requiring current version tests to qualify is just another of the very good decisions that have been made in rolling out MPN.
I believe Microsoft has done their job well and thought through the needs of the channel – from small partners who still have their home in the SBSC – to larger partners who can now build a practice and leverage their huge staff investment and be able to differentiate themselves from others in the channel. Some will feel it is unfair because they can’t get to the top level after being gold certified under the current program. I don’t think that is a ratcheting down of focus – I see it as a very positive ratcheting up of creating a partner program that will get larger partners more interested in being part of the SMB and Midmarket competencies again. Tiering of partners is critical to make any program of value. I applaud Microsoft for making it happen with this MPN plan.
If there is a downside - it is the delay in making the requirements known and creating the gap analysis tools that most every partner will need to use to determine their best fit in the new MPN. It is nothing like the current program where resources apply broadly across many competencies. In the new world, we need to map our staff to specific tracks and testing so we can get the most bang for the literal buck as the cost to participate has gone up. With these things kicking in fairly soon - partners need time to put their strategy together and get their team trained and tested. Every day the guidance is not available makes it more difficult for companies desiring the Advanced Competencies to achieve those. I hope there is some major haste made to get the tools in place to guide us to success. Otherwise the hard work and value will be pushed off as partners try and figure out what to do.
Many vendors are moving the opposite way - trying to add more partners and create a bigger pool. In HTG, we are taking a similar approach - focusing on depth and differentiation rather than breadth and the same old stuff. Great job Microsoft for making this move to the next generation. It fits right along with the other major shifts we will have to make addressing the reality of the Cloud.
The Small Business and Midmarket Solution Provider competencies allow differentiation one step up – and will fit many serving the SMB marketplace. The stakes are a bit higher but the benefits of having two different places to fit are very good. When you add the Advanced Competencies for these two areas, you really begin to differentiate the channel. Purely the required number of staff to even qualify here is one major separation point. And the levels these folks need to achieve is significantly higher than the old gold certified requirements. Throw in some of the other requirements and you have a level that is once again a challenge to achieve. I personally have lobbied for this for some time now – to allow companies that have some scale and have made significant investments in their team to be able to differentiate in the SMB channel. This level is not designed to fit all – only a small minority will be able to achieve this level. But that is not a turning away from the SMB – it is a matter of Microsoft listening to partners and creating a tiered partner program that allows companies to make investments and commitments to set themselves apart in the chosen areas they want to focus.
IMHO – Microsoft is showing a real commitment to the SMB partner by adding these two areas as full fledged competencies. After all, previously we only had SBSC to serve as the SMB banner and it wasn’t a real level – sort of some hybrid less than full certification. Now we are finally seeing the SMB treated just like the enterprise competencies with the same kinds of requirements and ultimately the same ability to market and focus on specific targets we want to build practices around. Requiring current version tests to qualify is just another of the very good decisions that have been made in rolling out MPN.
I believe Microsoft has done their job well and thought through the needs of the channel – from small partners who still have their home in the SBSC – to larger partners who can now build a practice and leverage their huge staff investment and be able to differentiate themselves from others in the channel. Some will feel it is unfair because they can’t get to the top level after being gold certified under the current program. I don’t think that is a ratcheting down of focus – I see it as a very positive ratcheting up of creating a partner program that will get larger partners more interested in being part of the SMB and Midmarket competencies again. Tiering of partners is critical to make any program of value. I applaud Microsoft for making it happen with this MPN plan.
If there is a downside - it is the delay in making the requirements known and creating the gap analysis tools that most every partner will need to use to determine their best fit in the new MPN. It is nothing like the current program where resources apply broadly across many competencies. In the new world, we need to map our staff to specific tracks and testing so we can get the most bang for the literal buck as the cost to participate has gone up. With these things kicking in fairly soon - partners need time to put their strategy together and get their team trained and tested. Every day the guidance is not available makes it more difficult for companies desiring the Advanced Competencies to achieve those. I hope there is some major haste made to get the tools in place to guide us to success. Otherwise the hard work and value will be pushed off as partners try and figure out what to do.
Many vendors are moving the opposite way - trying to add more partners and create a bigger pool. In HTG, we are taking a similar approach - focusing on depth and differentiation rather than breadth and the same old stuff. Great job Microsoft for making this move to the next generation. It fits right along with the other major shifts we will have to make addressing the reality of the Cloud.
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