ms partner program levels: capitalism vs. socialism…and we all know how that turned out
a comment over at vladville got me reminiscing about my halcyon days as a certified partner aka cp & as a gold certified partner aka gcp.
so i went to looking at what’s out there in the upper reaches of the partner stratosphere now.
imagine my surprise at the changes in the licensing benefits.
it used to be that gcp got you 100 internal use licenses.
but now they’ve upped that to a max of 500, altho the starting base is still 100.
you can get there through incentive grants, based on activity in the partner program.
for example…
if you earn a given competency, you are normally granted additional licenses of software related to that competency.
so when you’re calculating what attaining gcp can mean, you need to add up things like that, plus…
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unlimited demo licenses.
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10 licenses of visual studio team edition & msdn premium, with a max of 100.
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100 training licenses of desktop productivity software for on-premises customer training, altho this requires dedicated training pcs.
even cp’s gotten a bit of a boost.
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25 desktop licenses to start, up to a max of 100.
not to mention things like…
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free customer satisfaction surveys
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co-presenting opportunities
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use of the across america truck
and finally, above all else…
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the logo, with optional competency customization
but here’s the thing about cp & gcp that’s the big difference between those levels & registered member.
cp & gcp are built on the capitalist model, while rm is built on the socialist model.
as a cp or gcp, you are actually tangibly rewarded for the work you do with microsoft product, whether your business is structured to resell, install, develop, or any combination of those & about a dzen or so other things.
i took a 2 technician, non-reselling operation to the top of the ms partner program in a little over 6 months. it would have been 3 if i’d had a chance to speak to sharon peterson earlier than september of 2005.
fact of matter: to get there we focused on adding solutions & completing implementation projects that spread the microsoft stack, building off sbs as the core.
which we did for several reasons totally unrelated to the software grants, such as…
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becoming the known leader in our service area.
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expand our areas of expertise via competencies to expand our service areas
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gain greater contact with microsoft in our region & beyond.
but more than anything…
it all boiled to down one word…
r-e-s-p-e-c-t
if you do what it takes to become a professional & a leader in your area of expertise, including presenting yourself as a professional & a leader, you will get the respect you need to be a success.
never underestimate the importance of that.
it can open so many doors that would normally be totally closed to you.
that’s not to say that people will automatically fall at your feet & throw money at you for inhaling & exhaling. but it will give you a credibility edge that your competition would kick their own dog to have.
but for registered members…
once you’re in…
& maybe finish sbsc…
that’s just about it.
there’s really no way to improve your standing, short of making the huge leap to cp.
it’s a one-size-fits-all program involving millions of people world-wide. which means it is bound to really fit no one very well & quite frankly…be a victim of its own dubious level of success. kinda like canadian health care.
so no matter how much anyone whines & moans about it…
my own personal opinion is that action pack’s days are numbered.
registered partner has already been killed…
left as a shambling zombie, lurching around like something from night of the living dead. it’s just that no one has noticed yet.
so my suggestion for anyone who depends on action pack to run your business…
start budgeting the yearly $1600 for entry to cp & get another mcp number associated with your organization soon.
otherwise…
don’t come whining if a rug or 3 are pulled out from under you.
|| posted by chris under business, funlab, it pro, nostalgia, opinion, utility belt || || ||
Here, here.
I hope Microsoft does not eliminate the single-consultant level, but they need to do some serious restructuring.
There are plenty of Sole Proprietors who are willing to take themselves seriously, educate themselves, and even get certified. But they just don’t want the hassles and costs and etc. that it takes to be a 2-person shop. Those people still need a program.
But that’s a far cry from the current Registered program, which consists of “Do you have a mouse? If Yes, click here.” The level of commitment is quite different from the serious sole prop.
It is in everyone’s best interest to move our profession up the ladder of professionalism.
comment by Karlp — February 16, 2007 @ 10:26 am