Global ISV Strategy Focuses Microsoft Resources

Microsoft leaves few things to chance when building alliances with ISVs. It thinks globally, engaging influential ISVs in every major market. It carefully segments ISVs to target its own resources most efficiently. By understanding how Microsoft engages the commercial development community, ISVs are in a better position to maximize their relationship with Microsoft and to understand both the benefits and the risks of a close alliance with the company.

This article focuses primarily on how Microsoft engages ISVs around the world. The company has a separate approach and a different organization for dealing with systems integrators, who develop relatively little commercial software.

Key Goals for ISV Relationships

Most Microsoft efforts in its 2005 fiscal year focus on three general goals: ensuring the loyalty of existing customers to Microsoft platforms, encouraging those customers to make even greater use of Microsoft products, and competing for new customers.

This is reflected in the company’s strategies for dealing with ISVs.