'Unity': Microsoft's watchword for the week
MS-Watch | at | by Mike
Redmond plans to bring all of its integrators and resellers - including those who have focused exclusively on SMBs - under a single umbrella. While Microsoft is readying myriad security and small-business product announcements that it will unveil this week at its worldwide partner event in New Orleans, the company also is planning to unfurl a new, unified channel partner program there, as well.
Called the "Next Generation Partner Program," the latest version of Microsoft's sales program for integrators and resellers, is due to go into effect in January, 2004, according to a note sent to existing Microsoft partners on Monday from Redmond's U.S. Partner Group. Microsoft expects the transition to the new program, which the company describes as "a significant evolution" of its existing program, to take 18 months.