Microsoft SBS User Group Community Initiative Newsletter #30 - October 2006

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Dave O'Keefe

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Oct 7, 2006, 10:41:40 PM10/7/06

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See everyone on the THURSDAY the 19^th! Please make sure to register for the meeting with Jeff Middleton. http://www.palmbeachit.com/regmeeting.htm.

USER GROUP INFO

NOTE: I recommend that you forward this email/content to your user group members. I have edited this version so that it won’t be confusing for them. If they ask for access to the SBSLeads website, I can’t give that access to members, only user group leaders. The only reason for that is we do not have any more user CALs.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I recently did 15 webcasts for Microsoft on the SBS Fasttrack Program. Several very established and successful partners asked my why they were not invited to this program. Microsoft and I have come to find out that their profile in the MS Partner program is not explicitly checked that Microsoft can contact them. As of this last quarter a null value now means they can’t call. Please check you profile so I can include you in upcoming programs (Like Cougar)

(https://partners.microsoft.com/partnerprogram/PartnerMembershipCenter.aspx (Its under Administration, Manage your Individual Profile, Communication Options)

The 2006 SBS User Group Tour Summary

The 3^rd SBS User Group Tour was a big success!! 13 Cities, 1,046 Partners. I want to thank everyone for doing an awesome job!! I very much appreciate all the hard work everyone put into this tour!! I am already looking forward to the next tour and new cities!!

Special thanks to the SBS User Group leaders

Steven Banks, Ken Shafer, Karl W. Palachuk, Karen Christian, Jim Locke, Tim Barrett, Tavis Patterson, Jay Cutler, Alan Shrater, Scott Galbraith, Robert Patterson, Mark Crall, Rayanne M. Buchianico, Jeff Adzima, Jeremy Webster, Mike Clemmons, Rick Cass

The sponsors in the BMO who funded this tour and made it all possible to begin with!

Chris Van Wesep, Stacy Miros, Burke Fewell, Aanal Bhatt, Kevin Kean

Special thanks to the PCMs for all their help and support

Eric Ligman, Robyn Trembley, Suzanne Lavine, Art Pettigrue, Dan Kocon, Wade Shanley, John Hermann, Barrie Mirman, Sarah Stevenson, Eileen DeVito, Tom Harshbarger, Steve Doe, Jessica Emmons

The TS2 Speakers for Windows Vista and Office 2007 system (A very special thanks to Ron Grattopp for creating and organizing the Windows Vista and 2007 Office system content!!!!!!)

Ron Grattopp, Mike Marshall, Chris Henley, Kevin Clarke, Ron Grattopp, Matt Hester, Fred Pullen, Neal Wadhwani, Indika Boteju, JJ Antequino

SBS Microsoft Speakers!! (Excellent job as usual!!)

Charlie Anthe, Paul Fitzgerald, Sean Daniel

Tour Promotion and Contributions

Harry Brelsford, Guy Haycock,

Thanks to the support of MS Readiness and Asentus Consulting Group Ltd

Sonja Maxwell, Kelsey Milliken, Eveline Zee, Cynthia Robinson, Victor Buholzer

The Windows Vista and 2007 Office Video

Tim Barrett for producing the Video!!, Mike Fitzmaurice, Arvind Mishra, George Hauton, Shanen Boettcher, Jared Anderson, Dave Wascha

Video: http://www.nogeekleftbehind.com/2006/08/18/no-geek-left-behind-now-in-wmv-format/

Pics from Tour: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timbarrett/sets/72157594302123073/detail/

Thanks Tim Barrett, we appreciate all you do!!! J

And last and certainly the most important, to my wife Jennifer Iem who did all the work!! I am a lucky man to have her!

# Registered = 1517

# Actual Attendees = 1046

# Evaluations = 988

EVENT DATE	MEETING TIME	UG LEADER CONTACT	# of registered	Actual attendees	# of evaluations
6-Sep	5-9pm	Steven Banks	158	113	102
11-Sep	1:30-5pm	Ken Shafer	80	54	53
12-Sep	6-9pm	Karl W. Palachuk	88	74	72
13-Sep	6-9pm	Karen Christian	100	52	49
14-Sep	5:30-9pm	Jim Locke	111	73	69

18-Sep	5:30-9pm	Tim Barrett	123	103	98
19-Sep	6-9pm	Tavis Patterson	136	95	95
20-Sep	5-9pm	Jay Cutler	84	63	59
21-Sep	5-8:30pm	Alan Shrater	95	70	59

25-Sep	6-9pm	Scott Galbraith	181	109	106
26-Sep	6-9pm	Robert Patterson	122	76	71
27-Sep	6-9pm	Mark Crall	116	78	73
28-Sep	6-9pm	Rayanne M. Buchianico	123	86	82

Put this on your web site: Here is a Members Plan of Action! – Step by Step

Join a Partner Group - http://www.microsoft.com/mindshare/default.aspx or http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/community/usergroups.mspx
Get the Action Pack - https://partner.microsoft.com/us/actionpack
Enroll in SBS training - http://www.microsoft.com/traincert/syllabi/2395afinal.asp
Recommend they buy Harry’s SBS books for consulting and SBS 2003! - http://www.smbnation.com/Default.aspx?TabId=18
Attend a training or Workshop on SBS http://www.msreadiness.com/unifiedsbs2003.asp
Take the Certification Test - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-282.asp (This is offered at SMB Nation)
Become a Small Business Specialist- https://partner.microsoft.com/productssolutions/windows/40021525

SALES

Are you looking to find some customers and get new business? Here is the process and the tools.

Before you get started, you will need to edit your solution profile on the partner website. If you don’t, customers won’t find you. Also, make sure your website is up to date and looking good as customers will most likely check that first to see if you are a real company.

https://partner.microsoft.com/us/40020720

1. I recommend that you get a list of customers from this website.

· Marketing Services for Partners: http://www.mspartnerdirect.com

(You will need to create an account, this isn’t your partner account logon. Click on the List Purchase on the left side.

2. I recommend you build a postcard from this website.

· Marketing Services for Partners: http://www.mspartnerdirect.com (First Server or Right Server)

· Small Business First Server Right Server https://partner.microsoft.com/us/firstserver

(click on Build your Campaign, download a zip and unzip it, set your MS Word Macro security to medium and open the document, go through the wizard)

3. Send out your marketing pieces and get ready for the phone to ring.

· Your marketing pieces are offering a free Business assessment so make sure you are ready to deliver one.

Technology Assessment Toolkit

https://partner.microsoft.com/smallbusinesstoolkit

While you are doing Business Assessments, you can get a Free Copy of SBS 2003 R2 Standand and 20 partner points.

Assess the needs of your prospects & Win a Free Copy of SBS 2003 R2 Standard:

https://partner.microsoft.com/smallbusinesstoolkit

Extra: If you want to have a seminar or Webcast, you can do that here:

Partner Marketing Events: https://www.microsoftpartnerevents.com/

Using the Technology Assessment Toolkit, the deal size will most likely be double so get ready with Microsoft Financing.

o Hardware, Software, Services

o The partner gets paid first

https://www.microsoftfinancing.com

Server Source

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The One-Stop Resource For Starting & Growing Your Server Business

Create new business opportunities beyond the PC

Learn how features of SBS are an opportunity to sell value added services to your small business customers

The Server Source Provides:

Step-by-step technical instructions

Sales tips and ways to overcome objections

Hundreds of configuration steps detailed with screenshots and instructions

http://oem.microsoft.com/serversource

SBSC

Exclusive SBSC Partner Promotions and Resources (taken from the SBSC Newsletter)

Get an Additional Rebate When You Sell Small Business Desktop

As a Microsoft US Small Business Specialist, you can get a rebate of up to 10% on each eligible Small Business Desktop Advantage license when you sell through Open Value licensing. This rebate is on top of any existing Open Value offer. Plus, valuable tools and resources to help you take advantage of this exclusive offer are available on the Small Business Desktop Sales Kit website.

Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community Quarterly Webcasts

Participate in the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community quarterly webcasts designed to serve as forums where we can unite as a community to hear new developments and gather feedback on the SBSC “Grow Your Small Business Together” strategy. Please join Paige Boesen and Eric Ligman on Sept 26 at 10:30 AM Pacific Time when they will detail plans for our evolving community in FY07. You’ll hear about exclusive offers and promotions to help drive your bottom line. Sign up today.

Take a Tour of the Updated SBSC Partner Website

If you haven’t stopped by the SBSC Partner website recently, then you’ve missed the updates we’ve made to give you a deeper user experience with a more functional site. The site has been updated with SBSC Partners in mind, and still gives you access to exclusive content, promotions, and resources. But now it’s easier to navigate, with a much cleaner, organized, and logical structure. In addition, the site now has the standard look and feel used across the Partner Program for seamless navigation between websites. Be sure to stop by, look around, and get acquainted with the updated site. As with any new site, it is a work in progress. Look for new features and content soon. This is your website, so we will be asking for your feedback and suggestions on the site in the near future.

Free Managed Services Software and Training From Level Platforms

Increase your revenue, lower your service costs, and make your customers happier by offering them managed services. Register to receive free managed services software, business training, and go-to-market collaterals from Level Platforms, a Gold Certified Partner and winner of multiple Microsoft awards.

SBSC Co-Presenting Opportunities with Microsoft Connections

Co-present with Microsoft at a small business customer event in your community - Microsoft Connections presents interactive educational seminars to small business customers in cities across America. These events are designed to connect small business customers to technology solutions, showcasing new products and answering questions. Co-presenting at these events is a great way for SBSC Partners to network with businesses that want and need your services. This is an exclusive benefit of SBSC membership. Go to MicrosoftPartnerEvents.com to sign up for an event near you. Register early – because it’s first come, first serve. You can also host a Microsoft Across America truck at your next event to deliver cutting-edge software, hardware, and technical expertise to your audience.

OTHER PRODUCTS

Mobility

Get Mobility Competent: https://partner.microsoft.com/US/competency/mob ilitysolutions

Earn a FREE* Windows Mobile 5.0 Device.

Attend one of the “Mobilizing the Microsoft Stack” partner readiness events and deploy a mobility solution for one of your customers within 60 days of attending the event to receive a Windows Mobile 5.0 device** to keep at no charge.*

http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/search.aspx?culture=e n-US

Search for “Mobilizing the Microsoft Stack”

Readiness and Training
http://partner.microsoft.com/SmallBizMobility

· Link to campaign materials

· Online Training Course à become “Mobile-ready”

· Deployment Guide

· IDC Whitepaper: How to Make Money with Mobility

TechNet Mobility pages at

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/mobile

Trusted Root Certification Authorities list at

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/partner/40027352

Deploying Windows Mobile 5.0 with Windows Small Business Server 2003 White Paper

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8be70d 72-1e5a-4128-a30c-dafeeb43544d&displaylang=en

All of these are available on

http://www.TS2Blogs.com/Files

Mobility Help for Partners

wmh...@microsoft.com

Managed Services Resources

Level Platforms

http://www.levelplatforms.com

Zenith Infotech

http://www.zenithinfotech.com

Kaseya

http://www.kaseya.com/

Tigerpaw

http://www.tigerpawsoftware.com/

IDC Managed Services

https://partner.microsoft.com/US/productssolutio ns/servers/40026399

A lot of good stuff

https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40023648?PS=95000014

Status reports, contracts, presentation, SLA, SOW, FAQ, etc.

Windows SharePoint Services Version 3

Preview Windows SharePoint Services V3

http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/technologies/sharepointte chnology/highlights.mspx

Current Application templates for WSS V2

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sppt/wssapps/defa ult.mspx

Technical Refresh of WSS V3

http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview

Exact location

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e1e512 80-71f0-4d60-b2b9-3c49df916bc2&DisplayLang=en

New Community site

http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint/community

WSS V3 Demo Site

http://www.wssdemo.com/default.aspx

The Beta 2 Technical Refresh is now available for download

Discover the latest update to the 2007 Microsoft Office system Beta via download at www.microsoft.com/office/preview. We’ve listened carefully to your feedback and have developed a technical refresh with many improvements in the robustness of the products, as well as greater functionality. You can now deploy code access security policies with your SharePoint sites, as well as experience TimeZones and TimeZone objects that provide object model support in Microsoft Office Outlook. Look out for the Beta 2 Technical Refresh SDKs as well, which add many more articles and code samples to help jumpstart development. Please note that the Beta 2 Technical Refresh extends the timeline for Microsoft Office Beta 2 use, which you need to install first. It is also necessary if you’d like to use it in combination with Windows Vista RC1. For more on the Beta 2 Technical Refresh, other news updates, technical resources, community newsgroups, how-to videos and more, visit http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/default.aspx.

www.microsoft.com/office/preview

Office Live!

Get your smaller customers stared with Office Live and move them up to a server when they are ready!

With Microsoft Office Live Essentials, you can take your business online and share information on the go. All for FREE. Learn more.

Features include:

· Personalized domain name and Web site

· 50 e-mail accounts

· Web site traffic reports

· Online workspaces for sharing customer, project, and marketing information

http://officelive.microsoft.com/

Here is a Small Business customer who used it, you can create a site like this as a service for your customer!!

http://nwchiropracticcenter.com/default.aspx

PARTNER INFO - EVENTS - TRAINING

2007 Microsoft Office System Quick Guide for Sales Professionals

Take advantage of the 2007 Microsoft Office System Quick Guide for Sales Professionals online course and learn the value of the 2007 Microsoft Office system.

New! Microsoft Solution Selling for Partners This two-day workshop provides a balance of discussion, practice, and exercises to teach how your organization can compete more effectively, deliver increasing levels of revenue and profit production, and increase the velocity of sales opportunities and to close them sooner.

Runs through January

Building a Marketing Plan to Fuel Your Growth

Attend this workshop to learn how to analyze your marketing plans for maximum efficiency & learn how to keep your sales pipeline full. This class will give you the tools to assist you in the execution of these plans. Classes Start October 19th

New! Microsoft Solution Selling for Partners Refresher Workshop Runs through January If you are a sales person who has completed the Microsoft Solution Selling for Partners Program in recent years and would like to brush up on the theory, tools and techniques of MSS, this 1 day workshop is for you. This one day workshop facilitated by expert MSS instructors focuses on the application of the skills taught in the MSS for Partners 2 day workshop. Concepts will not be “re-taught” but discussed in the context of how they are being applied in the real selling environment.

New SBS R2 Online Hands On Labs

New SBS R2 online hands-on labs (HOLOS) available on the Partner Learning Center that people can direct their partners to use.

The labs are:

Deploying Microsoft® Windows® Small Business Server 2003 Release 2 (Part 1)

Deploying Microsoft® Windows® Small Business Server 2003 Release 2 (Part 2)

Deploying Microsoft® Windows® Small Business Server 2003 Release 2 (Part 3)

https://training.partner.microsoft.com/plc/search_adv.aspx?ssid=C74B1399EC234DA891B9139E23DBCB1F

Sales Web Seminars

Sharpen your skills, get trained and build your business.

Get the tools and information you need to sell the business value of new Microsoft products and solutions to your customers. Learn from Microsoft subject matter experts on a variety of topics at your convenience, with our latest sales and licensing Web seminars designed specifically for Microsoft partners!

http://www.msusapartnerreadiness.com/ol_bytype.asp

New Technical Web Seminars