| Redmond Channel Partner Update Newsletter | Aug. 31, 2011 |
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SPONSORED BY:
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Redmond Channel Partner Update by Lee Pender
- Salesforce.com and Social Networking at Work: Do We Have To?
- Bekker's Blog by Scott Bekker
- Dynamics Partners Push Vertical-Specific Badge
- Microsoft NSI RBA Consulting Acquiring Ratchet
- More News
- Microsoft Puts 'Ribbon' UI on Windows 8 Explorer
- HP: 'One Last Run' of TouchPad Tablets on the Way
- Microsoft Worldwide Enterprise & Partner Group Chief Simon Witts Departs
- Microsoft-VMware Rivalry Puts Spotlight on Cloud Licensing
- Marketing Matters by Barb Levisay
- Why Microsoft 'Ready-to-Go' Is Worth a New Look (Part 1)
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Redmond Channel Partner Update
By Lee Pender
lpender@rcpmag.com
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Salesforce.com and Social Networking at Work: Do We Have To?
With sincere apologies to Dana Carvey, it's time for the return of the Grumpy Old Blogger.
So, here's what I hate about social networking. Consider the following scenario, one I've experienced many times. I see a friend I haven't seen in, say, a month. Maybe two. And I ask how she's doing.
"Well," the reply snaps back, "if you ever looked at Facebook, you'd know that I went to California last month."
"Oh, really? Where in California?" I inquire with half-hearted interest.
"It was all on Facebook. I put up all of my pictures, and I had a link to my blog. You need to get on Facebook once in a while!"
Really? Do I? Or could we just have a pleasant conversation about this right now? Do I not get to hear about the trip to California because I wasn't compulsively combing Facebook every day, waiting with bated breath for updates and clicking through a bunch of fuzzy photos? Is that how it works now? We can only communicate virtually - - and usually one-to-many or many-to-one -- and any attempt to chat in person about something that happened more than two hours ago is just an annoyance. Get on Facebook, will you?
No, I won't. At least not very often. Back in my day... Click here to read the rest.
Read more blogs by Lee Pender here. |
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Bekker's Blog
By Scott Bekker
rcpmag@rcpmag.com
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Dynamics Partners Push Vertical-Specific Badge
A few high-profile Microsoft Dynamics partners are marketing their status as holders of an exclusive badge that identifies them as experts in specific industry verticals.
The latest to highlight the badge is I.B.I.S., a multiple Microsoft award-winning ERP and CRM partner based in Norcross, Ga. CEO Andy Vabulas wrote a blog post last week about I.B.I.S. achieving AMR Research Partner Industry recognition as a Certified Microsoft Dynamics VAR for the discrete manufacturing industry.
"While there have been other Microsoft certification programs for VARs, this one is different because it is administered by a well-respected independent resource and the emphasis is on a VAR's ability to meet the customer needs in a specific industry; not just knowing how the software works but able to add real value for the customer," Vabulas wrote.
Microsoft worked with AMR Research, an analyst firm focused on business processes and technology and which is now wholly owned by Gartner, to set up the... Click here to read the rest.
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Microsoft NSI RBA Consulting Acquiring Ratchet
RBA Consulting, a Microsoft National Systems Integrator, signed a definitive agreement this month to acquire fellow Minneapolis-area firm Ratchet Inc. in a deal expected to close this week.
The move would give RBA a foothold in digital marketing, which is the specialty of Ratchet, a firm with 42 employees, $5 million in 2010 revenues and a Midwest-heavy client base that includes Chicago-based Navistar and Fortune 500 companies in Minnesota.
"We have been monitoring the direction of our industry and determining the best path to define new growth opportunities for our company which include expansion into the digital marketing and mobile technology service areas," said Mike Reinhart, RBA president and COO, in a statement. "In order to keep up with the rapid pace of the market, we needed to align with a firm that already has deep expertise, a strong reputation and solid client relationships. Ratchet brings these attributes and aligns well with RBA's culture."
The plan is to make Ratchet a... Click here to read the rest.
Read more blogs by Scott Bekker here. |
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News From RCPmag.com
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Marketing Matters
By Barb Levisay
blevisay@marketingforpartners.com
Why Microsoft 'Ready-to-Go' Is Worth a New Look (Part 1)
If you have been a Microsoft partner for more than a year, you may not have had a very good experience with Microsoft's Ready-to-Go (RTG) marketing materials program. In fact, the only reason to bring up the less-than-stellar history of the well-intentioned RTG is to contrast it with its newest incarnation, which has become a great resource. If you haven't visited RTG in the past couple of months, here's what you've missed:
Organization Designed with Partner Input
Sally Ann Frank Phillips, director of marketing for Charlotte, N.C.-based Mariner, participated in the focus groups that helped shape the RTG site's redesign. Over the past two years, partner marketers were given the opportunity to test the user interface and give feedback and ideas on how to best structure the system... Click here to read the rest.
Read more blogs by Barb Levisay here. |
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