Partner Opportunity in SharePoint Server Deployments

SharePoint Server deployment planning assistance has been added as a benefit for customers who have Microsoft’s Software Assurance (SA) on their desktop software. Qualified partners can sign up to provide the planning service to customers and will be added to a directory maintained by Microsoft, which will also pay partners for providing SharePoint deployment planning to end customers. The service is expected to be available to customers in 2008.

Desktop Deployment Planning

SharePoint Deployment Planning Services (SDPS) are modeled after the existing Desktop Deployment Planning Services (DDPS). DDPS is a benefit of SA, a Microsoft program that provides maintenance and upgrade benefits on software licenses. Eligible DDPS customers get from one to 15 days of desktop OS and application deployment planning, based on how much they spend on SA for their desktop software. For a minimum of US$60,000 spent on SA, customers get one day of DDPS, and customers who spend US$1.25 million get 10 days. (Benefit thresholds vary by region and currency.) Customers can also convert unused training vouchers into additional days of DDPS.