Get Ready for Microsoft Pinpoint

Thanks to the awesomely hardworking Sarah Arnold of Microsoft , Australian Partners will soon be able to take advantage of Pinpoint, the fantastic new tool which will replace the very average Find a Partner we currently have in Australia.

Australia will be one of only four Microsoft subsidiaries to have Pinpoint and I'm optimistic it will be a good source of leads of partners for small and medium business focussed partners who take advantage of its capabilities.

To get things rolling, Microsoft have a special offer for partners who want to prepare for the launch of Pinpoint in 2010 - here are the details:

Prepare your company for the launch of Microsoft Pinpoint in Australia

Get a free professionally written company profile
Microsoft Pinpoint is Microsoft’s unified online business marketplace. It is designed to help customers find the right Microsoft Partner to enable them reach their business goals. To prepare for the 2010 launch of Microsoft Pinpoint, we’re giving your business the chance to shine by helping you create a promotional blurb to upload into the Partner Solution Profile tool.

To qualify for this offer you must:
Be a qualified Small Business Specialist within the Microsoft Partner Network, with a head-office in Australia.
Fully complete the template below to the best of your ability before sending it through.

The first 40 fully completed templates that we receive will be eligible. You will be notified if your request has been successful.

6 Steps to Creating your Profile
Download and complete the template.
Send the template to libby@writeminded.com.au with Solution Profiler in the subject line.
If your template is one of the first 40 received, you’ll receive confirmation of your request with an indication of the production time.
Final copy will then be sent back to you, which you’re free to amend yourself.
The final step is for you to upload your completed copy into the Solution Profiler tool under ‘Solution Description’.

Work with a leading online copywriter
To help you create a great profile, Microsoft has engaged the services of write-minded Pty Ltd director and online communications consultant, Libby Varcoe. Libby was one of Australia’s first online copywriters. Her clients include True Local, Optus, Qantas, ninemsn, MBF, The NSW Premier’s Department and The National Museum of Australia. Libby also runs web writing workshops for the Department of State and Regional Development’s small business program. She has helped hundreds of businesses like yours find and express their voice online. For more information about write-minded visit: http://www.writeminded.com.au/.
Terms and conditions
This offer is open to all qualified Small Business Specialists, within the Microsoft Partner Program, who have a head-office in Australia.
To accommodate the Solution Profiler Tool, your company solution will be no longer than 1200 characters.
The information that will be included in your company profile will be derived from what you include in the template. Please fill this out to the best of your ability.
Once final copy is sent to you, it remains your responsibility to make any changes and upload the copy into the tool.
Offer ends October 1 2009.

More details at the Partner Network blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/auspartners/archive/2009/09/10/prepare-your-company-for-the-launch-of-microsoft-pinpoint-in-australia.aspx

Keira McIntosh is the General Manager at Directions Technology - an Australia owned small business providing managed and reliable IT Support in Brisbane. You can also find her on Twitter and Linked In.

WPC and Microsoft Partner Network: Whats It All About?

Now that I'm finally recovered from jetlag and the thrills of cancelled flights, long delays and plane food, I'm looking forward to blogging on my personal highlights from WPC.

For now, you can check out keynotes and other stuff on Digital WPC.

As you’ve probably heard, one of big announcements at WPC was about the changes to the Microsoft Partner Network and you can find out more details of these announcements on Digital WPC or by visiting the Partner Portal.

At the moment, not all of the details have been revealed and internally at Microsoft there is some fine tuning going on, based on Partner feedback and feedback from Microsoft subsidiaries.

Over the coming months, Sarah Arnold and Inese Kingsmill from Microsoft will be coordinating roadshows for partners to learn more about the changes to the Partner Network. Stay tuned for further details on those events.

In the meantime, you can subscribe to Sarah's blog or ask Sarah a question using the Live Messenger plug in on her blog.



Keira McIntosh is the General Manager at Directions Technology - an Australia owned small business providing managed and reliable IT Support in Brisbane. You can also find her on Twitter and Linked In.

SMB Track Annoucned for Microsoft Australian Partner Conference

With WPC now behind us for another year, this year's Australia Partner Conference is now approaching fast. If your still unsure about whether you should attend, I'd encourage you to review the Agenda for 2009 - which for the first time includes a special SMB track with some really practical sales and marketing sessions as well two workshops.

From Microsoft Australia:

The Australia Partner Team have worked hard to assemble a critical agenda to help you gain a competitive advantage, and deliver you the tools and business intelligence you need to compete and win in the current economy. This year’s agenda is focused on helping you - our frontline Partners - engage, grow and monetise the opportunities that Microsoft will deliver in FY10.

You can now view the Agenda overview here. Make sure you check back at the Partner Portal in the next week, as you’ll be able to customise your own agenda and preview the content!

News just released - Philip Fawcett, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft Research has been locked for the Locknote on Friday 4th September. Philip provides an amazing insight into Future Trends, New Technology and Principals of Breakthrough Technology. Not to be missed! Want to know more about Philip Fawcett, click here to find out!

New to this years conference – We have an entire stream allocated to Enterprise / Corporate Accounts, Public Sector & SMB customer segments! Specific ISV, Hosting, S+S sessions are also targeted in this years agenda! Take a closer look here.


Secure your place – register today!


ENDS

I hope to see you there!

Keira McIntosh is the General Manager at Directions Technology - an Australia owned small business providing managed and reliable IT Support in Brisbane. You can also find her on Twitter and Linked In.