This just in… New Collaboration managed newsgroup now available in pilot offering, focused on business opportunity.
Just announced, we launched a pilot newsgroup today that is centered around the Collaboration software opportunity. As you know, the newsgroups have been “support-based” to date (break-fix); this newsgroup will focus on the business opportunity of WSS, MOSS and Groove. This newsgroup is open to all partners.
Check out the Newsgroup HERE
Here is the complete URL for those that want it: https://partner.microsoft.com/global/productssolutions/40029551
We are excited to add Collaboration to our managed newsgroups offering. Please note that this newsgroup is a pilot offering that will last approximately 12 weeks. After 12 weeks we will evaluate Partners’ desires to continue with this offering.
Our intent is that within this newsgroup, Partners have an opportunity to ask Microsoft product and partner staff questions around the Collaboration software business opportunity (Windows SharePoint Services, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, etc.), versus “break-fix” questions. We have also invited MVPs and other Partners to help respond to questions.
Within this newsgroup it is our intent that you are able to:
1) Learn about the business opportunity surrounding Microsoft Collaboration software, including other Microsoft products that integrate with the Collaboration software.
2) Post questions and get answers regarding how to identify customers that would benefit from Collaboration software, and how to get customers using the software.
3) Learn about best practices and resources from your peers.
A tentative topic schedule is as follows:
Topic 1:
• WSS – Do your customers own it? Licensing (what are the agreements relevant to small/mid-size customers and how does this work) and solution opportunities.
• How to sell WSS using 40 prebuilt application templates
Topic 2:
• Example solutions WSS/MOSS & Groove
• Building Value into your vertical solutions using Office Enterprise
Topic 3:
• Social Networking – Web 2.0 – what it means to you and your customers.
Topic 4:
• How to engage with Microsoft via the new Portals & Collaboration specialization.
Posting and responding to Collaboration questions
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This newsgroup will be staffed weekdays by Microsoft product and partner staff. All submissions and replies need to be made in English.
For this pilot Collaboration newsgroup, our goal is to provide a two business day response to all questions, but as we are anticipating in-depth business scenario questions, and due to resource constraints, we may not be able to respond to every question posed. We will track our success in responding to Partner questions in order to gauge the type of resources required to make a “business opportunity” newsgroup a year-round offering.
Thank you and have a wonderful day,
Eric Ligman
Microsoft US Senior Manager
Small Business Community Engagement
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no right