Nokia and Microsoft: Partners in building a new global mobile system

Nokia and Microsoft announced today in London announced plans to form a broad strategic partnership that would use their complementary strengths and expertise to create a new global mobile ecosystem.

The strategic partnership in a nutshell:

• Nokia to adopt Windows Phone 7 as its principal smartphone strategy, and help drive the future of Windows Phone 7.
• Bing to empower Nokia’s search services. Microsoft adCenter to provide search advertising services on Nokia’s phones.
• Both companies plan to combine assets and develop innovative mobile products on an unprecedented scale.
• Nokia maps to be integrated with Bing
• Microsoft development tools to be used to build solutions on Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices
• Nokia’s content & app store to be integrated with Windows Phone marketplace.

See the official press release.

Partners only: Free Microsoft TechNet Subscription!

Partners! Get ready for 2011!

Do you have the latest Microsoft software to test and evaluate?

You do!  It’s already included in your Microsoft Partner Network benefits!

This is a reminder that your organization has access to the best collection of Microsoft evaluation software just by being a Microsoft Gold or Silver Competency Partner or Microsoft Action Pack Solution Provider subscriber!

Deepen your understanding of Microsoft products and technologies: 

• Evaluation Software: 
  No time or feature limits to all Microsoft commercial software, including beta and release candidate (RC) versions of operating system, application, server, and Microsoft Dynamics software.   Use to help with system and application compatibility testing.

• Technical Library download and viewer:
  Get quick and easy offline access to Technical Library documents and manage on your PC.  Use to help with planning deployments or architecture design sessions at while on the road.

• Exclusive Portal Access:
  Efficiently manage your subscription and access your benefits from one place

Access your TechNet Subscription benefits

• Gold and Silver Competency partners receive three subscriptions per organization.  Microsoft Action Pack for Solution Providers receive one subscription.
• If you are a Microsoft Action Pack Solution Provider subscriber, visit the Microsoft Action Pack Subscription Support page for details about how to assign technical contact IDs and access subscription benefits.
• If you are a partner with a silver or gold competency, an administrator for your organization must visit the Partner Membership Center and assign each TechNet Subscription to a specific person. TechNet Subscriptions can be assigned only to individuals who have already associated their Windows Live ID with their Microsoft Partner Network member organization.
• After your administrator has assigned your subscription, he or she will provide a technical contact ID for you, or you can visit the Partner Membership Center to obtain the ID yourself.
• After you have acquired a technical contact ID, visit the Activate My TechNet Subscription page to activate your subscription and access your benefits. 
• If you have any questions or need support, call 800.765.7768 and mpnsolve@microsoft.com

Qatar Partner Academy 2010-2011

I’m glad to announce the Qatar Partner Academy for FY11. Partner Academy is a set of classroom learning activities that we execute each year for Microsoft partners in the country.

If you are a Microsoft partner and you would like to enroll your organization in this training program, please contact me or leave a comment on this post. Prior registration is mandatory, and seats are filling up very fast. Priority will be given to partners based in Qatar.

The following are the courses that we will be running this year.

TECHNICAL TRAINING

• Venue: InfoCenter Doha, Near Sana Roundabout.
• Lunch & 2 coffee breaks will be provided for all technical trainings.
•  Timing: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

SALES TRAINING

Venue: Microsoft Qatar office, QSTP

Provide feedback and WIN a Microsoft shirt!

Attention: Microsoft Partners in Qatar!

Let us know the feedback about Partner Academy trainings held between August 2009 and June 2010 and win a Microsoft-branded formal shirt.

The feedback should be made as a comment on “Microsoft Partners in Qatar” Facebook group by clicking “Comment” on my status message (see below), email feedback does not qualify for the prize (although feedback will be heard)!

This Facebook group is open only by invitation, and only partners in Qatar and certain Microsoft employees can see posts and comments you make on this group. Not a member yet? Join our Facebook group today!

Feel free to forward this mail to other people in your organization.

The Rules:

• This contest is only open to partners who have enrolled and attended Partner Academy training FY10.
• The feedback should be made in our Facebook group, email feedback doesn’t qualify for the prize.
• Each entry should include “what went right” and “what went wrong” in addition to your feedback. Each entry should also mention the course name.
• Winner will be selected on July 4, 2010. The most complete and candid feedback stands a higher chance of winning. Winner will be announced on the Facebook group.

Microsoft Virtualization Partners in Qatar

As of today, we have three Gold Certified partners based in Qatar, qualified and certified in the Server Virtualization competency within the Microsoft Partner Network.

1. Information & Communication Technology WLL

2. EBLA Consulting

3. Mannai Trading Co.

Information & Communication Technology WLL (ICT) is the first Microsoft partner in Qatar to complete the requirements to be certified on Server Virtualization solutions.

All partners above have completed the required training at the Partner Academy. Mannai Trading and EBLA Consulting have sent their consultants to the Dynamic Datacenter Workshop held earlier this year in Dubai. All of the above partners have the required experience in deploying advanced server virtualization scenarios with Microsoft technologies and have a number of notable customer references in Qatar.

At Microsoft, virtualization means helping IT departments maximize cost savings and improve business continuity. Our solutions address both physical and virtual infrastructure, and can be easily managed through a single console. Microsoft virtualization provides a completely virtualized infrastructure for your enterprise, from data center to desktop.

The Microsoft Partner Network recognizes qualified solution providers and helps them create new opportunities, increase demand, and achieve their business objectives. The network allows partners to leverage unique resources to help drive business innovation and form a trusted foundation for strategic decision making, increased agility, and long-term competitive advantage.

Security event at Qatar, February 17

Microsoft Qatar did a Security event yesterday at the Four Seasons Hotel, Doha. We started off with an enthusiastic audience of 70+ people.

• We kicked off with a presentation on Microsoft Business Ready Security by good ol’ David Maskell, Security SSP – Microsoft Gulf, followed by technical demos.

• Fadel Lubbos, Senior Consultant from Information & Communication Technology WLL (ICT) did a demo on Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) – pictured below. ICT is Microsoft Gold Certified Security Partner.

• Below are pictures of me doing my demo on Microsoft Unified Access Gateway (UAG) and DirectAccess.

• Fazil Rahim, CEO of Entelyst, did a demo on Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS). Entelyst is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in security solutions.

Pictures from the Q & A session:

Photos: Lea Attieh

Forefront Technology Webcast

Windows Server 2008 & SBS 2008 Workshop, Qatar

SSA program changes in 2010 {Partners}

Till December 2009 we had a very rewarding scheme with partners earning more than 30% of the estimated retail price as incentive for recommending and deploying our security solutions.

This year, some changes have been made to the SSA program, and I’d like to share the highlights here.

Recap: What is SSA?

The Security Software Advisor (SSA) program is an incentive program for Microsoft partners that provide implementation services on Microsoft security products.

Organizations that invoice hours of services (known as services partners) can earn incentive fees when they recommend and deploy Microsoft security software for new sales of specific Forefront products. Microsoft SSAs are eligible to earn fees of 10 to 20 percent of the estimated retail price (ERP) of each customer’s Microsoft Volume Licensing order of Forefront products, when they invoice customers for implementation services of those products.

Partners, what’s new in SSA for 2010?

The SSA program has been kept simple, easy to understand and rewarding this year:

Antivirus & Malware Protection Solutions: SSA Fee 20%

• Forefront Endpoint Protection (currently Forefront Client Security)

• Forefront Online Protection for Exchange (formerly Forefront Online Security for Exchange)

• Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server (formerly Forefront Security for Exchange Server)

• Forefront Protection Manager (formerly Microsoft Forefront Management Consoles)

• Forefront Security for SharePoint (formerly Antigen for SharePoint)

• Forefront Security for Office Communications Server (formerly Antigen for Instant Messaging)

• Forefront Security Suite

Identity & Access Solutions: SSA Fee 10%

• Forefront Identity Manager (formerly Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007)

• Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010 (formerly ISA)

• Forefront Unified Access Gateway 2010 (formerly IAG)

• Active Directory Rights Management Services

Qatar partners, for more information see the Partner Network or contact me or your PAM.

New Core Infrastructure competencies {Partners only}

According to a June 2009 IDC report, partners with more than two Core Infrastructure competencies sign deals that are 68 percent larger than average, enjoy 28 percent higher revenue per employee, and realize longer engagements and faster revenue growth.

Now that’s what I call an interesting proposition! Calling all partners out there in Qatar with single competencies – contact me or your PAM to find out how to earn new competencies and advance your partnership with Microsoft. We’re here to help!

Surely by now you’ve heard of the rebranding of MSPP to the Microsoft Partner Network. We’ve added the following new competencies to the Microsoft Partner Program with effect from May 2010.

• Desktop Platform Competency: The Office Deployment specialization (within the IW Solutions Competency) and the Desktop Deployment Specialization (in Advanced Infrastructure Solutions) will merge.
  • Products involved: Windows 7, MDOP, Microsoft Office, Windows Azure
• Identity & Security Competency: Consists of two specializations
  • Infrastructure Security: Products involved – ADFS, Certificate Services, RMS, ILM, TMG (ISA Server)
  • Identity and Secure Access: Products involved – Forefront Client Security, Forefront Server Security, TMG/ISA Server, UAG/IAG, Forefront Security Suite
• Server Platform Competency: The Active Directory & Storage specializations (both within the Advanced Infrastructure competency) will merge to form the Server Platform competency
  • Products involved: Windows Server, Microsoft Virtualization solutions, Windows HPC server
• Systems Management Competency: The Systems Management specialization (within Advanced Infrastructure Solutions) will become a competency by itself.
  • Products involved: System Center products – SCCM, SCOM, SCDPM, SCVMM, Virtualization
• Virtualization Competency: Brand new competency for partners specializing on Microsoft’s virtualization technologies. Some partners in Qatar have already achieved this competency, ICT being the first.
  • Products involved: Windows Server (Hyper-V), MDOP (App-V, MED-V), SCVMM,  SCE, Windows Azure.

For more information, login to the Microsoft Partner Network or contact your PAM/PTA at Microsoft.