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July 13 Becoming Optimization Relevant with MicrosoftBy Lisa J. Downey, Lead Program Manager, WW Optimization Strategy, Microsoft Corporation Email: lisadown@microsoft.com
We’re hopeful that this year’s conference helps you gain a firm footing towards integrating the Microsoft Optimization strategy into your solution selling efforts. At Microsoft, we passionately believe that Optimization is a powerful tool to drive deeper and more meaningful customer engagements. Achieving “Trusted Advisor” status is the epitome of every customer relationship. Optimization offers the opportunity to achieve this goal.
So now that you’re convinced you should integrate Optimization into your solution selling efforts, you should begin aligning your company with Microsoft to create as large a sales footprint in the market as possible. To ensure you are recognized by the Microsoft sales force and customers as a go-to partner for Optimization-related solutions, we urge you to take the below actions.
1. Align your sales approach with Optimization to create a bigger sales footprint per account (http://www.microsoftio.com) 2. Build an Optimization practice and establish joint engagement opportunities with the Microsoft field 3. Align your Optimization solutions with Microsoft solutions to scale to Microsoft opportunities and drive to close (http://www.microsoftio.com/osc)
During my session held on Wednesday, July 9th “Grow Your Enterprise Business by Optimizing Customers’ Infrastructure” session, Brent Johnson, with Cadence Preferred, outlined Five steps partners should take to build an Optimization practice; which were supported by Partner evidence and credence from Mark Murrin, Alliance Manager, SCC. If you weren’t able to participate, I’ve outlined the steps below along with the resources referenced.
Building an Optimization Practice
Step 1 – Earn a Microsoft Partner Program Competency related to Optimization (https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40021633) Step 2 – Register with Optimization Sales Connection (http://www.microsoftio.com/osc) Step 3 – Acquire all Microsoft Optimization resources for partners and customers (http://www.microsoftio.com) Step 4 – Develop solution offerings that align with the Optimization model (http://www.microsoftio.com/osc) Step 5 – Implement best practices for selling through the Optimization model
Partners that have already started using Optimization to drive sales, have experienced improved opportunities and growth with customers. If you’re serious about Optimization and are considering building a practice, please take care to follow the steps above and/or work with your field PAM/BDM to assist.
Regards, Lisa J. Downey July 10 Bridging IT and BusinessBy Lisa J. Downey, Lead Program Manager, WW Optimization Strategy, Microsoft Corporation Email: lisadown@microsoft.com
In yesterday's Optimization session, “Bridging IT and Business: A Structured approach,” Yoav Land, Sr. Platform Strategist on the WW Optimization Strategy team and Jean-Pierre Beelen, Principal Consultant at Getronics illustrated how connecting business solution areas to IT capabilities is essential to helping business decision makers better evaluate what IT solutions will help drive the business vs. IT solutions designed to maintain and support systems and people. In today’s hypercompetitive economy, business leaders are looking to their IT leaders to steer IT investments towards solutions that provide business value, while minimizing investments perceived as “cost center” oriented IT investments. By adopting Optimization as part of your selling strategy, you can help your IT customers better prepare for and position their IT investment rationale during key executive meetings leveraging the Microsoft Optimization methodologies.
New in FY09, we’ve developed a set of resources to help you help your IT customers better illustrate to their business counterparts the value of optimizing their organization’s infrastructure and platform. We call this framework the “IT to Business Bridge” or (IT2B). These resources range from Business Priorities Guides (solution attributes) and Platform Discussion Guides (Platform Capabilities) to Customer Decks and Architecture Guides. The IT2B Framework offers you a powerful way to help impact the outcome of your Optimization customer conversations.
For more information on how to leverage the IT2B Framework as part of your Optimization selling strategy, please contact your Microsoft representative for more details. You should also try to meet with Yoav (yland@microsoft.com ), while you’re here at the conference if you have any questions.
Regards, Lisa J. Downey July 09 Live From WPC 2008With this year's conference in full swing, check out what partners are saying on-site in Houston:
Video: Live from WPC 2008 What is Optimization Sales Connection?By Lisa J. Downey, Lead Program Manager, WW Optimization Strategy, Microsoft Corporation Email: lisadown@microsoft.com
In many sessions during this year’s conference, you will hear speakers mention the Optimization Sales Connection (OSC) as a key resource for partners to better align their selling strategy and solutions to Optimization and the Microsoft field.
OSC provides resources to help partners become trusted Optimization solution providers by qualifying their solutions to particular Optimization capabilities. As partners deliver solutions that align with Microsoft Optimization methodologies, they can increase potential revenue from each engagement and develop more strategic, high-value customer relationships. After a partner completes the Optimization Sales Connection requirements, they gain access to program benefits that include: · Optimization total cost of ownership (TCO) and return on investment (ROI) tool which helps demonstrate the business value of Optimization to customers. · Exclusive access to co-marketing materials, events, and other marketing execution activities. · Inclusion in the “Partner Capability Report” highlighting partner solutions to the Microsoft field. · Priority consideration for case studies, speaking engagements, and co-sales activities.
For more information visit: http://www.microsoftio.com/osc
We’re hopeful you’ve already gained value from the conference. If you have any questions about the Microsoft Optimization strategy and how you can benefit from it, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the WW Optimization Strategy team members I listed in my earlier blog entry. Also be sure to check out the Optimization Lounge on the center floor of the Expo and talk with our Optimization experts.
Enjoy the show!
Regards, Lisa J. Downey July 07 Planning Your Track SessionsDon't miss the full slate of 150+ afternoon track sessions starting on Tuesday, July 8, and continuing through Thursday, July 10. Check out the tracks below and start mapping your afternoon schedules to get the most out of the sessions available.
1. Business Leadership: Gain insight into industry trends and how you can leverage them to grow your business. 2. Windows Vista: Learn about opportunities with Windows Partner Solutions, available customer campaigns and sales tools, deployment, the Springboard Series program, the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, and the Internet Explorer 8 beta. 3. Microsoft Dynamic: Features the Microsoft line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions. 4. Mobility Solutions: Microsoft's vision and strategy for mobility—and how you can capitalize! 5. Security Solutions: Microsoft security products and services are evolving to deliver more comprehensive, simplified, and integrated security solutions to address the myriad security issues your customers face today. 6. Application Platform: Extend and unlock the value in your existing applications, and rapidly develop new applications that differentiate you from your competition, you can make significant gains in time to value, productivity, and total cost of ownership. 7. Business Productivity Solutions: Streamline how your customers communicate, share, gain business insight, and find information. 8. Core Infrastructure: Help customers optimize and secure their IT foundations with integrated management, security, and virtualization. 9. Small and Midsize Business Solutions: Microsoft and Partner SMB experts walk you through solution scenarios, including protecting your data, improving business productivity, managing your sales pipeline, and improving business performance. 10. Sales and Marketing: Remove clutter in your sales funnel, differentiate yourself and accelerate sales with digital marketing. 11. Software-plus-Services: Evolve your business to include hosted and cloud services. July 03 MAILBAG: Get Ready to Optimize at WPC
By Lisa J. Downey, Lead Program Manager, WW Optimization Strategy, Microsoft Corporation Email: lisadown@microsoft.com
WPC is right around the corner and the Worldwide Optimization Strategy team is looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible during the conference. New at WPC this year, many competency-focused Track Sessions will align to Optimization. This change gives you greater insight to customer and solution opportunities that can enhance your business.
To help you better plan your time while in Houston, please download and review the Infrastructure and Platform Optimization Primer in the resources section. The Primer highlights key Optimization related sessions along with events and networking opportunities you should take advantage of during your stay. If you’re new to Optimization or need a refresher to help you determine what WPC sessions will offer the best learning opportunities for your company, we’ve also added an Optimization FAQ to the resources section. The FAQ answers a broad spectrum of questions that will speed your understanding of Optimization, help you to determine how to align and engage with Microsoft and direct you to resources to begin integrating Optimization as part of your selling strategy.
I am also joined at WPC by a number of our Optimization Strategists. Please connect with them as appropriate by topic: · Juan Manuel Santos Rodriguez, Business Architect, Unified Communications – juanms@microsoft.com · Eddie Hanif, Business Architect, Core IO – ehanif@microsoft.com · Yoav Land, Senior Platform Strategist – yland@microsoft.com
We’re excited about this year’s conference and believe it will provide you with a wealth of knowledge to begin or continue your Optimization journey.
Regards, Lisa J. Downey June 20 MAILBAG: FY09 IO MODEL CHANGESBy Lisa J. Downey, Lead Program Manager, WW Optimization Strategy, Microsoft Corporation Email: lisadown@microsoft.com
We had a good question posted recently on future changes to the IO Models:
Just wondering if there is any information on how the IO models will change for FY09?
We’ve made minimal changes to the models for FY09. The models will remain the same, however, we've added a few questions to Core IO discussion guide and adjusted questions for BPIO and APO as well. We're also introducing sub-capability information for each model to help customers better prioritize their optimization roadmap.
You can visit the Optimization Partner site for complete updates (http://www.microsoftio.com) or access the new Partner Sales Resources portal to search for info by sales stage, segment, IO Model and capability (http://www.partnersalesresources.com). You can also go to the Optimization Sales Connection (OSC) for additional tools and to complete your registration (http://www.microsoftio.com/osc).
- Lisa May 27 WELCOME TO DIGITAL WPC AND THE IO MODEL PARTNER BLOGBy Pam Salzer, senior director, Microsoft Corporation
Email: pams@microsoft.com
Welcome to the Infrastructure Optomization Model (IO Model) partner blog, delivered to you through the Microsoft Digital Worldwide Partner Conference (DWPC).
This is the fourth installment in a series of interactive forums designed to give you direct access to the Microsoft team on issues that impact your business. You can check out the other partner forums by following the 'Resource' links to the right of this page. Our team monitors these forums daily -- you can get involved by using the 'Add a comment' button below to ask a question or share your insight.
The purpose of the IO Model blog is to get your insight and feedback about a sales methodology that may be familiar if you're an enterprise partner, but relatively new if you're focused on serving the SMB space.
Built on an extensive body of analyst and academic research, the IO Models are a new approach to help customers analyze and assess their IT infrastructure. The IO Models are designed to help you and your customer answer fundamental but at times overlooked issues driving solution development. Where are their strongest investments? What are their business goals? What additional investments should they make to meet those goals?
The goal is to build a compelling customer engagement that begins and ends with the their business goals, each supported by clearly-articulated investments that optimize specific components of the IT infrastructure. While the IO Models were initially focused on enterprise customers, partners are seeing greater traction in the midmarket space, where IT complexity begins to resemble larger organizations.
On Tuesday, June 10th, 2008, we invite you to join us for an online event on the Digital WPC site to talk about the Microsoft IO Models and how they can help you build more profitable, longer-term relationships with your customers. In addition, I encourage you to post your thoughts and comments on this site -- and highlight any specific topics you'd like to hear about during the June 10 event.
Leading up to the IO Model event on June 10, you can also check out our previous interactive events including the Windows Vista and the Partner Experience and Environmental Sustainability webcasts. The on demand replays are now available.
We look forward to reading your questions and comments on this site, and be sure to mark your calendar for next month's IO Model Live Meeting! |
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