Find out what’s new for Microsoft partners. We’ll connect you to resources that help you become market-ready, connect with customers and prospects, and differentiate your business. Read previous issues.
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Top stories
Office 2016 partner resources
Office 2016 was released worldwide on September 22. For Office 365 subscribers, this release delivers new value in collaboration, apps that work for users, a perfect pairing with Windows 10, and security features that benefit businesses. This release also marks a new model for delivery, where subscribers can expect to get more frequent updates with new features and improvements.
- Read “The new Office is here” by Corporate Vice President, Kirk Koenigsbauer
- Read Phil Sorgen’s blog post about what Office 2016 means for partners
- Watch the Modern Workplace webcast, “Better Together: Today’s Dynamic Teams” featuring an Office 2016 demo
- Sign in to the Drumbeat portal for materials to prepare your sales teams and start the customer conversation
Unlock Office 365 opportunities with the new Office
On the next Office 365 Partner Community call and an upcoming Sales Excellence webcast, we’ll talk about unlocking opportunities with Office 365 now that Office 2016 has been released. Register for one or both of these live virtual events:
- October 1 – Office 365 Partner Community call (technical focus, primarily for SI partners)
- October 14 – Sales Excellence webcast (sales focus)
Skype for Business Cloud Partner Sales Summits
With the new Skype for Business cloud services—PSTN Conferencing, Cloud PBX, PSTN calling, and Skype Meeting Broadcast—to be introduced to Office 365 soon, there is significant new opportunity for partners ahead. Partner Sales and Marketing leaders are invited to join us at a one-day summit to hear Microsoft experts present their selling strategies for Skype for Business, inclusive of the new cloud conferencing and calling services. Register for a Sales Summit
Windows 10 Partner Community: Understanding Windows as a Service, and what it means to you as a partner
Steve Adams, the US Partner Technology Strategist for Windows and Devices, explains what Windows as a Service means for your customers, and your opportunity. Windows as a Service is also the topic for the next Windows Partner Community call, on September 29.
October 2: Regional SMB Partner Insider community calls
The October calls in our new series for East Region, Central Region, and West Region will be held on Friday, October 2. Each region’s call will cover content that’s been requested by partners, with topics that include Office 2016, Microsoft Partner Network program updates, and Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) best practices. Get details about each call and register
Microsoft and Salesforce strengthen their strategic partnership
Satya Nadella keynoted the recent Dreamforce 2015 conference, spending time explaining the three Microsoft bold ambitions (Reinventing productivity and business processes; Building the intelligent cloud; Make computing more personal) and talking about how we’re realizing those ambitions with a variety of new tools that include Office 2016, Power BI, Cortana Analytics Suite, and Windows 10, among others. Read more about the announcement
- Watch highlights of Satya Nadella's keynote
- Read how new scenarios were enabled through development tools
Prepare for your next Azure, Office 365, or Windows 10 exam with savings on practice tests
Microsoft Learning is making a new practice test offer available to partners: an exam pack that includes practice tests for Office 365, Microsoft Azure, and Windows 10 (when available). You’ll save up to 30% with this offer from Pearson VUE. Savings end December 31. Terms and conditions apply. Get the details and purchase your practice tests
Plan ahead with the US Partner Hot Sheet training schedule
The Hot Sheet is a schedule of partner training courses, webcasts, community calls, and office hours. It’s updated as we learn about new training for all roles in your partner business. The October Hot Sheet includes listings through November. Visit the current Hot Sheet
Resources for ISV partners
With Windows 10, Microsoft Azure, and Office 365, Microsoft offers partners many compelling reasons to be in the business of application building and packaging up intellectual property for sale to customers. If your company is an ISV, start with the new ISV and Application Builder Center to find resources that support how you build, customize, and take your application to market. Go to the ISV and App Builder Center
