Microsoft Creates Partner Program To Challenge Google On Search

As part of its efforts to claw search market share back from Google, Microsoft is developing a new search specialization within its Information Worker Solutions partner program competency.

And to encourage partners to invest in the search market, Microsoft is creating a program offering training benefits, access to its search experts and other incentives.

Called Quickstart for Microsoft Search, the program will be available to Microsoft-certified partners at all levels, said Chris Capossela, corporate vice president of Microsoft's information worker product management group. A new data visualization specialty is also in the works. More information on the program will be discussed at this week's Velocity 2006 Worldwide Partner Conference, which opens today in Boston.

"Our search effort is big," Capossela said. "We want partners to understand what they can do and be incented to start on it."

Search leader Google is circling the waters, picking off some of Microsoft's partners to seed its own fledgling channel efforts. One Microsoft partner who has also teamed up with Google, MC+A President Michael Cizmar, said he's glad to see Microsoft building a more formal partner program around search.

"The whole search field is exploding. We're going about 500 miles per hour," said Cizmar, whose Chicago consultancy specializes in information management. "This is win-win. It helps Microsoft, and it fits in very well with our niche."

Cizmar plans to continue partnering with both Microsoft and Google, an agnostic approach he said both vendors have endorsed. Each company has its strengths, he said: Google in unstructured information management, Microsoft in ease of deployment and desktop integration.

As Microsoft builds out the search program, Cizmar sees publicity as the key benefit Microsoft can offer partners.

"What we look for is the resources to educate ourselves, a line into the product group, and marketing referrals," he said. "We need Microsoft to help educate customers on our existence."