Cloud Dominates Partner Conference

Putting weight behind a theme pushed with increasing vigor at recent Worldwide Partner Conferences, Microsoft rolled out at its 2010 conference a broad set of new services, products, and partner incentives aimed at gaining share in business-related online services, notably online services for managing desktop and server computers. While Microsoft’s commitment to its partner-centric sales and services model appears undimmed in many respects, greater reliance on subscription services will challenge many of its partners’ traditional business models. The company also announced some significant last-minute changes to its new partner program and several important new products and services.

Focus on the Cloud

Under the theme “We’re All In,” Microsoft keynote speakers went to great lengths not only to talk about how much they are talking about the cloud but also to flesh out the strategy with numerous new partner incentives.

Based on research indicating that partners who have used online services themselves are more effective resellers of these services, the company has created two programs that give partners free cloud services for internal use and presales and technical support.