New Partner Opportunities Promised

Pledging to make partners more profitable, Microsoft told attendees at its Worldwide Partner Conference in July 2006 that it would share more revenue with partners that help it roll out new services and security products. The company also outlined numerous changes in licensing and pricing, notably for customer relationship management software and virtual machines, that will boost Microsoft’s presence in these areas. However, many critical details remain unknown, and some of the more important opportunities for partners are not likely to emerge until 2007.

Need to Make Choices

In a keynote address titled “The Winning Choice,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told attendees that they may need to make some “uncomfortable choices” in the future when deciding whether to work with Microsoft or with its competitors. While the company has tolerated partners who work with its competitors in the past, such as on security software, it may expect a more Microsoft-centric position in the future.

“Do you choose to work with us on unified communications and Voice-over-IP or your traditional partners?”