Executive Summary

More dependent on partners than any other major software company, Microsoft has extensive programs in place to identify, court, enroll, manage, and support hundreds of thousands of other companies with which it works. Companies that take advantage of Microsoft’s partner programs can benefit from Microsoft’s vast resources and market power. At the same time, a partnership with Microsoft contains certain risks, such as the possibility that Microsoft might enter a particular technology segment that the partner already occupies.

This report describes major elements of Microsoft’s partner strategy and the general landscape of Microsoft partnerships, and provides a detailed look at major features of the Microsoft Partner Program, which was substantially redesigned in 2003. It describes the characteristics that are important to Microsoft in evaluating its partners, pathways for partners who want to earn more support and recognition from Microsoft, and some of the teams involved in managing partners and partner programs.