Microsoft Services For Partners Now In Pilot Testing For SI, SMB Partners

Microsoft's Premier Support Services, which is currently offered to enterprise customers, will be extended to system integration partners, on the high end, and to solution providers who serve SMB customers on the low end.

Microsoft is currently pilot testing the Premier Support Services for Partners, Systems Integrator Program at a cost of $68,000 annually for 400 base hours, said one source who attended a Fusion 2002 session about enterprise partner engagements and the forthcoming programs

Microsoft also plans a lower cost version of about $20,000 annually for solution providers serving the small and medium-sized space, sources also said. It will offer fewer hours. Both rates are major discounts over the company's existing Microsoft services for the Enterprise.

The SI program will provide just-in time consutling, redistribution of binaries and access to support for Microsoft products and solution offerings, according to a data sheet on the program obtained by CRN.

One solution provider who is familiar with the Microsoft Services for Partners program in pilot said it is a major evolution of the company's existing Partner Strategy Consulting offering.

"It's a major tactical evolution that will help us with our business development," said John Dandeneau, director of strategic alliances at ePresence, which uses a partner staregy conultant in san Francisco today. "Microsoft is listening to partners who are saying we don't want Microsoft to be the prime contractor but we want to go in and have full support form Microsoft. It's like they're going to backstop us."