SARS Impacts Microsoft Parnter Confab

Citing partners' concern about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Microsoft decided last Monday to move its annual partner confab to New Orleans from Toronto, a company spokeswoman confirmed.

The show will go on from Oct. 9--12 as originally planned, the spokeswoman said. She said the partner event,which is the first to combine the Fusion conference, typically held for "classic" Microsoft partners, and Stampede, the conference for Great Plains partners,has been renamed The Microsoft Partner Momentum Event.

Microsoft said it opted to shift the venue after considerable input,both solicited and unsolicited,from its channel allies, who expressed concern about the health risks associated with SARS.

"I'm glad they did it. My wife told me if I went, not to come home [until all threat of infection is gone]," said Richard Warren, vice president and chief solutions architect at Susquehanna Technologies, a Winchester, Va.-based Microsoft partner.

The continuing SARS saga has knocked the wind out of business sails worldwide since it was identified earlier this year.

Last Monday, two more SARS-related fatalities were reported in Toronto, bringing the death toll there to 33. The total of reported active cases there at press time was 70, according to published reports.

Conferences like Microsoft's, which is expected to draw 5,500 people, are gold to cities, especially in this economy. To cushion the blow to Toronto, Microsoft has committed to hosting next year's partner gathering there, the company said.