By Paul DeGroot [bio]
Posted: Nov. 19, 2007

The following is an illustration accompanying an article published by Directions on Microsoft, an independent research firm focused exclusively on Microsoft strategy & technology. More samples of our content, as well as a list of upcoming articles and reports are also available.

Enterprise Partner Solutions Plans follow an annual planning cycle aimed to coincide with each Microsoft fiscal year, which begins July 1. The illustration shows the likely planning cycle for the Microsoft fiscal year ending in 2009.

Planning begins in April when Microsoft's Enterprise partner teams select partners for the next fiscal year, determine how partners will fit into sales campaigns (through Segmentation Alignment Workshops), and outline Microsoft's priorities for the next fiscal year at events such as an annual summit with its 90 Alliance partners (not shown). During this phase, partners will decide which solutions they will include in PSPs, which technologies and geographies they will focus on, and other parameters. The plans are finalized by early August, with specific financial commitments and goals, and are then implemented by both partners and Microsoft.