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1006rcp_cover.v5 9/11/06 1:57 PM Page 1 www.rcpmag.com • October2006 DRIVING SUCCESS IN NER COMMUNITY Honored as Goodbye GTMs; BEST START-UP Hello Customer PUBLICATION Jesse H. Neal Campaigns 30 National Business Journalism Awards Make Your Company 2006 Memorable 36 Negotiating a Better Deal 42 That’sClose Enough Keeping a safe distance from Microsoft24 Project2 8/8/06 11:11 AM Page 1 An advantage to get excited about. Announcing the new Intel® Channel Partner Program Project2 8/8/06 11:13 AM Page 1 One of the world’s best channel programs just If you want to strengthen and grow your business, got a little better. you’ve come to the right place. We want to help. If you build, resell, install or recommend IT solutions based on Intel® • The Intel® Platform Branding Advantage technology, now you have more advantages than ever in the newly 6KRZ\RXUFXVWRPHUV\RXKDYH,QWHO,QVLGHZLWKORJRODEHOV redesigned Intel® Channel Partner Program. From technical resources designed to generate additional business while giving your and warranty support to marketing kits and hands-on training FXVWRPHUVWKHIHDWXUHVDQGSHUIRUPDQFHEHQHÀWVWKH\ORRNIRU RSSRUWXQLWLHV JHWWKHEHQHÀWVWRKHOS\RXVXFFHHGDVD6\VWHP Builder or Technology Provider in this award-winning program. • Get the Training You Need From face-to-face training and events to online knowledge builder • Three straight years: Best Overall Company, VARBusiness Annual courses, Intel offers a robust suite of training to help you compete Report Card and succeed. • Three straight years: Best Channel Program at IT ChannelVision • Go to Market Faster • Three straight years: Best Channel Program at Tech Builder XChange Make the most of your marketing campaigns. 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Project3 5/9/06 9:37 AM Page 1 Provide accurate anddependable tax rates Cover all states Provide comprehensive taxability decisions Reduce the time it takes to fi le tax returns Provide ZIP + 4 extensions Assign rates by address and zip code I need solutions that: Ensure sales tax compliance and integrate with the Microsoft® Dynamics Suite Lower my total cost of ownership Validate addresses Maintain control of the fi nal approval process And I got them: CertiTAX®, ZIPsales® Returns, and ZIPsales® Database Technology-driven sales and use tax solutions from CCH will streamline all areas of tax compliance for your company. A wide array of programs such as CertiTAX, ZIPsales Returns, and ZIPsales Database integrate seamlessly with Microsoft® Dynamics AX, GP, SL, and NAV to save you time and increase productivity. So whether you need accurate tax rates and taxability decisions for over 8,000 jurisdictions in the United States or help populating and filing sales and use tax returns, turn to CCH — the industry leader with over 90 years in the business. For more information, call 1-800-630-22181-877-CCH-8368 The Professional’s First Choice or visit SalesTax.com/MSDSalesTax.com/Integration. 1006rcp_TOC_3.v8 9/11/06 3:34 PM Page 3 Contents OCTOBER 2006 • VOLUME 1• NUMBER 12 FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 6 Partner Points 24 36 “Dealing with the Microsoft Haters” dialogue continues; more on Best Buy for Business 9 Channel Report 30 A year after Katrina, Gulf Coast partners redouble their efforts to help their hometowns. 9 LIFESTYLE: Sun, Sand, Surf and Salt Air . 10 24 Keeping a Safe Distance from Microsoft CHANNEL CALL: CA Seeks Partners for Portal . 12 ISVs need to stay close to Microsoft—but not too close. MICROSOFT PARTNER CALENDAR . 12 Here’s how to be an effective partner without giving away too much. ANATOMY OF THE DEAL: Microsoft-Citrix . 14 PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: ScriptLogic 30 On the Campaign Trail Born from VAR roots, the Windows admin tool Microsoft has replaced its ‘go-to-markets’ with customer campaigns. vendor treats its customers and partners like gold . 17 What does the switch mean for partners? 47 Solution Spotlight 36 Branding 101 Microsoft Commerce Server 2007 can put a company Think you can afford to ride on the coattails of the Microsoft name? online in a single day, but using the solution effectively Think again. You need to promote your own brand, too. requires a solid knowledge base. 42 Best Practices: COLUMNS Learning to Love the Deal PARTNER ADVOCATE: Scott Bekker Top-notch negotiators aren’t born with that talent; they develop it by MSPP Web Site Gets a Facelift. 4 practice. Here’s how to sharpen your own skills before you ever sit down at the table. PARTNER VIEW: Michael Donnelly Protect and Optimize Exchange Environments . 22 MARKETING MICROSOFT: Mac McIntosh RCPmag.com Build Your Business for Less Through Marketing . 52 SELLING MICROSOFT: Ken Thoreson It’s Blog Time FindIT Codes The 10 Traits Buyers Seek in Sales Superstars . 54 If you’re looking for the latest You’ll see FindIT codes DIRECTIONS: Paul DeGroot technology and business news embedded throughout Partners: The New Distribution Vehicle . 56 plus what it means for Microsoft Redmond Channel partners, then head over to Partner. Simply type Senior Editor Lee Pender RCPmag.com/blogs. On our site these into the FindIT code RCPmag.com/blogs/pender you’ll find Redmond Channel box on any RCPmag.com Partner editors Scott Bekker, Lee Pender and others page and you’ll jump directly to the desired blogging about the biggest events of the day, plus information. (Note that all sharing their take on what it means for you. Stop FindIT codes are one by regularly to read their rants—you can even share word, and they are not your own! FindIT code: RCPBlogs case-sensitive.) 10 COVER PHOTO BY CORBIS 1006rcp_Advocate_4.v7 9/11/06 10:55 AM Page 4 PartnerAdvocate Redmond ChannelPartner RCPmag.com October 2006 ✚ Volume 1 ✚ Number 12 Editorin Chief Scott Bekker [email protected] Executive Editor Anne Stuart [email protected] SeniorEditor Lee Pender MSPP Web Site Gets [email protected] Managing Editor Wendy Gonchar [email protected] a Facelift Solution SpotlightEditor Lafe Low [email protected] Editors, RCPmag.com Becky Nagel [email protected] By Scott Bekker has deep content beneath it. Michael Domingo Since signing up as a Registered Member of Microsoft’s promotional materials state [email protected] ArtDirector Scott Shultz the Microsoft Partner Program nearly a year that the software giant aims to get Microsoft [email protected] ago, I’ve never been impressed with the partners to use the site weekly. Anyone who SeniorGraphicDesigner Alan Tao official MSPP Web site. It’s one of those sites operates a Web site would envy the potential [email protected] that leaves you feeling that you’re missing traffic of 380,000 unique visitors (the cur- resources you’re entitled to just because it’s rent number of partners signed up for Group Publisher Henry Allain so poorly organized. Microsoft’s programs at all levels) stopping [email protected] I ran into my latest problem with the partner by on a weekly basis. If you haven’t used the Editorial Director Doug Barney Ssite in late July while testing Internet Explorer site in awhile, it’s worth a look. [email protected] Group Associate Publisher Matt N. Morollo 7.0 Beta 2. I tried to follow a link to a new Microsoft says the new design is based on [email protected] OEM System Builder blog. Rather than taking partner feedback and Web best practices. It’s DirectorofMarketing Michele Imgrund [email protected] me to that page, the site flashed a message certainly a best practice to have a well- SeniorWeb Developer Rita Zurcher warning that I was using an unsupported organized site. A high-quality Web site is an [email protected] Marketing Programs Videssa Djucich browser: “Please use the most recent non- indication of the health and quality of a pro- Manager [email protected] beta version of [IE] to access this page.” gram, company or government agency.