Microsoft has updated the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) with tools, training, and incentives totaling $5.8 billion for the fiscal year 2012. Jon Roskill, corporate VP of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft, made the announcement from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.
Roskill announced partner competency alignment with customer projects, such as the separation of messaging and communication competencies. The split in competencies will enhance recognition for partners’ investments in advanced capabilities with Exchange, Lync, and Microsoft Office 365. Microsoft will also merged the systems management and virtualization competencies in May 2012 to strengthen the use of Microsoft private cloud by end-users. Partners can attain the current competencies for system center management and Windows Server Hyper-V virtualization.
The updates also include incentives to accelerate cloud adoption, such as:
- Software Assurance Planning Services: Available in August, the services pay qualified partners to deliver deployment services to Microsoft Software Assurance customers for Microsoft private cloud, Windows Azure public cloud, SQL Server and software development.
- Windows Azure Incentives: These incentives reward qualified partners in the Windows Azure Circle program that influence customer adoption of Microsoft’s public cloud platform.
- Private Cloud Incentives: The Management and Virtualization Solution Incentive Program will reward qualified Gold Incentive partners who influence sales of Microsoft private cloud technologies, complementing the Hyper-V Cloud Accelerate program that funds partner and customer private cloud assessments, proofs of concept, and production deployments.
Microsoft is also offering enhanced partner tools and benefits, such as increasing Lync and Window InTune licenses for partners. New partner toolkits and opportunity guides will also help partners in specific markets, such as small business, midmarket, enterprise, and public sector.
